BUPA’s aged care facility in Eden remains empty of residents and full of industrial cleaners after the weekend’s flooding, with no scheduled re-opening date.
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Head of BUPA’s corporate affairs Amy McNaughton confirmed that 82 residents were evacuated in the early hours of Sunday morning, January 31, after heavy rains forced an evacuation.
“The damage has been caused by flooding across the home which is a combination of stormwater and sewer due to the cross-over of lines at some points in the area,” Ms McNaughton said on Monday, February 1.
“All 82 residents are safe and well, and we have worked with emergency services including the SES, fire brigade and police, to coordinate their movement to suitable premises, dependent on care needs.”
Ms McNaughton said the evacuation of the home – specialising in dementia care – started at 3am on Sunday.
“Ten of our highest needs residents have been transported to Pambula Hospital, with an additional 10 higher needs residents to another aged care home nearby, Nullica Lodge [now Roy Wotton Gardens],” Ms McNaughton said.
Eden Marine High School, across the road from the BUPA facility, became an unlikely halfway-house for a further 58 residents, who were taken to the school’s hall with beds and medication.
On Sunday, some residents were collected by relatives and taken home, while 20 others found a new home in the Coachman’s Rest Motor Inn in Eden, accompanied by BUPA carers.
Coachman’s Rest manager Cathy Bibby assured the community they’re being well taken care of.
“Its been fine, we’ve all been sharing lots of lovely cuddles,” Ms Bibby said warmly.
“They all have their own room, and we’ve been told some of the residents have commented that it’s like a home away from home, a holiday.”
Meanwhile, Eden’s Roy Wotton Gardens’ aged care facility is adapting to its new resident intake, with manager Kirsty Woods saying the transition was stressful, but seamless.
“It’s like having a few extra house guests – quite cosy - but things are going smoothly,” Ms Woods said.
“We now have people sharing in rooms and we have a couple sleeping in a common area.”
Ms Woods said Roy Wotton Gardens is a 28-bed facility with 24 existing residents, so BUPA provided the extra 12 beds as well as dedicated BUPA carers.
Both rescuers and BUPA alike are in the dark about how long the clean-up will take, or when the residents will return ‘home’.
Ms McNaughton said industrial cleaners were now on site, as well as damage assessors.
She said the “hygiene, health and comfort” of the residents are “BUPA’s top priorities”, as well as support for families who volunteered to take residents home, with additional qualified team members “flying in”.
“It’s still too early to determine when the home will reopen,” Ms McNaughton said.