Not only will the grant keep the facility’s mega makeover on track it will also provide a further 20 beds to the aged care provider’s capacity.
This money will be dedicated to specialised residential care areas by the renovation and extension of two existing wings.
Warramunda chief executive Sandi Websdale said her team and their residents were “incredibly pleased” with the funding.
“We are looking forward to our residents and staff being able to use the new spaces,” she added.
She agreed building the bed capacity was vital to keep Warramunda financially sustainable as it was not immune to the challenges facing too many small, regional aged-care providers.
Ms Websdale said that was mostly caused by the government subsidy on federally funded places known as ACFI being too low.
This basic subsidy is scaled based on the care needs classification of the resident.
“This subsidy is presently not covering the cost of care. So right now that means that we are dipping in to our cash reserves to provide a necessary standard of care that can’t continue forever,” she said.
“We will never compromise on care for our residents and we will never turn away residents based on their capacity to pay.
“Almost 50 per cent of our residents are funded through accommodation supplement, which exists to support those who do not have the capacity to contribute to all, or part, of the cost of their accommodation. This reduced per resident revenue is generally a higher proportion than other providers, who might only have 20 or 30 per cent.”
A report from the aged care peak industry body Leading Age Services Australia found as many as 40 per cent of regional aged care providers were running at a loss.
Ms Websdale said while the building program would provide better economies of scale for Warramunda, the ACFI subsidy must better reflect the cost of care.
With the election now only days away, she was calling for an increase to the subsidy and a commitment to address the rapidly rising demand for in-home care packages.
Federal Member for Murray Damian Drum agreed the current system wasn’t working for regional Victorians.
“This funding will make a positive difference to the community but without economies of scale, aged care is difficult; there is a genuine need for reform,” he said. “There’s a greater need for more government assistance and I’ll be advocating for that.”
Ms Websdale said Warramunda Village, like many small-town providers, was proud to put the care of its residents above all else.
“If you’ve lived your whole life in a community you have a right to live the last years of your life there. At Warramunda, were not just looking after anyone — its our own community, our own friends and their grandparents.
“We want to make sure this can long continue.”
Ky has a significantly larger percentage of residents aged 70 or over in comparison to the Shire of Campaspe and Victoria. And with these numbers soaring as the Baby Boomers start hitting 70 it is a demand that can only go one way — and funding needs to go up as fast to ensure quality alternatives and services.
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