Helping Hand takes on Whyalla home
South Australian aged care provider Helping Hand Aged Care will take over the operations and management of fellow aged care provider Kindred Living in Whyalla.
South Australian aged care provider Helping Hand Aged Care will take over the operations and management of fellow aged care provider Kindred Living in Whyalla.
Helping Hand will take full management responsibility under a formal management agreement but initially report to the board of Kindred Living on the management of the services.
The agreement aims to ensure continuity of aged care services in the Whyalla region.
Under the agreement, Helping Hand will:
- ensure the continued safety and care of residents and clients
- provide an executive manager to lead local operations
- deploy and allocate appropriate resources to ensure high quality service delivery
- ensure regulatory compliance while returning the organisation to financial stability.
Helping Hand intends to take full ownership of Kindred Living’s residential and home aged care services subject to satisfactory achievements in several key areas.
Chris Stewart, CEO of Helping Hand, said the take over had the support of the Australian Government.
“Over the past few months, Helping Hand has been working with the Australian Government and Kindred Living to develop a plan to take over management of the Whyalla aged care services provider to ensure continuity of service to some of the most vulnerable people in the Whyalla community,” Mr Stewart said.
Helping Hand board chair Professor Brenda Wilson said the move reflected the organisation’s commitment to sustainable growth in regional communities.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to support one of South Australia’s most important regional communities. This is firmly aligned with our mission as a substantial not-for-profit service provider,” Professor Wilson said.
Kindred Living chairperson Tim Weiss said he was proud the legacy of this organisation, which started in 1968, would continue under the arrangement.
“Helping Hand is a respected provider of home care services in Whyalla and has a history of becoming the custodian of several other aged care homes and services across regional South Australia. This is a positive outcome for our community and we look forward to supporting a smooth transition,” Mr Weiss said.
Helping Hand said it would work closely with the Kindred Living board, local management team, staff, residents, clients, families and Australian Government to ensure a smooth transition.
Main image: Chris Stewart and Tim Weiss
This story first appeared in Australian Ageing Agenda.
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