Bedridden retirement village residents to lose homes just before Christmas
Elderly and bedridden residents of a scandal-plagued retirement village are set to lose their homes just before Christmas, as Berkeley Living in Patterson Lakes prepares to close.
The Age reports owners of the village’s units, who are financial victims of convicted crim Stephen Snowden, have been hit by fines and building repairs costs of $500,000 by the local council after the building was deemed dangerous.
The City of Kingston in Melbourne has now ordered the facility to be closed, after a representative for the unit’s owners said they didn’t have the funds to carry our repairs.
Utilities will be switched off on November 30, and while several elderly residents have already been moved to alternative accommodation, the fate of others remains unclear.
The residents facing the prospect of being turfed out just before Christmas includes people in their 90s, a quadriplegic and another person with Alzheimer's.
Mark Markovic, who owns six units, told The Age, “It is disgusting that a retirement village can be run this way. We hope something can be salvaged.”
The closure comes after The Age revealed state authorities had to intervene after staff went months without being paid, and more than 30 families who had sold units at the beleaguered retirement centre had never received the money owed.
Mr Snowden has denied all allegations, yet refused to answer media questions. The fate of the elderly residents still living in the centre remains unclear.
Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz has released a written statement about the aged care centre, “In September, we appointed a Resident's Sponsor and a State Government Coordinator to protect the welfare of residents. We continue to help the remaining residents find alternative places to live.”
What are your thoughts? Is enough being done to look after these residents?