8 October 2007

Dear Editor

Hunter New England Health wishes to thank the Gloucester community for their ongoing support and willingness to dig deep once again to support the residents of our aged care facility ‘Hillcrest’ and ‘Kimbarra Lodge’.

The community meeting last week was very positive and it was very encouraging to see the community’s enthusiasm to understanding that many of the ‘niceties’ we are able to offer our residents are because of their continued generosity.

In reference to the letter last week asking for details of Hunter New England Health’s expenditure at Gloucester’s aged care facility ‘Hillcrest’, it is a matter of public record that aged care facilities are now federally funded which covers the operational budget plus the majority of building and maintenance costs.

The Commonwealth funded building and maintenance costs totalled over $176,000 over the past two years, which covers the replacement of equipment such as beds, building work and refurbishment at Hillcrest and a further $91,000 at Kimbarra Lodge.

This money has recently been used to purchase equipment for residents such as chairs and lifting equipment, refurbishing all rooms and bathrooms, and major works such as fire rectification works to maintain aged care certification.

Day to day maintenance costs, for things such as broken taps, fixing beds and replacing tiles, is supported by a small general operating budget, which comes from Hunter New England Health. Over the past two years, this added up to $28,000.

These funds cover essential maintenance costs, but it is the community who have been able to provide our older residents with those extra touches like the paving and sensory garden, which make Hillcrest and Kimbarra their ‘home away from home’.

We are very pleased that the community is interested in fund-raising to extend and upgrade the Hillcrest dining area. We appreciate your ongoing support.

Ken Hampson
Lower Mid North Cluster General Manager
Hunter New England Health

Contact: Kay Cope

Phone: 6776 9817