Wintringham Community Care – Media Release 12.1.01
MEDIA ALERT: Friday, January 12, 2001
WINTRINGHAM EXPANDS COMMUNITY CARE ROLE
Melbourne’s unique not-for-profit welfare provider, Wintringham, is set to more than triple its commitment to community care following the results of the 2000 Commonwealth Aged Care tender round which were announced today.
A key component of the Commonwealth’s aged care policy is the provision of personal care services to elderly people living in the community. The Federal Department of Health & Aged Care has awarded Wintringham an additional 175 Community Care places, together with a capital establishment grant of $53,800.
100 of these community care packages are to be located in the inner southern region of Melbourne, and 75 in the western metropolitan region.
Today’s news caps an exciting week for the company, following yesterday’s announcement that Wintringham, with funding from both the Federal and State governments, will soon build and manage the world’s first nursing home designed specifically to service the needs of the elderly homeless.
The CEO and founder of Wintringham, Bryan Lipmann, said today that the Community Care decision was a further indication of the splendid support that Wintringham receives from the Commonwealth.
“Wintringham was established in 1989 to provide quality care to homeless elderly men and women, and since that time has received strong and consistent support from the department.”
“Wintringham wants to place on record its sincere appreciation of this support.”
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BACKGROUND:
Since its inception in the late 1980s, Wintringham has developed seven sites throughout inner Melbourne, offering high quality residential and community aged care services, a wide range of permanent housing solutions, and street based outreach and advocacy services to 450 aged homeless people, or those who are at risk of becoming homeless, per night.
Wintringham was created from the conviction that the elderly poor should not have to live and die in homeless persons’ night shelters. Since then, the company’s revolutionary approach to aged care, its forward thinking and its motivating philosophy of “Options, Rights, Dignity” for its residents have made it a global pacesetter in the care of the elderly homeless.
Although many of its residents, some of whom have been a part of Wintringham for up to 15 years, have little or no contact with family, close friendships have been formed with Wintringham’s staff and fellow residents.
The company’s world-class credentials were recognised in 1997 by the United Nations, which presented its World Habitat Award to Wintringham’s Port Melbourne Hostel – the first time this prestigious award has been won by an Australian company.
In November 2000, all of Wintringham’s hostels passed the Federal Government’s accreditation process with distinction, scoring 9 ratings of “Commendable” out of a possible 12.
The company bears the name of “Tiny” Wintringham, a homeless man who, in the late 1960’s, gathered support from government, unions and the media to prevent the closure of Gordon House, a low cost boarding house in the city. Tiny’s successful fight against what appeared to be insurmountable obstacles continues to inspire the company named in his honour.
Further Inquiries:Bryan Lipmann, AM
Chief Executive Officer, Wintringham
Phone: (03) 9376 1122 Mobile: 0411 885 750
ENDS