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Marj Browell of the Ladies Auxiliary was at the original opening ceremony in 1965 and she welcomed guests to the transfer of ownership celebration held in November 2006

Mercy takes ownership of Bethlehem

Mercy Health & Aged Care has managed Bethlehem Home for the Aged on behalf of the local Diocese for many years and this transfer of ownership will simplify a planned redevelopment of the home.

Bethlehem was considered an innovative design when it opened in 1965 and has served Bendigo well over the last 40 years. The building will not meet the complex and growing aged care needs of the twenty first century and will be completely rebuilt.

A transfer of ownership ceremony was held at the home in November 2006. At the Ceremony Barry O'Callaghan, the Chairman of Mercy Health & Aged Care expressed gratitude to the Diocese for entrusting Bethlehem to Mercy and committed to redeveloping the facility.

"The design and planning stage will take time, but attention to detail and careful planning will ensure the people of Bendigo have a high quality facility that meets their needs for decades to come," he said.

"Mercy Health & Aged Care has just completed a similar reconstruction project at our aged care facility in Colac and have just opened a new dementia wing at Tullamore Mercy in Montrose, so the redevelopment of Bethlehem Home for the Aged is a project we can approach with absolute confidence."

 Bethlehem is a residential aged care facility that provides care for nearly 150 people, is set in over 10 hectares of gardens and lawns, and offers 73 high-care nursing beds and 74 low-care beds.

Congregational Leader of the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Kath Tierney, acknowledged the strong links the Sisters have enjoyed with Bendigo. "This is another significant chapter in the long tradition of the Sisters of Mercy working in the community of Bendigo, providing services to those in need.

"We accept with gratitude the task the Diocese is entrusting to the Sisters of Mercy; to build on the service and traditions of the past and ensure Bethlehem Home for the Aged remains a place of compassion, respect and love," she said.

 

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