The Sheriff’s Court has ordered the sale of Trevor Sampson’s Clovelly Park house after he refused to pay a $17,370 debt owed to Allity, which owns the Somerton Lodge aged care home where he lives.
Mr Sampson, who is paraplegic, says he cannot pay the debt because he has spent all his money making his house wheelchair-accessible.
However, the 69-year-old paid $10,000 towards the debt in May this year.
The Aged Care Act does allow providers to find “suitable alternative accommodation” for residents with outstanding fees of 42 days or more, but Allity chief operations officer Glen Hurley said they had not asked Mr Sampson to leave because it “would not be in the best interest of Mr Sampson’s health, wellbeing nor safety”.
“All aged care residents agree on admission to pay a certain amount of fees for the care that is provided to them — some of this care is paid for by the Commonwealth Government, and some of the care is paid for by residents themselves based on their means,” Mr Hurley said.
Clearly Mr Sampson has the means to pay, just not the desire. Luckily for him, Allity has taken a compassionate view of his case and is continuing to care for him.
The house is due to go to auction on September 2.
Picture: Eugene Boisvert
