Tarcoola closure leaves residents heartbroken, lost, searching for answers

Elderly residents say they are lost and distraught after the council’s devastating decision to close Tara’s only nursing home, leaving them facing the daunting prospect of being displaced far away from friends and families.

AT A LOSS: Tarcoola resident Betty Shepheard, 91, said everyone at Tarcoola, residents and staff, are in complete disbelief over the council’s decision to close the aged care facility. Pic: Peta McEachern

Tarcoola residents’ plans for their final stage of life have been abruptly shattered after the Western Downs Regional Council decided to close their nursing home, leaving many heartbroken and scared for the future.

Western Downs Regional Council last week voted to close the aged care facility based on “legal and clinical advice,” due to a lack of critical staff.

Over the next three to four weeks the council plans to help relocate the residents to facilities inside and outside the region.

AT A LOSS: Tarcoola resident Betty Shepheard, 91, said everyone at Tarcoola, residents and staff, are in complete disbelief over the council’s decision to close the aged care facility. Pic: Peta McEachern

Tarcoola resident Betty Shepheard, 91, said the announcement came ‘out of the blue’ leaving everyone shocked to the core.

“It’s been miserable, it was such a terrible shock and we have no idea what’s happening,” she said.

“We just feel hopeless because we are going to lose everything we love.

“I’ve cried so much I don’t think I have any tears left – I don’t want to go anywhere else.

“I just don’t want to live anymore, I’d rather go to sleep and not wake up anymore but then I think of my boys.”

The former Meandarra resident who lost her husband in 1992, said if moved closer to her children in Brisbane or Logan she might be able to visit family more often.

“But my home is here, all my friends are here, I’m happy here – and I’m not one to make friends easy,” she said.

“I’m hoping I’m not asked to leave because I don’t want to and they’re not going to listen to me if I say no. I might be gone before I know it.”

HEARTBREAKING: The Tarcoola Aged Care Facility in Tara on the Western Downs has been forced to close because it legally can't run with the amount of staff on the roster. Pic: Supplied

Mrs Shepheard said she moved into Tarcoola two years ago after suffering a debilitating stroke.

The 91-year-old can’t walk, move the right side of her body, or write but she can talk out about the injustices against her fellow residents – and knit.

“It’s a hit to the heart and the gut, we just can’t take it in, as the ‘why they have done this to us?’ It’s a wonderful facility and the staff are amazing,” she said.

“I know council has their excuses, but they can’t even talk to us in person.

“It didn’t matter what we said (at the meeting) it was like talking to a brick wall.”
The council said that following months of pleas for help with the staffing crisis, the state and federal governments have only now said they will try to intervene with the closure, providing a beacon of hope to the community of Tara.

According to Member for Maranoa David Littleproud the Department of Health advised a staffing solution to the council, “however WDRC chose not to pursue this option”.

A Western Downs Regional Council spokesman said “the Federal Department of Health did attempt to assist in finding Registered Nurses last week”.

“However, no additional nurses have yet to be provided.

It is not legally or ethically possible to operate an aged care facility without enough trained clinical staff.

“Over the past few months WDRC tried to source registered nursing staff from 18 recruitment agencies, Queensland Health, the Federal Department of Health and other aged care providers as well as Seek.com, Facebook etc.”