Disused Melbourne hospital becomes COVID-19 refuge for the elderly

For years a hospital in Melbourne’s north sat empty. Now it’s a refuge for elderly patients from a coronavirus infected nursing home.

A disused hospital is set to become a refuge for elderly patients from COVI-19 hit nursing homes.

A hospital in Melbourne’s northern suburbs that has sat empty for several years has been swiftly converted to accept vulnerable elderly patients from a coronavirus-infected nursing home.

Latrobe Private Hospital — operated by Australia’s second biggest private health care provider Healthscope — has begun accepting elderly residents from Menarock Life’s nursing home in Essendon following an outbreak of COVID-19.

Coronavirus has already killed two Menarock residents, creating an urgent need to isolate vulnerable elderly residents who are yet to test positive to the highly contagious virus.

The elderly are among those at the highest risk, and the virus has already infected aged care facilities in Melbourne. Listed aged care provider Estia confirmed last week 13 of its residents at its home in Ardeer in Melbourne’s west had COVID-19. Meanwhile, the number of new cases in Melbourne continues to soar, recording 275 new cases on Monday and face masks becoming mandatory from midnight on Wednesday.

Latrobe Private, which is about 16km northwest of Melbourne’s CBD, has so far accepted 18 residents from Menarock who have tested negative for the virus. The hospital has 40 acute medical beds, offering newly refurbished rooms, but has sat empty for several years while Healthscope has mulled over its fate.

The company, which Canadian private equity giant Brookfield bought for $4bn in June last year, worked with state and federal governments last week to obtain the necessary approvals for Latrobe to begin accepting patients again.

Healthscope used staff and resources across its network of 43 hospitals in Australia to ensure Latrobe was ready to accommodate the Menarock residents. The Australian understands the conversion took three to four days.

Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, acknowledged the challenges or transferring elderly residents from the homes in aged care to a hospital, which has been a contentious issue among residents and families.

He said such decisions were made on a “case-by-case basis, taking into account individual residents’ clinical care needs and preferences, the clinical and other advice of the experts helping to manage the outbreak, and the capacity of the facility to manage infection control”.

“We understand this is a very stressful time, both for the residents being moved, and their families,” Mr Colbeck said.

“However, we believe this is a necessary step to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of the residents currently living in the Menarock Life facility.”

Another 20 residents from Menarock’s Essendon nursing have already been transferred to Royal Melbourne hospital. Meanwhile, 15 residents remain at Menarock.

The transfer of residents from nursing homes to an acute medical health facility follows the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association warning at the start of the pandemic the vulnerability of aged care residents, given the lack of nursing and trained infection control staff.

Mr Colbeck said transferred residents relocated to Latrobe will receive follow-up testing for COVID-19 and be closely monitored for any signs and symptoms of the virus to ensure appropriate and timely clinical treatment can be provided.

Healthscope chief executive Steven Rubic praised nurses, doctors and other staff for the quick turnaround at Latrobe.

“We thank our dedicated, highly trained staff at La Trobe Private Hospital, who are looking forward to ensuring these residents receive the best possible care during their time with us,” Mr Rubic said.

“Our collaboration with both state and commonwealth health authorities has been one positive aspect of this pandemic and we look forward to continuing to play our role in the wider COVID-19 response.”