The elderly residents of a 61-bed aged care facility in a heritage-listed home in Graceville would have to find new accommodation as news of a planned 2023 sale of the riverfront property comes to light.
Bethany Christian Care will be selling its prime, 2.5-hectare property in Graceville where itje 61-bed Beth Eden sits. At the heart of the facility is the 1888-built, heritage-listed Verney House which comprises independent living units, a community hall, a hairdressing salon, and a small library.
Following an extensive investigation and consultation with industry experts, the operator said that Beth-Eden is too old but for it to undergo a major renovation would be very costly. There are also attached challenges and issues that such an undertaking would need to overcome so that the affected residents would still get quality care and live comfortably amid restoration works.
Sadly, they have explored multiple to upgrade the facility but the standards are very difficult to do and won’t work for them. As a small, aged care retirement services provider, Bethany Christian Care does not hav enough capital for such a major project and that redeveloping isn’t among their expertise.
Hence, Bethany Christian Care will instead offer its almost fifty residents alternate accommodation at one of their other centres, a more contemporary facility in the Manly West / Eight Miles Plains area.
Some residents may not find this piece of news to be the best option for them though, and may choose to move somewhere else.
Regardless of what they decide, these residents will be provided with financial, advocacy and legal support throughout the process.
Bethany Christian Care made it clear that no one will be forced out as the closure and sale of the facility will not happen until all residents are rehomed.
The not-for-profit provider has been operating Beth Eden since 2003 and the site was added to Queensland’s Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The property is expected to hit the market in mid-2023.