By Brodie Owen
COMMUNITY-RUN nursing homes in the region are pushing ahead with the installation of mandatory sprinkler systems in an effort to safeguard residents against fire.
Despite receiving zero official assistance, many of them are expected to meet the deadline imposed on them by the state government or face closure.
The government made automatic fire sprinkler systems mandatory in response to a deadly fire at a western Sydney facility more than two years ago.
A nurse at the Quakers Hill home was later convicted of starting the blaze and is serving a life sentence for the murder of 11 people.
Cootamundra Nursing Home, a 60-bed community-run facility, is expected to complete the installation of sprinklers within 18 months at a cost of $460,000.
The home initially estimated the cost of the sprinklers at $300,000.
Chairman of the Cootamundra Nursing Home Board, Judy Braybrooks, said she was shocked by the expense of the safety program.
"The cost just completely blew out," she said.
"They (the state government) are the ones that mandated this program and they won't provide support.
"Running a nursing home is a challenge and this has just added to that challenge."
At last count the home had raised about $126,000 and has been buoyed by recent support from Cootamundra Shire Council and an anonymous donor.
Much of the cost of retrofitting homes with sprinklers is borne by a lack of uniformity with nursing home design.
Cootamundra Nursing Home, for example, has a mixture of new and old nursing wings.
In Wagga, less than half of the facilities have sprinklers installed.
But the Mary Potter Nursing Home and Loreto Home of Compassion - both operated by The Forrest Centre - are due to commence work soon at a cost of $600,000.
The project is due to be completed by the initial September deadline.
The 147-bed Caloola Centre has also nominated to complete their works within 18 months to meet the other agreed deadline of March 2016.
A lobby group representing aged care residents - the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association of NSW (CPSA) - said all nursing home operators should have the financial capacity to install sprinklers.
"If you can't keep residents safe, should you be operating?" CPSA manager of research and advocacy Amelia Christie said.
No comments:
Post a Comment