Care provider responds to anti-gay allegations
Christian aged care charity HammondCare has responded to allegations in the Star Observer that its recently approved tender of dementia advisory hotline DBMAS may lead to the hotline鈥檚 LGBTI employees forcibly closeting themselves for risk of being fired.
In a letter to the paper, HammondCare chief executive Dr Stephen Judd strongly disputed the article鈥檚 claim that HammondCare had a 鈥渧ocally anti-LGBTI ethos鈥� and said that the charity 鈥渄oes not, and has never, required employees to hide their sexual orientation at work鈥�.
鈥淗ammondCare provides care for people regardless of sexual orientation. We do not and have never turned away elderly LGBTI people from our nursing homes. We in fact provide care in line with the principles of dignity, respect and choice, that underpin the Australian Government鈥檚 national LGBTI ageing and aged care strategy,鈥� Judd said.
In the letter, Judd also disputed the article鈥檚 claim that HammondCare had 鈥渢hreatened to refuse Commonwealth funding鈥� if legislation allowing religious aged care providers to refuse LGBTI people into nursing homes changed.
In its original submission to the Senate Committee inquiry on the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, HammondCare argued that new provisions forcing aged-care providers who receive Commonwealth funds to accept care of same-sex people 鈥渕ay force a number of faith-based aged care providers, for reason of conscience, to decline Commonwealth subsidies鈥� or 鈥渨ithdraw from the sector altogether鈥�.
HammondCare claims that as the clause was being 鈥渕isinterpreted鈥�, it was removed. The final submission is available on the Senate committee website.
Judd also claimed the article鈥檚 statement that HammondCare 鈥渄id not respond to requests for comment by deadline鈥� was inaccurate . The original story was published on the聽Star Observer鈥檚 website on Wednesday, May 22, the same day HammondCare stated in an email exchange that they intended to respond to questions on Thursday, May 23. The Star Observer goes to print at close of day every Tuesday.
You can read Judd’s full response to the article .
