IRT increases investment in NSW

Aged care provider IRT Group is expanding its reach and taking on the responsibility to support 134 new staff and close to 600 more clients after the organisation reached an agreement with the owners of Merimbula Home Nursing Service (MHNS) to acquire the business.

Posted July 12th 2018

by Alexandra Stopford

<p>IRT has successfully come to an agreement with MHNS to take over the home care service from August (Source: Shutterstock)</p> — IRT has successfully come to an agreement with MHNS to take over the home care service from August (Source: Shutterstock)

The decision to hand over to IRT will see an era of more than 20 years of home care service support in the New South Wales South Coast – across Bega Valley, Cooma-Monaro and Eurobodalla – come to an end.

IRT Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Patrick Reid says the decision to purchase the home care business is part of IRT’s continued investment in regional communities and will help strengthen IRT’s existing footprint in the far NSW South Coast and grow into the Cooma-Monaro district.

“We are a community-owned organisation with almost 50 years’ experience in caring for older people and 25 years’ experience in providing home care services,” Mr Reid explains.

“Investing in regional communities enables us to provide people with more choice in aged care and this is essential for the ongoing wellbeing of older people who live outside our major capital cities.

“I am pleased to welcome customers and employees of MHNS to the IRT family.

“We share a common desire and drive to improve the lives of older people by providing quality, affordable care.”

Mr Reid says he values the connection and trust developed between MHNS customers and their carers, and is committed to achieving a transition without disruption to services.

“When the change of ownership is complete our hope is that all employees from MHNS have chosen to work with us and continue doing what they do so well,” he says.

“This means customers will continue to be cared for by the people they know and trust.”

MHNS Managing Director Cheryl Chaplin says she is pleased to be leaving the business with IRT.

“My business partner Ruth Hay and I have taken great pride in providing care services to all our valued customers over the past 20 years,” Ms Chaplin explains.

“As Ruth and I begin the next chapter in our lives, we are confident that our customers and employees will be in good hands.

“We are looking forward to watching IRT take our business to the next level and continue supporting the communities we have been so proud to be a part of.”

IRT anticipates the transition of ownership to be complete in August 2018.