By Lachlan Ellis
Five aged care facilities, including one in Moorabool Shire, have been purchased by a not-for-profit, which has pledged a “smooth transition” for residents.
Aged care and retirement living service provider mecwacare announced on 4 July that it had purchased five facilities from Royal Freemasons including Susan Barton House in Bacchus Marsh, which will “allow mecwacare to serve even more seniors in need of aged care and retirement living options”.
mecwacare Chief Executive Michele Lewis said it was an exciting time, and the organisation would be working closely with staff, residents, and their families through the transition process.
“We have purchased the Freemason’s Bacchus Marsh aged care facility as part mecwacare’s expansion of aged care services across the whole of the Moorabool Shire corridor which includes Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and all the way to Ballarat. Our aim is to have staff across the region with continuity of care which includes Home Care packages,” Ms Lewis told the Moorabool News.
“We are delighted to welcome these facilities into the mecwacare family. We are committed to providing quality care and support to seniors in our community, and this acquisition will allow us to expand our services and reach even more individuals in need.”
Ms Lewis acknowledged that any takeover could be a worrying time, but said mecwacare was working to make the transition seamless.
“We understand that this may be a time of uncertainty and change for residents and their families. We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible, and to providing high-quality care,” she said.
“There will be no changes to the Bacchus Marsh facility other than renaming the facility ‘mecwacare Susan Barton House’, and the addition of Home Care services.”
Also purchased by mecwacare were Berwick Brae Gardens, Gregory Lodge, Wahroonga Ballarat, and The Pines.
The organisation acknowledged the long history of providing quality care to seniors each facility has, and said it is “committed to maintaining the high standards of care and support that have been established at these facilities”.
mecwacare also runs Ballan District Health and Care, which it acquired in 2021.
