Community Rallies to Save Proserpine Nursing Home from Takeover

In a significant victory for the community, residents of Proserpine have successfully fought to keep their local aged care facility in community hands. The Proserpine Nursing Home (PNH), a 100-bed centre that has been a cornerstone of the community for decades, will not be taken over by Respect Aged Care, a Tasmanian-based not-for-profit provider.

On a still night in Proserpine, former aged-care worker Cheryl Raiteri emerged from the light of the rural north Queensland community's only aged care facility, beaming with joy. "I'm ecstatic," she said.

The decision was made after a vote by the Proserpine Nursing Home Association (PNHA) on Monday, with around 70 per cent of voters rejecting the transfer of ownership. The PNHA, which boasts about 30 members, had been considering the deal for months, with concerns raised about the potential impact on the quality of care and the community's control over the facility.

PNH was built on a donated cane paddock in the 1980s through fundraised money and is a registered charity run by a general manager who is answerable to an elected volunteer management committee. The facility has been a vital part of the community, providing care to local residents for over three decades.

Former PNH employee and association member Allana Van Niekerk said she became a voice for the campaign because current staff feared speaking publicly. "I have a whole community behind me," she said. After the votes were counted, she described herself as "exhausted but over the moon".

The PNHA received hundreds of applications from community members who wanted to get involved in the campaign. On the evening of the vote, around 120 members packed into the nursing home to cast their ballots, with dozens more proxy votes entered.

Management committee chair Marie Dickens had proposed the transfer, citing increased costs, tightening regulations, and hiring struggles. However, Cheryl Raiteri, who helped fundraise to build the centre and began nursing there a year after it opened, said it "means everything" to her to keep the centre in community hands. "I've just loved [working there]," she said.

Board member Konrad Kangru announced he would be stepping down after the vote, citing the challenges posed by new legislation. "This [PNHA] membership is now well aware just how tough the legislation's regulation and compliance standards … are," Dr Kangru said. "I personally am not going to be able to meet that level of governance required, so I wish the membership all the best going forward."

Respect chief executive Jason Binder said he was happy to see the community continue to deliver care to local residents. "I'll be cheering them on and genuinely wish them every success," he said.

Proserpine resident Peter Simpson, whose mother used to stay in the centre, voted in favour of the transfer, saying the regulation changes influenced his decision. "I could see the writing on the wall," he said before the votes were counted. "[If we don't transfer], two years down the track, I think we'll be closed up."

Cheryl Raiteri said she thought the PNHA was ready to deal with future challenges, but would need all the new members to stay engaged. "What they all have to do now is believe that we can still operate as we are and all those people who have signed up from the community, we need them now," she said.