All eyes on integrated health lifeline as Joan Whiting’s viability worries grow
Viability was once again the key word at last week’s Joan Whiting Trust Annual General Meeting, as its closure is now inevitable without financial support.
One condition of its mortgage is that the trust must begin the process of closing the home and selling the property as soon as the trustees know that the home won’t have enough income to cover its operating losses.
Trust chairwoman Merrill Coke reported that, despite the home’s excellent occupancy rates and continued support from the community via fundraising, in the last financial year the home ran at an operating loss of $56,761. The shortfall was covered by a special subsidy from the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, but the DHB has signalled that the subsidy cannot continue beyond December this year. The Joan Whiting Trust is forecasting an even bigger shortfall ($130,000) for the coming year.
Mrs Coke said that the cause of the problem was the growing gap between the rest home’s income and its operating costs.
“This is a national problem. Read or listen to media reports over the past few years and the message is that small rest homes fear they are heading for extinction. Without the help of the DHB we would have closed last year.”
Heather Cole of Takaka is one of the home’s most loyal suporters. Her mother Rosie Cole (91) is a resident there, loves the place and has no wish to leave, says Heather.
“Joan Whiting is the residents’ home,” she said. “It offers a standard of care that institutions in other places cannot match. We owe it to the older residents of the Bay, who have contributed so much to our communities, to do everything we can to save it.”
Trust treasurer Chris Mitson said that the home’s expenses had increased significantly in the last financial year.
“Heating is up over 50 per cent, linen supplies are up over 100 per cent and wages are up nearly 30 per cent,” he said. “The reality is that frailer residents require more care, which means more staff and more skilled staff. Nurse manager Jan Dahl has a programme by which all staff work towards national certificates in care of the elderly. Some establishments often just hire inexperienced people off the street.”
The current integrated health project offers a lifeline.
“We became involved in the integrated health project because of our responsibility to older people in Golden Bay who need rest home care now or who will need it in the future,” said Mrs Coke. “We passionately want to keep rest home services in the Bay and we would be abdicating our responsibility if we closed our eyes to other options or to serious financial problems simply because we are fond of the present home.”
The current timetable is for the parties involved in the integrated health project to make a decision by the end of September and the Joan Whiting Trust will support it if they are satisfied with the standard of facilities and care, said Mrs Coke.
“We want the transition budget for an integrated health facility to include funds to keep the Joan Whiting home running until the new facility is built. That way, residents can transfer with the minimum of stress and disruption. In that case the home will remain open beyond the end of 2009,” said Mrs Coke.
Neil Wilson
