Respect continues spending spree

Aged care and retirement living provider Respect Group – which has its headquarters in Tasmania and services also in Victoria and New South Wales – has announced a completed acquisition of a standalone provider and a proposed merger with Masonic Care Tasmania.

Lyrebird Village in Drouin, Victoria last week became the 16th aged care home to join the not-for-profit residential and home aged care provider, Respect Group said in a statement. The 115-bed home in West Gippsland was established in 1973 and provides a range of accommodation to suit all levels of care.

Lyrebird Village chairman Mark Biggs said Respect had similar values and the capability to provide the resources and investment Lyrebird Village needs to grow and thrive.

“As a small stand-alone provider, it became increasingly difficult to remain sustainable in our own right which has made it necessary to seek options to find a workable solution to secure our future,” he said.

Respect Group managing director Jason Binder said the organisation looked forward to continuing Lyrebird Village’s excellent work.

“As an organisation with a regional focus we understand the importance of community to a facility such as Lyrebird and, in turn, the role an aged care facility like Lyrebird plays in its community,” Mr Binder said in a statement.

This is the third acquisition for this year for Respect Group after it acquired Mitchell House in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley and Lithgow Aged Care in NSW.

Respect, Masonic Care Tas propose merger

This week, Respect Group and fellow aged care and retirement living provider Masonic Care Tasmania have announced the two companies are considering a merger to enhance services across the island state.

The boards of both providers have endorsed that MCT, which has three residential facilities, a home care business and a retirement living portfolio joins Respect Group from 1 November 2022.

The deal is dependent on the support of MCT members, the Freemasons, according to a joint release by the two organisations, which collectively support more than 2,300 older Australians with a 2,000-strong combined workforce.

In announcing the proposed merger, MCT chair Klaus Zimmermann and Respect Group chair John de Jong said an alignment in organisational values, mission and purpose was important to both organisations.

“[The MCT Board] undertook an extensive search to find a not-for-profit organisation that aligned with the MCT mission, purpose and values, and had a Tasmanian footprint,” Mr Zimmermann said in the statement.

Mr John de Jong said the merger would ensure the ongoing sustainability of service delivery, with Respect Group having the capacity and capability to provide the resources and investment needed to provide the highest standard of care to residents.

He also confirmed that if the merger went through, there would be no immediate change to the MCT brand and name. 

“We are committed to ensuring there is no interruption to residents, clients or the workforce if the proposed merger is agreed,” he said. “All existing services will be maintained.”

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