McLean Care will move to an externally provided allied health model across all of its residential aged care sites from Tuesday, 1 July, with chief executive Jill Davidson saying the change will give residents better access to face-to-face services like physiotherapy, dietetics and speech pathology.
Davidson confirmed that McLean Care’s in house allied health staff would be let go and replaced by services from Plena Healthcare, one of the largest providers of mobile allied health services in Australia with over 800 practitioners that visit aged care facilities across regional and rural areas.
New external service intended to improve patient care
“Plena Healthcare will provide a face-to-face allied health service across all McLean Care residential aged care sites, ensuring residents have more direct access to physiotherapy and allied health support within their facility,” Ms Davidson said.
Ms Davidson said the previous telehealth model had been a product of regional access problems, not choice.
“McLean Care was not able to consistently provide face-to-face allied health services across all residential aged care sites due to the challenges associated with accessing regular allied health services in regional areas,” Ms Davidson said.
“This meant that a telehealth and video-conferencing model was required to support resident assessments and ongoing allied health input.”
She said the new model would let physiotherapists work directly with residents rather than through a screen.
“This allows for more meaningful interaction, improved rapport and better understanding of each resident’s functional ability, mobility, confidence, pain levels, motivation and individual goals,” Ms Davidson said.
“Direct assessment also enables physiotherapists to observe residents more closely during movement, transfers, walking, exercise and daily activities, providing a more accurate clinical picture than can be achieved through telehealth alone.”
Ms Davidson said the model would also help staff catch problems earlier.
“Physiotherapists will be able to observe changes in mobility, balance, posture, strength, skin integrity, pressure risk, equipment use, falls risk and functional decline in real time,” Ms Davidson said.
“This will support earlier identification of concerns and more timely intervention to maintain resident safety, independence and wellbeing.”
Beyond physiotherapy, Ms Davidson said the new model would extend regular dietitian and speech pathology services across all sites.
“Speech pathology clinics will also be provided, supporting residents with swallowing, communication and mealtime safety needs,” Ms Davidson said.
“This service will assist in identifying risks such as swallowing difficulties, choking or aspiration concerns, and will provide guidance to staff to support safer and more comfortable mealtime care.”
Staff say physio team cut will prevent patients moving
But the change will not be felt as an improvement by everyone at McLean Care. A McLean Care employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said staff were concerned about not having on-site physiotherapy as a threat to those residents who need daily assistance to get moving.
“We have been told that the physio department in no longer needed and as of the 30th June there will no longer be a physio team on sites,” the employee said.
“This means that the ability to keep our residents moving on a daily basis will not be a option and they will be moving to a third party physiotherapist and will come once or twice a week.”
The employee believed residents had not been told about the change, and said staff did not know who the new provider would be.
“We have not been told who yet, residents are not aware of this change,” the employee said.
“We have been told a third party will be coming in when needed, but that is all.”
Where Ms Davidson described a more attentive model of care, the employee said the reality for residents would be less movement, not more.
“Our residents will be deeply affected by this and feel that they have not been a priority in this decision,” the employee said.
“It breaks my heart to think that the ones who they get up and walk daily will now be left in bed and will become immobile.”
The employee said the wider workforce was already stretched thin.
“The ‘care’ in McLean Care is no more and has become more about the dollars,” the employee said.
A difficult year
The allied health shake-up is the latest chapter in a difficult year for McLean Care. The company’s financial collapse was revealed in February, when its then chief executive also quit. Concerns about resident safety followed in March, including reports the organisation had failed an audit.
The operations are being transitioned to new providers under arrangements the federal government has to ensure that service provision to residents is not disrupted. McLean Care operates 370 residential aged care beds across six facilities in Inverell, Guyra, and Gunnedah in northern NSW, as well as Oakey and Millmerran in southern Queensland. In April, McLean Care’s Commonwealth Home Support Program services were taken over byAustralian Unity, but the search for a buyer or new operator for its residential aged care homes is ongoing.
That situation was the subject of a Mayoral Minute at a recent Inverell Shire Council meeting, where Mayor Kate Dight reported on correspondence from federal Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae. Mayor Dight had asked federal member Barnaby Joyce to raise the issue with the minister.
Mr Rae’s letter confirmed the Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care was working with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner to support a smooth transition for McLean Care services to a new provider.
“So that was consoling to hear, coming straight from the federal government, they are underwriting the situation McLean care have at the moment,” Mayor Dight said.
Cr Greg Kachel asked what would happen to land bequeathed by Hector McLean for aged care in Inverell if a new provider took over, and Cr Wendy Wilkes advocated for Council to investigate taking over the property to ensure that it is not sold or services rationalised to a bigger centre.
Mayor Dight said the council had inquired as to what happened to the property which was bequethed to the people of Inverell, and had been told the land was transferred out of trust to the now defunct company.
“On the 13th of June, 2012, McLean Care Foundation transfered all of its assets, being land and buildings, to McLean Care Limited,” Mayor Dight said.
“So that is what has gone on before our time. So for us now, being in 2026 we just have to deal with the status quo.”
Hope amid uncertainty
Cr Kelvin Brown as well as Cr Kachel also raised concerns about the workforce, with no confirmation given on how many staff would be made redundant or whether they would continue in their roles under the new providers.
“We need to keep an eye on exactly how they mean to say that they’re going to take care of the workforce. Because cutting back hours—even though it might be judicious for the actual organisation itself—is not judicious or relevant or fair for those who are impacted by having their hours cut before they lose their base of employment,
Mayor Dight reassured that there should be no decrease in the services provided after a new provider is secured
“The message to go out to our communities, is there is no threat of McLean Care residential facility… going to be in any negative state,” she said.
“I really would like all the people up in McLane Care to take comfort in knowing that.”
The McLean Care employee said staff were holding out hope that the changes would ultimately benefit residents.
“Let’s hope the new providers are going to bring a positive change and put the residents 1st and bring the care back to what it use to be,” the employee said.
“I’m just so sad about what they are doing.”
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