March 11, 2013
The last resident at Kingaroy’s Farrhome aged care unit was transferred out of the facility yesterday which means the unit is now officially closed, more than 12 months ahead of the September 2014 deadline.
The last resident was relocated to Wondai’s Forest View residential care unit.
Queensland Nurses Union organiser Auriel Robinson told southburnett.com.au this morning that although she didn’t support the closure of Farrhome she “could not fault” the support given to staff during the winding down process.
She said the workers were offered the choice of voluntary redundancy packages or could apply to be retrained and deployed at other Queensland Health sites throughout the South Burnett.
“The upskilling offered was extremely good,” she said. “Special training days were put on just for the Farrhome staff.”
Ms Robinson said the QNU did not support the loss of jobs – or the job cutbacks across Queensland by the State Government – but she couldn’t fault the support given to the Farrhome workers.
She said they were assisted in filing applications for transfers and were offered the opportunity to “trial” new positions before accepting a transfer.
She said some were now working at Kingaroy and Wondai hospitals and she believed one may have transferred to Nanango.
Others had chosen to take voluntary redundancy packages.
“It was a personal decision. Some didn’t tell their colleagues they were taking the packages,” she said.
Ms Robinson said the decision to close Farrhome had been a huge shock at the time and staff, residents and their families had been very emotional.
“A lot of tears were shed,” she said.
“But I think the majority of the people are now accepting of the outcome.”
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