February 10, 2026
Inverell-based not-for-profit aged care provider McLean Care today announced its intention to transition its business - comprising residential care, independent living units (ILUs), home-care services and virtual healthcare hub iAge Health - to a new provider.
The move is in response to a range of financial pressures facing aged care providers, particularly in regional areas, including complex compliance requirements, rising operating costs, labour shortages and the increasing cost of maintaining and upgrading facilities.
With more than 700 full-time, part-time and casual employees McLean Care’s operations comprise:
● 370 beds across six residential aged care facilities in Inverell, Guyra and Gunnedah in northern NSW and Oakey and Milmerran in southern Queensland.
● 82 ILUs co-located with the residential aged care facilities
● At-home care services in Queensland, NSW and Victoria
● iAge Health, a virtual service connecting people in regional and remote locations with healthcare professionals.
McLean Care Board Chair, Manuel Meszaros, said the transition was necessary to ensure the long-term future of services provided by McLean Care in local regional communities.
“Unfortunately, the pressures on aged care providers, especially in regional areas, mean McLean Care’s operations are no longer viable under our current operating model,” Mr Meszaros said.
“The Board has made the difficult decision to seek new providers and operators of McLean Care’s facilities and services. This process will be led by expert financial and legal advisers with financial support from the Commonwealth Government,” he said.
“We will be seeking potential new providers that are aligned to our mission-led ethos, committed to high-quality care and resident wellbeing, and have the financial resources necessary to operate successfully into the future.
“There will be no impact on our residential aged care facilities - they will continue to operate during the process, all existing places are secure and we will be working toward a seamless transition. We are in close communication with residents, families, home-care clients and employees on this decision and will continue to keep them informed as the process unfolds,” Mr Meszaros said.
McLean Care’s history traces back to Hector McLean’s founding of a convalescent home for new mothers who lived in rural properties in Inverell in the 1930s.
