NSW nursing home scraps exanstion plans
A Lithgow aged care facility in NSW has scrapped its multi-million dollar expansion plans, according to an ABC radio news report.
The Tanderra Nursing Home was offered a $3.5 million zero-interest loan by the Commonwealth last year. It was part of a $300 million promise by the Federal Government to boost the number of aged care beds across Australia.
The loan would have enabled Tanderra to expand by 16 beds. However, Tanderra’s chairman Gary Thorn said it had to reject the offer.
“When the notification came out, it was more bed licences than we wanted and a lower amount of money,” he said.
“We then got some specialist advice, particularly from our architect and accountants. They advised us that it wouldn’t be feasible.”
Mr Thorn said it originally asked for a $4 million loan to create 11 new beds. He said it was not financially viable to provide 16 beds with the smaller loan.
“It is disappointing that it’s now turned out that we can’t afford to do that,” he said.
“But I think it’s in the long-term interests of the nursing home and of Lithgow’s future for aged care that we make this decision, rather than going ahead with something that would not have been feasible.”
