Haydays Retirement Hostel is facing an accelerating crisis, with management confirming they have failed for a second time to secure the vital $5 million federal grant needed to bring the 1968 facility up to compliance standards.

The devastating announcement has prompted Hay Shire Council to take the unusual step of assuming leadership in the fight to save the community-run facility, warning that "If Council does not get involved, Haydays will close in two to three years".

The community's struggle has escalated from a serious infrastructure concern into an "unfolding crisis" threatening to deny lifelong residents the right to age in place.

Staff and board members of Haydays hold grave concerns (from left) Helen Jacka, Marlene Quinn, Carol Oataway, Kim Gibbs, Martyn Quinn, Lois Jackson and chair Lisa Bowen.

A BUILDING BEYOND ITS YEARS

Built nearly 60 years ago, Haydays is now struggling to meet modern Aged Care Commission regulations. Board Chair Lisa Bowen has repeatedly stressed that the funding is not for luxury or expansion, but simply to achieve compliance.

Care staff are constantly battling to provide the highest care, often improvising because the building is "beyond the capacity of what the building was built for," according to registered nurse Sharon Weymouth, who has more than 47 years’ experience.

The catalogue of infrastructure failures paints a picture of systemic challenges:

• Narrow Doorways: Door widths are so narrow they block access to modern ambulance stretchers. Ms Weymouth recounted the humiliating necessity of moving residents: "We have had to move residents out from the bathrooms, out onto a verandah before we could get them onto an ambulance... It's degrading and humiliating process for them to have to go through".

• Safety Hazards: Covered verandas used in past minimal renovations become “hot boxes in summer” and “freezing cold in winter,” featuring uneven walkways that pose serious risks for unstable residents.

• Lack of Essential Equipment: The antiquated 1960s plumbing frequently requires repairs, and basic infection control equipment, like a bedpan steriliser, cannot be properly installed without major renovations.

Cr Martyn Quinn, manager of Haydays, and Mayor Carol Oataway (a board member) noted that the building is now "well past its intended life cycle and is not fit-for-purpose under modern aged care standards".

DEVASTATION AFTER SECOND FUNDING BLOW

The core of the deepening crisis is the failure of the federal government to provide the crucial $5 million capital investment Haydays requires. Despite Member for Farrer Sussan Ley visiting the facility and promising to write personally to the Federal Health Minister, Haydays’ second application to the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program was unsuccessful.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing stated the funding round was highly competitive, receiving 367 applications seeking over $2.4 billion, with only $300 million available.

Ms Bowen expressed her raw disappointment following the announcement: “I am beyond devastated... Especially seeing the inequitably distributed funds yet again.” She highlighted the disparity, noting that four other aged care places collectively received a third of the $300 million.

This latest rejection comes after Haydays also missed out last year, while a facility near Bowral in the marginal seat of Whitlam received $27.5 million. Ms Bowen does "not understand their thinking in not prioritising those places like Haydays who are gradually becoming not fit for purpose".

THE HUMAN COST AND THE WAITING LISTS

The potential closure would have devastating consequences for Hay families. Haydays currently offers basic dementia care, but as residents deteriorate, they must often be moved to facilities with specialised units, usually in Sydney or Newcastle, leading to "devastating separations for local families".

“It's a wrench,” Ms Bowen stated, describing the heartache of families having to travel significant distances to visit loved ones.

With both local facilities currently full and 14 residents on a waiting list, the loss of Haydays would place unsustainable pressure on the remaining service. Adding to the stress is the growing workforce crisis, exacerbated by new Federal reforms requiring a mandatory 24/7 Registered Nurse (RN) on duty. Mayor Oataway warned that severe and persistent workforce shortages in rural communities make complying with the RN requirement nearly unachievable, potentially forcing the closure of otherwise viable services.

COUNCIL FIGHTS BACK

Hay Shire Council has officially declared the situation a priority, resolving unanimously to contact multiple federal ministers to demand immediate funding for rural aged care compliance.

Cr Oataway’s Mayoral Minute declared: “This is not a distant concern; it is a crisis unfolding here in Hay... The consequences of such a closure would be devastating”.

Cr Oataway stressed the urgency, stating: "Our elderly residents cannot wait, and Hay cannot afford to lose critical aged care services. Federal action is not optional - it is essential”.

In a dramatic move, Council also unanimously supported a recommendation from Cr John Perry to ask the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to investigate the operations of Haydays Retirement Hostel over the past 20 years to understand what went wrong.

For the board, the fight continues, with Ms Bowen confirming, “There's no plan B. We are banking on this... If we can’t meet the standard for an aged care facility, what does Hay do? Where do the people go?”.

Ms Bowen confirmed she is now trying to find other grants or philanthropic funding to undertake the much needed refurbishments.