Last minute saviour

By Tania Martin
FERNLEA House supporters have won a hard-fought battle to keep the Emerald palliative care unit open.
The Federal Government recently came through with the cash to keep it running.
Unit manager Helen Pike said the house had been allocated up to $479,000 a year for the next 24 months under the national carers’ respite program.
“It will keep us going until June 2011,” she said.
“We are thrilled, relieved and really excited.”
For the past two years Fernlea House has been battling to stay open.
But in both cases at the 11th hour the Federal Government has provided the funds needed to keep the community-based palliative care unit running.
In May last year the Federal Government announced a $270,000 cash injection, saving the unit but in March Fernlea was told the extra money would not be granted this year.
Since then local groups have rallied behind Fernlea, hoping for a miracle to keep the doors open.
Ms Pike said although this time it had looked dire, the staff, volunteers and guest had always remained hopeful.
“I knew the value of what we do here and always believed we wouldn’t close,” she said.
Ms Pike also met with Health and Aging Minister Nicola Roxon at the Federal Government community cabinet meeting last Tuesday, 19 May.
“She was really gracious and recognised the value of the work we do here, especially given the aging population,” Ms Pike said.
Ms Pike said the funding would allow Fernlea to open for day a week adding to the current three-day service.
She said the cash also means that the outreach program could be reinstated.
The program had previously been cut in an effort to stretch the limited cash.
Ms Pike said Fernlea wouldn’t have been able to continue without the help of the community, volunteers, members and local media.
“Everyone helped to put pressure on to achieve our goal,” she said.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood, who submitted a petition to parliament in March, said it was fantastic news, and the support from locals had been amazing.