An aged care home that shut earlier this year forcing 35 residents — many with dementia — to find new accommodation, will be reopened with new owners.
Southern Cross Care closed St Lawrence Residential Aged Care in Harden in February, blaming staff shortages and a lack of community interest.
But on Monday, not-for-profit community provider the Cowra Retirement Village announced it planned to recommission the home.
The village's chief executive, Scott Kable, said the provider had requested 45 bed licences, with the sale including the adjacent independent living units.
"We're expecting there to be a lot of community support for the reopening of the facility," he said.
Consultation to begin
Mr Kable said community consultation would begin next week to find out whether former staff, and residents who were forced to move to other towns, might be interested in returning.
He hoped the service would be up and running by the end of the year.
The decision to shut St Lawrence was criticised by families and politicians, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack.
He called the reopening "terrific news" and said the local community deserved "the highest praise for fighting so hard for this vital asset".
