Community sign-up action for Lyndoch this weekend

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Picking up where we left off, we now have lift off! Come and sign up this Sunday Aug 15, Civic Green, (11am – 1pm) to show your support for putting the community back into the heart of Lyndoch.

This is a show of solidarity for the staff and residents. It’s a chance to say that we want a reality check around what is happening with Lyndoch, beyond the spin and the silence and the puffy stories.

So many people have worked so hard these past years to raise the issues that are now coming home to roost at Lyndoch. For me, the string of failures in care recorded by the ACQSC is the final straw.

We can either walk away, or we can walk up on Sunday and say, “Sign me up”.

Wear a mask, bring a pen and bring your resolve.

[If you would like to fill out your form before you arrive, you can do so here. If you can’t make it Sunday, but would like to sign up, send me a message.]



Testing the gate: launching a Lyndoch membership drive

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Time to get busy: the Lyndoch Living AGM is coming up in October, so next Sunday I am running a “sign up” for Lyndoch membership day.

The plan is to collect as many applications as we can – 20? 50? – to try and put the “c” (community) back into the heart of Lyndoch.

As I have written before, Lyndoch has no general members who come from outside Lyndoch.

All of the general members – around six or seven – are employees of Lyndoch.

In the past 18 months, a string of applications from the public have been flatly rejected by the board with no reasons given.

Who would have thought our aged care home would become such an exclusive club?

And speaking of the board, Lyndoch has had two board vacancies since May, but there has been no call for nominations – the spots remain empty. (The nine board members are separate to general members.)

It’s all very strange and completely at odds with what has been the community spirit of Lyndoch for the past 60 years.

This gatekeeping also removes a grassroots layer of scrutiny because members can – if they want to – do a number of things, including ask questions at the AGM, call general meetings, pass resolutions, run for the board, and vote on board nominations.

With the AGM now on the horizon, I believe the time is right to “test the gate” and see if it remains firmly locked to the uninvited.

Prof James Dunbar and Jim Burke, from the “Keep Lyndoch living” group, will be helping me out next Sunday.

If you would like to be a part of this push, pop down to the Warrnambool Civic Green between 11am and 3pm and look for the not-very-fancy terrier table.

I will have membership forms ready to go, it’s free to apply, and I will deliver them all to Lyndoch once we are done.

We will then wait and see how many people, if any, make it through.

[Sunday August 8, Civic Green, 11am to 3pm. Covid-safe protocols will apply. Please BYO pen and wear a mask. If you would like to bring your membership form already filled out, you can download it here].