Kiama Municipal Council and Hall & Prior Aged Care today marked the settlement and transition of ownership of Blue Haven Bonaira Residential Aged Care Home, Independent Living Units and associated services.
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald said this was a moment to reflect and feel proud of Council's 40+ year involvement in aged care provision in our municipality.
"I hope our staff and our community feel pride in the facilities, the services and the staff providing those services that we have delivered here at Blue Haven Bonaira and Blue Haven Terralong for many years."
"Blue Haven encapsulates Kiama Council's strong history of caring for our community. That's why, when the previous Council resolved to sell Blue Haven Bonaira, we were adamant it should stay open, in our community, and that staff would retain their conditions and entitlements."
"It's also because we care for our community, that we're handing over Bonaira to aged care specialists Hall & Prior, and we warmly welcome the Hall & Prior team to our area," Mayor McDonald said.
Hall & Prior CEO Graeme Prior thanked Kiama Council, Blue Haven staff, residents and the Kiama community for their warm welcome to the neighbourhood.
"We're absolutely delighted to take the reins at Blue Haven Bonaira. We acknowledge the effort and spirit shown by Kiama Council and the wider community in creating and supporting this valued service over the years. A sincere thank you to all the staff and executive team who have contributed to a smooth transition."
"We're excited about the future and committed to enhancing the services and facilities for residents and the broader community for many years to come. As part of this, we'll soon begin a series of upgrades, starting with improvements to the Independent Living Unit bathrooms and Barroul House," said Mr Prior.
"We're investing $1.2 million in refurbishments that we know residents have been looking forward to," he continued.
"These works will elevate the offering at Barroul House and allow us to extend its opening hours, giving even more people the chance to enjoy this special place."
"We'll also be completing a number of important maintenance tasks to ensure the facilities are operating at their best."
"Our transition team has been on location at Bonaira on and off for the past few months, working hard to ensure a smooth handover. We hope any changes noticed by residents and their loved ones are positive. We're looking forward to getting started."
