Joe Coyne isn’t sure where his 86-year-old wife Norma, who has severe dementia, will live next year.
Mrs Coyne is one of 30 residents of Reg Geary House who will have to move after Western Health announced the Melton South nursing home would close its doors in June.
The closure was announced on Friday with Western Health saying the high-care centre no longer met the needs of residents.
Mr Coyne said beds were unavailable at other aged-care facilities in Melton.
“We’re all getting older. My wife and I are both 86, I don’t want to have to travel to the city or somewhere like that to visit her,” he said. “I go twice a day to see my wife at the moment and it’s easy because I live in Melton West. I don’t have the money to pay for any bonds anywhere. Some places want thousands of dollars in bonds.
‘‘Unless it’s a government-funded establishment, I think a lot of people are in the same position.’’
Mr Coyne said he believed the closure was related to the state government’s decision to privatise aged-care centres.
“I think it’s ridiculous because they get very good care there; no one is complaining,”
he said. “The letter I received about the closure was a contradiction to themselves. Western Health reckon they’re closing because of government accreditation, then at the bottom of the letter it says the facility might be taken over by a private enterprise.”
Western Health said Reg Geary House was “no longer considered practical for a stand-alone aged-care centre, and this is in line with industry standards”.
Russell Harrison, executive director of operations, said Western Health would help families and residents to move.
However, Melton Labor MP Don Nardella said many families would struggle to find a place for their loved ones locally. “The problem will be finding the places for these residents at the quality they’re getting at the moment. There aren’t 30 vacant beds in Melton. I know some of the people living at this site and their families. Some residents have been there 10 years and more. What is the government going to do for these people?”
A spokesman for Health Minister David Davis said the decision to close the facility was made by the Western Health board and was independent of government policy. “Western Health have made decisions that are clearly in the best interest of the residents and the government will not stand in its way.”
