A south-west facility is ensuring all its worked are rewarded for their hard work during the pandemic.
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In February, the federal government announced $210 million to support the aged care workforce to continue working during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a bonus of up to $800 across two instalments.
The bonus is paid to workers providing care and support at government subsidised home care and to residential aged care workers including clinical care workers, direct care, food or cleaning services.
The first payment through the Aged Care Workforce Bonus Payment was available to workers employed on February 28, with the second for those employed after April 28.
Sunnyside House aged care facility in Camperdown is one of the local facilities benefiting from the program, but the organisation has also rewarded those who were ineligible.
Chief executive officer Claire Schmierer said a previous retention bonus provided through grants was divisive due to only being available for direct care staff.
"Sunnyside's board and management value all of our employees and what they give in care and services," she said.
"We acknowledge each employee from every department is as important as every other.
"To this end, the board paid the employees not eligible for the government's retention bonus a board-approved retention bonus."
Ms Schmierer said this time around, it again rewarded employees not eligible for the government's retention bonus dependant on the house worked over the span of the month preceding the qualification dates.
In Warrnambool, Mercy Health's Mercy Place have also taken up the opportunity.
Eligible staff at Warrnambool Riverside and Warrnambool Place received 50 per cent of their payment in March, with the other half expected to be paid before the end of May.
"The feedback from the staff is that they are thankful for the government payment, given the extraordinary responsibility that team members in aged care communities have undertaken through COVID-19 in the last two years," a Warrnambool Riverside and Warrnambool Place spokeswoman said.
Lyndoch Living CEO Doreen Power said it had received the money, which would be passed onto staff in their next pay.
In Camperdown, South West Healthcare run Merindah Lodge paid the first instalment to staff earlier this month, with the second to be received in the next fortnight.
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