Two years ago, Cooinda aged care home in Lithgow was facing an uncertain future after losing accreditation and being placed into voluntary administration- but now things couldn't be more different.
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Respect aged care, who acquired Cooinda announced the facility has been awarded full accreditation by Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
The organisation took over the management of Cooinda weeks after the home was told it would never receive re-accrediation to operate and began a journey to turn everything around and provide security for residents that faced homelessness.
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General Manager of Cooinda, Theresa Saint said she was amazed when the facility received its full acrreditation and her staff were incredibly proud.
"I thought we'd get a couple of 'not mets' and I was prepared for that. But to get 100 per cent, I was really proud," Ms Saint said.
Managing Director and CEO of Respect Jason Binder said the accreditation is a historic milestone due to the short amount of time it took to change things for the facility.
"Just two years ago, Cooinda had just failed all but four industry standards, was told it could no longer operate, and many in the Lithgow community were concerned residents would be homeless within weeks," Mr Binder said
"Now, it's a far different story. The accreditation is a wonderful result that is testament to the high quality of care and community that Cooinda represents."
Mr Binder credited the leadership of Ms Saint for her impact on the home's turnaround.
"Theresa has been absolutely integral to the home's journey of growth, and so much of this positive result is down to the culture she has helped create and drive amongst her staff," he said.
"Together, the Cooinda team have built an environment that staff and residents are wholeheartedly proud of - a wonderful place to call home for the Lithgow community for generations to come."
Ms Saint said the facility was a completely different place when she commenced her position late last year, with staff and resident morale at a low.
"It was pretty brutal coming in last November, and there was a lot to be done," Ms Saint said.
"The staff, I got the feeling were disenfranchised. They'd lost their faith in themselves, which was not not great. They'd had a lot of changes in management.
"The residents were really bored. They felt like they didn't have enough to do, Nobody wants to sit in a room in front of the TV all day."
According to Ms Price in less than twelve months herself, along with the support of her staff have been able to improve the quality of life for the residents.
"The residents will tell you that it's almost like they've been moved to somewhere else," Ms Saint said.
"We're not getting as many complaints from the residents because there's always something to do. We celebrate everything."
Ms Saint expressed her gratitude for the assistance she has received from her staff in turning things around for the facility.
"You can't do it without your staff, So anyone who walks into a job like this and says, 'I'm gonna fix this by myself', No, you're not," Ms Saint said.
"You've got to get your staff on side. And I think our staff here are second to none."
Staff have also had their morale boosted with a change in workplace culture since Respect took over, Ms Saint said.
"They're pretty proud of themselves after the commission, and we had a big barbecue to thank everybody. And they're just gone about their jobs," Ms Saint said.
"We're a long way from perfect, and I don't think we'll ever be perfect. But I'm very proud of all the staff and the work they do."
Ms Saint said her focus since recieving full acreditation is to continue improving the the standards of the facility.
"From the day we got our full accreditation, we started preparing for the next three years, because it's a rolling thing," Ms Saint said.