Collie aged care in spotlight

The ministers and Riverview Residence inc. board toured the facility, allowing for board members to explain the residence’s issues and ideas for future developments for Mr Wyatt to offer suggestions.

Mr Wyatt said the meeting provided the opportunity to offer assistance for allied health services as well as staff and board members at the facility. 

“As a minister, it has given me the opportunity to talk about some of the unique elements that are important to rural Australians – the provision of care to an ageing population, the funding that is required for the future – but importantly other parts of the discussion were around governance and some of the ongoing support that’s needed for any governing body for managing aged care facilities across rural Australia,” he said. 

Mr Wilson said ValleyView Residence provided a much-needed aged care facility for Collie and surrounding areas. 

“We really need to support the boards who, as the minister said, are volunteers who give up their time and expertise to contribute to their local community and I guess supporting these boards, particularly in areas around governance etc. where they might need advice or some assistance from time to time, that is a policy that the minister, I know, has taken on board,” he said. 

Riverview Residence inc. Board Chairperson Neil Martin said the meeting provided the opportunity for the board to discuss the past, issues in running the facility today and plans for the future. 

“The board is looking regionally as well as locally so we don’t just limit ourselves to Collie but we need to make sure we can accommodate the Collie residents and that we have all our beds filled because, at the end of the day, we need full beds to maintain the services to everybody,” he said. 

Mr Martin said ValleyView’s latest wing, of 14 beds, has been run from 97 per cent to 100 per cent capacity since opening in February.