Vic; Uniting Church to close Mont Calm aged care centre

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2000
Vic; Uniting Church to close Mont Calm aged care centre

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 AAP - The Uniting Church intends to close down the 52-bed Mont Calm
aged care home it operates in Melbourne's eastern suburbs because it cannot be brought
up to standard, the church said today.

The facility was opened in 1966 in a former private house and extended in the early 1970s.

But the church said today closure was the only realistic option because Mont Calm could
not meet the December 31 deadline set for accreditation set by the federal government.

Mont Calm would be progressively closed down over the next five months to allow residents
time to adjust to moving, the church said in a statement.

Spokesman Kim Cain told AAP the Uniting Church would help residents find another place
to live and pay the cost of moving.

Federal funding for the facility will cease on December 31 and Mr Cain said the cost
of keeping Mont Calm open until April 30 next year was estimated to be about $1.5 million,
an expense which would be carried by the church.

"It's an expensive issue but I hope that it makes the community understand the Uniting
Church is serious about its commitment to the residents," he said.

Mr Cain said Mont Calm was one of 16 aged care facilities the Uniting Church operated
in Melbourne and many Mont Calm residents would be found accommodation in other church
facilities.

He said Mont Calm was opened when different standards were acceptable, such as room sharing.

Mont Calm's accommodation consisted of mainly four-bed rooms whereas the current requirement
was for single-bed rooms.

Federal Aged Care Minister Bronwyn Bishop has been under sustained criticism this year
over the failure of departmental officials to demand the highest standards from aged care
facilities.

However all aged care homes now have until December 31 to meet federal standards or lose funding.

A federal spokesman said 81 per cent of all facilities had met the accreditation standards
by early November.

AAP ra/clr/gmw

KEYWORD: AGED CALM

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