Sun sets on retirement home

AFTER more than 30 years Sunways retirement home is closing its doors to new residents. The home, which overlooks Lake Wendouree, offers independent living and has room for 34 residents.But since the 1990s the facility has been steadily losing money and there are currently only eight people living there. Control of the property shifted from UnitingCare Victoria to UnitingCare Ballarat in 2006 in the hope it could be turned into a viable operation. UnitingCare Ballarat aged and disability manager Gail Reid said the organisation advertised on television for residents, held an open day and looked at ways to change the type of accommodation offered, but met with little success. "We have done everything we could possibly think of," she said. The bed-sit style accommodation offered at Sunways was no longer in demand. "I think a lot of people want single bedroom units," she said.Sunways will stay open as long as there are residents, but the property's future is unknown. "The residents are receiving the same standard of care they always have," Ms Reid said. "We don't know when the last residents will leave, so we can't plan anything beyond that."Five residents in their 90s said yesterday they had no plans to leave. Ron White told The Courier he wanted to stay at the home for the rest of his life. His response was met with a chorus of agreement from the other residents. `I think it's really disturbing because its so satisfactory here," Gwen Graham said of the news. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Muriel Jones said she followed in her mother's footsteps by moving into Sunways."She felt what I have felt - (that it's) a real home," Mrs Jones said. "It was full when I came here - you couldn't get a seat at the window.""I have been very happy here."