Like other Chesalon Malabar families, John Cotterill was very disappointed when he heard that the Anglicare-run nursing home had to close because of the Government’s new building standards.
But on hearing this week that Anglicare has devised a rescue plan for Chesalon Malabar, John is ‘over the moon’.
"I knew it was a great situation that had come about," says John. "And if I was a gambling man, I'd say this is what winning the lottery must feel like."
The Malabar home was slated for closure in 2007 because there was no land at the site, nor did Anglicare have funds available for a major rebuilding project so the home could comply with 2008 Commonwealth Certification building standards.
But in a dramatic turnaround, Anglicare will now implement a new integrated low care-high care model, which will ensure its nursing home network is financially viable in the light of the Federal Government’s funding regime.
Chesalon a blessing to families
John has found Chesalon a real blessing in the care of his elderly mother, Elsie.
"I was very sad, not just for my mother, but also for the other residents,” he says.
“It just meant that more beds were going out of the eastern suburbs."
When his mother became too frail to live independently three years ago, John Cotterill went to nearly every nursing home in his area in search of a place where she would be loved and cared for.
The long term member of St Martin's, Kensington found almost clinical care in most of the secular nursing homes he visited.
But John was struck by the difference in Chesalon Malabar when he first walked through its doors.
"There is something different about a Christian nursing home," John explains.
"It seemed very much like a home. I'd leave Chesalon and knew that [my mother] would be looked after."
For Wendy Willett, Director of Nursing at Chesalon Malabar, caring for the frail aged at Chesalon is not just a nine to five job but an opportunity to put faith in action.
"Anglicare as an organisation enables us to provide our elderly residents with a quality of care that reflects God's love to us," says Wendy.
"The care therefore no longer becomes a job I do, but an extension of my Christian faith. It's an attitude and a way of doing things that can be vastly different to secular nursing homes."
Three major nursing home developments
Anglicare Diocese of Sydney has announced major redevelopment plans for two of its threatened Chesalon homes, as well as the construction of a new home at Ingleburn.
The comprehensive redevelopment plan will see both Chesalon Malabar and Jannali now able to comply with the 2008 Commonwealth Certification building standards.
Chesalon Malabar will go from a 47-bed standard high care nursing home to a 65-bed aged care facility comprising both standard high care and extra service high care.
Chesalon Jannali will go from a 52-bed standard high care nursing home to a 120-bed aged care facility comprising high and low care, as well as some extra service high care.
The existing home will be demolished and replaced on the current site by the newly designed facility.
Both homes will also incorporate a community day/respite centre and space for the delivery of community aged care.
In addition, the Anglicare Council has approved the purchase of 1.3 hectares of land at Ingleburn for the development of a new 120-bed aged care facility and 25 assisted living units.
This development will showcase Anglicare's new aged care service delivery model that will include assisted and independent living units for seniors as part of a "continuum of care' strategy.
Anglicare CEO Peter Kell reinforced Chesalon's commitment to best practice aged care delivered with Christian compassion as a key ministry for Anglicare and says the new care model is a vital strategy for the future.
"The "continuum of care' model incorporates all aspects of residential aged care (high and low care) together with independent living accommodation, fully integrated with community aged care so people's aged care needs can be managed from the earliest stages right through their remaining life,” Mr Kell says.
"This represents a significant expansion of our aged care ministry from our historical position of just providing residential high care in a nursing home setting with a modest amount of community aged care. It involves a significant enhancement of our community aged care service delivery, as more and more people prefer to age at home."
The redevelopment of both Jannali and Malabar means that existing residents will have to be relocated for the duration of the construction, and Anglicare is arranging for alternate accommodation for as many of the residents as possible during this time.
Chesalon Malabar is likely to be operational by mid 2008 and Chesalon Jannali by the end of 2008.
The Ingleburn development will be staged, with stage one operational by the middle of 2009 and stage two operational by early 2010.
Chesalon North Manly still to close
However, as previously announced, the Chesalon home at North Manly will close at the end of February 2007 because it does not meet the new Government building requirements.
"There is no capacity to expand this site to accommodate the number of residents it would need to make this home financially viable for the long term and to comply with the 2008 Certification standards," says Mr Kell.
"The staff, residents and the residents' families at Chesalon North Manly have all been made aware that the original decision of the Council regarding the closure of the home stands. Every effort will be made to ensure that the needs of the residents and their families will be met during the period of transition.”
