Wagga’s aged care facility The Haven is to be sold.
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The whole complex – including residential aged care, community care and independent living units – will be bought by Catholic Healthcare Limited, with binding contracts already signed.
Catholic Healthcare runs home and community care services in Wagga and has aged care facilities at Tumut, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Orange, Forbes and Dubbo.
Completion of the sale is subject to conditions, including approval from the Department of Health, and is expected to occur by mid-December 2018.
Scott Oehm, the chairman of The Haven Community Limited, has moved to reassure staff and residents.
He said the sale included “strict safeguards” for residents and staff. Residents would retain their places under existing contract arrangements. Staff would retain their entitlements and would be offered roles with Catholic Healthcare.
Spokespeople for United Voice and the Health Services Union, which represent workers in the aged care sector, told The Daily Advertiser they would be checking with their members to see if any of them were affected by the sale.
“This is a great result for residents and staff, and for the community in Wagga,” Mr Oehm said in a statement.
According to that statement, the decision to sell “followed a detailed strategic review, and a decision by the board of The Haven to focus on affordable housing with an emphasis on assisting other community organisations in this area”.
“As a result, we embarked on a national search to find an organisation that specialises in quality aged care and supports our values to take the organisation into a new era,” Mr Oehm said.
“We are thrilled that Catholic Healthcare answered the call. Catholic Healthcare is a substantial not-for-profit organisation with a strong reputation for providing quality residential aged care.”
Staff and residents were being briefed and reassured about the safeguards built into the sale, Mr Oehm said.
“Funds generated from the sale will support new projects, in line with The Haven’s mission of providing quality care, accommodation and services for the aged and those in need,” he said.