Arabic version: نقل ملكية دار رعاية بروسرپاين يثير قلق المجتمع

According to ABC News, ownership of the community-owned Proserpine Nursing Home is set to transfer to Tasmanian-based provider Respect Aged Care, subject to a September 7 vote by the Proserpine Nursing Home Association. Management board chair Marie Dickens said a deal had been struck, and told residents Respect could run the facility by mid-December if the vote succeeds.

The home was built through local fundraising about four decades ago, with sugarcane farmers, the Rotary Club and community events contributing. Farmer Edward Dray donated a cane paddock for the site. When the facility opened in 1986, it meant older residents no longer had to move 90 minutes away. The town has a population of 3,600 and the facility is its only nursing home.

Some residents, families, former and current employees, and union delegates have raised concerns about the proposed change. More than 100 people attended a July community meeting when the transfer was still rumoured, while a petition calling for its cancellation collected hundreds of signatures. The association, previously with about 30 members, received more than 160 membership applications in recent months.

Ms Dickens said no money would change hands, as the home’s constitution requires it to be owned by another charity. She cited higher costs, tighter compliance rules and difficulty recruiting senior regional staff. The letter said residents would not be affected and existing staff would be offered continuing work. Respect chief executive Jason Binder said the organisation understood the community sentiment and would treat the facility’s local legacy seriously.