THE HEIGHTS SUPPORTIVE RESIDENTIAL FACILITY & GOVERMENT CONTROLS
To assist with the capital cost of this project, funds were provided by the Government, but with conditions. As a number of these conditions were not in accord with Christian Science care, the Government funds were returned as soon as possible removing those obligations.
However in Victoria any facility offering supportive care was required to be registered with the Government. Over the years The Heights has been registered under various departments, the most recent being as a “Supported Residential Service” (SRS) under the Victorian Health Department.
The Department has been very thorough in ensuring that the facilities and service were maintained at the highest standard, and mutual respect has developed over the years. The requirement for this registration with the Health department was confirmed again by legal advice obtained as recently as June 2012. However in July 2012 we were advised that changes to registration requirements had been passed, and that it was now appropriate that our total complex, the self-contained villa units and the supported residential facility, be registered under the one registration as a Retirement Village.
The regulations governing Retirement Villages are primarily concerned with ensuring that the residents are fully informed as to their rights and obligations under their residential agreements, and that these are carefully documented and provided to prospective residents a minimum of 21 days before entering any contract.
While we understand that some Retirement Homes have provision for medical nursing to be available, The Heights has been established to assist those wishing to rely on Christian Science, and our staff are trained to support and work with a Christian Science nurse, which, as recognised by Victorian Government Authority, does not include medically based treatment and care.
