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Yesterday St Joseph’s Home of Compassion rest home in Upper Hutt was facing imminent closure. Today it hopes to keep its doors open after all, says Chief Executive Chris Gallavin.
Last month, Gallavin announced the 87-bed rest home would close.
Hearing of the closure, Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy said it was “catastrophic for the community.”
His comment prompted help in the form of a partnership with another aged-care provider.
Heritage Lifecare’s CEO, Norah Barlow, says Guppy’s comment led her to offer to partner with the Sisters.
“So, we are working closely with the Sisters of Compassion to find solutions to keep St Joseph’s operating,” she says.
Gallavin is realistic about the challenges ahead.
“While there is a lot of work in front of us, the partnership provides the local community with a positive way forward,” he says.
Heritage Lifecare has 42 care homes throughout New Zealand.
‘This strong local connection is something we have in common with St Joseph’s,” says Barlow.
She says Heritage intends to use its scale and resources to work alongside the Sisters and Te Whatu Ora to keep the rest home open for its residents and staff.
“We’ll move heaven and earth as a larger company to get everything in place and … [we] have given assurances that we will do that to all the residents and their families.”
Heritage will help with recruitment and push through immigration issues.
“Our skilled care home managers and regional managers support the wellbeing of all staff, so they in turn, can support and care for our residents. That is always our prime concern – to keep our residents safe and secure in the place they call home.”
Gallavin is delighted. ‘This is good news for the people of Upper Hutt and for all the families and friends of the older people in St Joseph’s care, he says .
“While there is a lot of work in front of us, the partnership provides the local community with a positive way forward.”
Bernadette McCabe, whose mother lives at the home, says the partnership is “fantastic news”.
The biggest thing people could do now was lobby so caregivers and nurses could get into the country to ease the shortage in the elder care sector, she says.
St Joseph’s has a rich history and is beloved by its community, having provided care for older people in Upper Hutt for nearly 100 years.
Until Heritage Lifecare made their offer, all this was about to change courtesy of Covid and staff shortages.
Closing the home and trying to relocate its residents away from the place they know and love seemed the only option open until now.
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