Like many in the community, the board of Lyndoch Living has observed with concern the escalating negative commentary about Lyndoch Living in some quarters. While we respect the right of community members to have and express views about our organisation, we do not believe the current criticism reflects the reality.
Lyndoch Living is a community asset of which the community can be rightly proud. Our in-home and residential care services and our emerging primary health facility are building an age-friendly community which enables seniors to live the lives they choose with supports based on dignity and respect. Many regional communities are crying out for the sort of facilities and services that Lyndoch provides.
Our services and organisation are not perfect – few are. We face the same pandemic inducted workforce challenges that exist right across the aged care and health sectors. Also, while our homes are fully accredited, there are areas where we continue to work with the Department of Health to achieve full compliance. Some of these relate to areas of clinical care. We greatly regret instances where we have not delivered on the rightfully high expectations of residents and clients and the community. We can assure the community that we are continuing to deliver safe and high-quality care and services while we work to address outstanding compliance issues.
A key priority of the board is to hear and harness the lived experience of members of the community who are users and recipients of our services. We know we need to do better in communicating with the community. While our plans for a community advisory committee have been on hold due to COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward to reinvigorating the committee as a sounding board and vehicle for constructive dialogue.
We also encourage anyone who has a concern, including about the care that they or a loved one receive, to get in touch through Lyndoch’s feedback mechanisms. They include talking directly to the manager, completing feedback forms, and for staff this includes the Whistleblower Policy, to report misconduct.
We understand and respect that there are strongly held views in the community about Lyndoch Living. We all share a mutual interest in Lyndoch’s strength and success. As a board, we remain committed to working with the community to ensure that Lyndoch Living continues to deliver on its mission of providing the best care and support for seniors in Warrnambool and the south-west.