Kurow's community-owned rest-home, Whalan Lodge, will continue to operate under an agreement reached yesterday after its operators earlier this week told staff and residents it would close by Saturday.
The lodge is owned by the Whalan Lodge Trust, formed in 1984 after it bought the former Kurow Maternity Hospital from the Waitaki Hospital Board. The rest-home is separately managed and operated through a lease held by Rodney and Lois Gilchrist.
Yesterday, the trust was determined to keep the lodge operating and, after discussions with the Southern District Health Board and the Gilchrists, trust chairman Hugh Cameron announced that had been achieved.
Mr and Mrs Gilchrist agreed to keep operating the lodge in the short term while the trust puts procedures, management and staff in place to take it over itself.
A week ago, the home had nine residents, but some have since been moved into hospital care. It employs five full and part-time staff, in addition to Mr and Mrs Gilchrist.
An emergency meeting of the trust yesterday discussed options with the health board, trust chairman Hugh Cameron said.
''There has been a huge amount of community input and goodwill over a long period of time and we are not prepared to lose that without first exploring all avenues to keep the lodge operating,'' Mr Cameron saidThe easiest way for that was for the trust to take over the lease itself, organising its own management and staff.
Mr and Mrs Gilchrist had agreed that, while the trust did that, they would continue to run the rest-home until, ''sooner rather than later'', management changed over.
''It is in the best interests of residents and staff the transition is as seamless as possible,'' Mr Cameron said.
Eventually, the trust would prefer to get the rest-home to a position where it could be leased out again, but it was too early to give an indication of when that might be, Mr Cameron said.
Mr Gilchrist said the business had reached a point where it was not financially viable for them to continue to operate. As a community group, the trust would be in a better position and able to call on support and help from the community if it was needed.
''They [the trust] have our full backing and we will support the transition,'' Mr Gilchrist said.
Whalan Lodge will still have its annual Christmas Party on Saturday.
The Southern DHB executive director of strategy, integration and funding, Sharon Kletchko, said the board was discussing the issue with the trust, and would continue to do so.
