Elderly residents at Seasons Caloundra lose services as “rental-only” model introduced

Elderly residents of a Queensland retirement village have been blindsided by a decision to remove key services and move to a short-term “rental-only” arrangement.

Seasons Aged Care at Caloundra.

Elderly residents of a Sunshine Coast retirement village have been blindsided by a decision to remove key support services and transition to a short-term “rental-only” arrangement.

Residents of Seasons Caloundra were provided with a 22-page closure plan last month, informing them the retirement village was moving to a “rental-only” arrangement to help “the business to remain sustainable”.

According to the plan, seen by this publication, Seasons Caloundra will seek to stop operating as a retirement village by October 31, 2024, winding back services such as food packages, on-call emergency services, laundry and the community bus.

Emma Johnson, whose mother Maggie Ross moved into Seasons Caloundra in 2019, said just 18 days after receiving the closure plan the kitchen closed and a number of residents reliant on services were forced to move out.

Ms Johnson said her family were worried they would be unable to find suitable accommodation for the 75-year-old as the services she relied on were wound back.

Seasons Caloundra resident Maggie Ross (right) and her daughter Emma Johnson.

“At the time my mum was sold on a dream that she was moving into aged care on a 99-year lease and that meals, maintenance and 24/7 care were all included,” Ms Johnson said.

“She gave them her life savings and for my mum to go anywhere else nearby it is going to cost significantly more for her to receive the same care she bought there in 2019.”

Ms Johnson claimed in 2019 her mother signed an agreement which meant she was not covered by the charter of aged care rights, leaving her at a “dead end” when it came to certain protections.

“All these people were misled and deceived,” Ms Johnson said.

“I would call it the manipulation of elderly people who are just extremely overwhelmed and now are thinking ‘where do I go, what do I do for food and 24/7 care’?”

Maggie Ross was “sold on a dream” when she entered into an agreement with Seasons Caloundra, now she’s desperately looking for other accommodation.

Residents on the 99-year leases with the retirement village voted to oppose the closure plan on August 2.

Among the residents is believed to be a 106-year-old World War II nurse.

Ms Johnson said while the plan had not been formally approved, the services had already been impacted.

Seasons Caloundra provided residents with four options in the plan, all of which Ms Johnson said were unreasonable.

The options available included relocating to the Seasons Retirement Villages at either Mango Hill or Logan, moving to a higher-needs aged care facility, accepting $3000 in relocation costs or entering into a short-term rental agreement for their current apartment.

“My mum would be completely out of catchment for the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, where she has doctors and is on the surgery waitlists,” Ms Johnson said.

Seasons Caloundra did not respond to this publication’s request for comment.