Feros Byron Bay residents were surprised to see contents of the facility placed in large skips bins in the rain, and a portrait of George Feros along with his collection box and bell removed from the common room yesterday.
One distressed resident said they were told that portrait and other items were being taken to the head office in Queensland, but they were returned to their former place later in the afternoon after residents contacted media.
Furniture, crockery and beds put in skips
Several skips were filled with furniture, crockery and beds, in what the resident said was a terrible waste, as the workmen were ‘just chucking it in where it was smashed and the beds got wet’.
A Feros spokesperson said the CEO’s of Feros Care and the new provider St Andrews, are working together and onsite in Byron Bay to determine what items St Andrews wants to keep at the facility.
‘The portrait of George Feros and the replica bell and box are to remain at the Village. We understand the significance of the George Feros portrait and it was always planned to be given to St Andrews as a memento referencing the site’s history.’
The Feros rep also said that Feros Care has reached an agreement with a local charity who will take 90 per cent of the furniture that is not needed by St Andrews. ‘We are glad the community will benefit from these items. However, it is a requirement to prepare the site in readiness for St Andrews.
Feros Care continues providing care
Feros Care continues providing care to the remaining residents until 29 January, 2024, when it when will no longer receive government funding for any allocated residential aged care places at the facility.
President of Tweed Palliative Support, Meredith Dennis, understands the value to the community, of items no longer needed in aged and other care. ‘The amount of waste from not only nursing homes but also hospitals, particularly private hospitals, is outrageous.
Facilities update their equipment regularly
‘These facilities update their equipment regularly which is great as some of it does need replacing, BUT, there is a huge amount of perfectly good equipment particularly electric hospital beds, shower chairs and wheelie walkers which are dumped.
‘When these facilities close everything is just dumped. We try to recycle as much as possible when it’s offered to our op shops but we can’t take everything.
‘Years ago medical equipment used to be sent overseas to be used that hasn’t happened for at least five years. As usual, the easy option is to just dump it into landfill.’
The Feros resident said the saw the St Andrews people there at about 2pm – ‘They came AFTER the George Feros portrait was taken and put back, and after one full skip of wet beds had been taken away and replaced with a new empty one which was already half full then when they arrived.’
The resident said that the St Andrew’s people were in the empty cottage three, and appeared to be planning some refurbishments.
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