McKenzie joins Bolton Clarke
One of Australia’s largest aged care providers Bolton Clarke just got bigger by acquiring McKenzie Aged Care.
One of Australia’s largest aged care providers Bolton Clarke just got bigger by acquiring McKenzie Aged Care.
Under the agreement – which is subject to completion – Bolton Clarke will become the new owner and operator of nine residential aged care homes and two retirement villages. In addition, Bolton Clarke will have the management rights for eight more homes.
The Bolton Clarke Group supports more than 130,000 people through its home care programs and, on completion of the agreement, across 87 residential aged care homes and 38 retirement villages.
With the McKenzie deal taking two years to seal, Bolton CEO Stephen Muggleton said in a statement he was pleased to finally have found a way for the privately-owned company to join the group.
“McKenzie Aged Care has a high-performing team, exceptional quality compliance record and a strong reputation with residents, families and referrers,” he said.
“Both organisations are grounded in person-centred values with a shared commitment to delivering quality, innovative care services. We have a lot of respect for the way the McKenzie family established and built the company and we’re very conscious of the need to build on their legacy.”
In a joint statement, the McKenzie family – Sally McKenzie, Mary Ann McKenzie, Michael Powell and Rob Hutchison – said: “We are delighted that Bolton Clarke will be the new owner and custodian of McKenzie Aged Care. We are confident we will be handing over to an organisation with shared values, goals and ability to deliver quality care to ensure McKenzie homes remains a place of choice for people to live and work for many years to come.”
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I’m not sure this is a good-news story.
Unfettered expansion + market dominance = too big to fail.
It goes alright…until it goes all wrong
The Department obviously didn’t learn anything from their recent Bupa experience. If things go bad, the government is snookered; these big providers just stare them down.
Stop my funding? Go on, we can wear that for while. But remember, if we’re not government funded, we’re no longer under your jurisdiction. Just how long do you think the government could wear the public outrage from letting the largest aged care provider off the leash? They’d need to be very confident the provider would deliver exceptional care in the absence of any oversight. (And here’s the problem… if they were already providing exceptional care, they wouldn’t be in that situation in the first place)
Anything that keeps swallowing everything will eventually burst.
It is sad to see another family business with a great reputation be bought out. But is it the way now, more than ever, due to financial and compliance burdens. I am sure the new big companies will do their best, and Yes they have way more clout and money for Lawyers to pressure the pin heads in Govt when the fight is on.