Community rallies over shocking aged care facility meeting

The closure of an aged care facility west of Toowoomba left many residents stranded, without a home. Now, council has rallied the community to work on a solution.

Goondiwindi Regional Council will facilitate a community meeting to discuss the need for aged care facilities in Inglewood following the closure of the town’s only aged care home in October.

A “complete lack of transparency” surrounding the closure of Inglewood’s only aged care facility has prompted a major community meeting into new options for the region’s elderly residents.

The Churches of Christ Inglewood Aged Care Facility, known to locals as Casa Mia, was the only aged care facility in Inglewood, 90 kilometres east of Goondiwindi.

In October, the facility closed its doors, giving just three weeks notice to residents and outraging the region.

Nearly 400 people petitioned the Goondiwindi Regional Council to facilitate a meeting following the sudden closure, and in their last ordinary meeting Council formally received the petition.

The community meeting will aim to discuss options for the provision of aged care services in Inglewood.

Goondiwindi Regional Council major the Honourable Lawrence Springborg said Council requested communication from the facility, but received a “lack of transparency”.

“Council advocated for transparency and certainty from CoC, as local families needed to make informed decisions about the future of their – and their loved ones’ – care,” the Mayor said. “Unfortunately, there was a complete lack of transparency surrounding the facility’s sudden closure.

“As a result, Inglewood now lacks vital aged care services, and impacted residents have had to relocate to aged care facilities in other towns.

“While the provision of aged care services is ultimately in the realm of private enterprise and not local government, Council has strongly supported the need for an aged care facility in Inglewood and will certainly continue to advocate for just that now that Casa Mia has closed.”

Council understands that CoC Queensland is in active discussions with the Queensland Government’s Department of Resources, the lessor of the land, to determine the future use of the former Casa Mia site.

Council has also made inquiries into the future use of the land.

Council invites all residents to attend the meeting on February 8, at 5.30pm at the Inglewood Civic Centre.