Closure of Mercy Services residential aged care and transfer of services
The Board of Mercy Services regrets to advise that it has made the difficult decision to permanently withdraw from the Mercy Services ministry in Newcastle and Singleton.
This includes the closure of the residential aged care facility in Singleton, anticipated during the first quarter of 2025, and re-location of its current residents. It also includes the proposed transfer of the Home Care and Community Transport businesses and the Alcohol and Other Drug service.
The decision to close the Singleton facility follows years of financial difficulties due to the home’s small scale, the changes in regulations that have made it increasingly difficult for small charity-based operators to remain viable, and the ever-increasing cost of maintaining and upgrading a building that was built for a different era.
Over the coming months, we will work with our residential aged care residents, their families and carers to find new homes for residents. The Board of Mercy Services is committed to maintaining services at the facility until all residents have been found suitable new homes.
Separately, we are examining options for the Home Care and Community Transport services to join a provider whose values align with Mercy Services, so the community can continue to benefit from these services. It is our intention that responsibility for the family focused Alcohol and Other Drug service is transferred to MacKillop Family Services, which will continue to grow its presence in Newcastle. Further details and timings will be confirmed in the coming months.
We wish to thank our incredible staff, who have provided exceptional service and care to our many residents and service users over the years. We will be supporting them through this transition.
We appreciate the impact our decision will have on many people who live in Singleton, and local volunteers, donors and businesses that have supported us for more than 40 years. We want to say thank you for your support and to let you know that this has been a very difficult decision for us to make.
As we now move forward, we commit to doing all we can to serve the best interests of our residents and staff in the months ahead, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity, respect and kindness in the tradition of our founding Sisters.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question
|
Answer
|
| Why is Mercy Services closing?
|
It has become harder and harder to run a small-scale, standalone aged care home in a way that meets residents’ and families’ needs.
The governance and oversight that these facilities require has become more and more demanding. At the same time, our Singleton facility is outdated and we are not in a position to undertake the improvements and expansion needed to ensure it continues to meet modern standards of residential care in the medium and long-term. This is a difficult decision and we regret that it has come to this. |
| Is this an issue of management of the home?
|
This decision has nothing to do with our management team or staff, or their commitment to the care they provide, which has been consistently exceptional. In fact, it is because of our staff that we have been able to continue operating for as long as we have.
But unfortunately, our operating environment is changing, which has made it increasingly difficult for small scale charity operators like us to stay viable. |
| When will the Singleton facility close?
|
It is anticipated that the home will close during the first quarter of 2025. All residents will receive dedicated support in finding and transitioning to alternative accommodation that suits their needs.
|
| What assistance is Mercy Services providing to residents?
|
Dedicated care planners have been appointed from My Care Path who will help find suitable homes for residents and manage their relocation.
We are fully committed to maintaining safe and appropriate care for our residents for as long as they remain in our care. |
| What will happen to respite admissions?
|
We will not accept respite stays that are expected to continue beyond the closure.
|
| Will staffing and services be maintained until closure?
|
Yes, we are fully committed to maintaining safe and appropriate care for our residents for as long as the facility remains operating.
|
| What will happen with residents’ refundable accommodation deposits?
|
All Refundable Accommodation Deposits (RADs) will follow residents into their new residential care arrangements. Our legislative and regulatory requirements in relation to RADs will be adhered to at all times, in that RADs will be refunded within 14 days of moving.
|
| What will become of the facility/site?
|
The property belongs to the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea, who will decide the future of the site.
|
| What will happen to the Home Care and Community Transport services?
|
It is our intention that the Home Care and Community Transport businesses are transferred to another likeminded provider whose values align with Mercy Services, so the community can continue to benefit from them, pending the appropriate funding body approvals.
|
| What will happen to the Alcohol and Other Drug service?
|
It is our intention that responsibility for the family focused Alcohol and Other Drug service is transferred to MacKillop Family Services, pending the appropriate funding body approvals.
|
Mercy Services Main Reception: (02) 4962 6680
Mercy Services Residential Aged Care: (02) 6572 2499