COVID-19 Notices

Click here to download a letter update from the Chief Health Officer, NSW Health 25 June 2020 regarding COVID-19 and Aged Care Facilities.

“Message from The CEO” Friday 26 June, 2020

Greetings to all,

Thank you for your continued co-operation and understanding of our best endeavours to keep your loved ones safe, yet content in these unprecedented times. 4-months in to the pandemic experience in Australia and still no end in sight! Australia has performed exceptionally well, though we cannot relax, as we’ve discovered yet again, this time in Melbourne. Victoria has recently announced the reimposing of tighter restrictions as it grapples with escalating cases of community transmission – this despite maintaining the most stringent restrictions in Australia throughout this pandemic. Most concerning, is that more than half of these recent cases have been directly attributed to a lack of compliance with social distancing protocols. Indeed there have been instances of breaches by persons diagnosed with the virus or in close contact with an infected person – truly astounding, yet a factor of community life.

Herein lies the essence of Orana Garden’s policy challenge – how do we keep your loved ones safe, yet maintain quality of life and contentment in an environment where the compliance efforts of the overwhelming majority, can be so readily be undone by the non-compliance of few. As humans, we are hardwired for social contact and close interaction. The necessary change to human behaviour does not come naturally; but come it must, foreseeably. Please be assured that we continue to do our very best to achieve an optimum balance between safety and contentment and we encourage you to offer any constructive feedback, positive or negative, to assist us in attaining that balance.

Set out below are the key elements of our COVID-19 Facility Entry/Exit protocol, as amended today and issued with immediate effect. We have considered many sources of pertinent information, including feedback from our cherished residents, in introducing revised measures. In doing so, it is important to impress upon everyone that relaxed measures do introduce added risk. To mitigate these risks it is critical that all stakeholders faithfully comply with the stipulations herein, playing their respective roles in keeping everyone safe. Ultimately compliance is the only thing that will ensure continuance of these measures and hopefully, further relaxation over time.

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with Orana Gardens’ Facility Entry/Exit protocol as it relates to you. We are most happy to respond to any enquiry to ensure you utilise this protocol to best effect in maintaining relations with loved ones. We sincerely hope that you welcome this initiative.

COVID-19 Facility Entry/Exit Protocol

Access 

• subject to entry criteria and conditions below, resident visitations can occur without notice between the hours of 9am to 5pm
• subject to entry criteria and conditions below, resident visitations can occur with same day notice prior to 4:30pm, between the hours of 5pm to 9pm
• subject to entry criteria and conditions below, resident exits can occur with prior written request of >48 hours, and subject to approval, detailing venue address; gathering time; names of all people attending; transport mode & COVID-19-safe practices to be adopted
• there shall be no impediment to immediate essential health and medical requirements
• no person shall visit the facility more than once per day unless by the express, prior approval of the Facility Manager or CEO

Permitted Entry

• employees – restricted to areas necessary to perform duties where no alternative arrangements suffice
• contractors & suppliers of goods/services deemed essential - as per CEO-approved provider listing and restricted to minimum areas necessary
• union representative – pursuant to express prior arrangement with the CEO; upon production of an entry permit and only in designated area
• health, medical or pharmaceutical professional providing services to a resident - as per CEO-approved provider listing with area restricted to resident’s room
• person providing personal care services to a resident - as per CEO-approved provider listing and area restricted to resident’s room or approved alternative
• person providing a care and support visit to a resident, including end-of-life support; eg. family/friend visitors – area restricted to resident’s room or designated visiting areas
• emergency management or law enforcement personnel – as required to discharge responsibilities, unimpeded
• prospective resident – as required to provide reasonable overview and showing at discretion of Facility Manager
• person holding a verifiable Ministerial exemption from exclusion – as required to discharge responsibilities attached to exemption, unimpeded

Excluded Entries of Otherwise Permitted Persons

• any person having been in non-Australian lands/waters within 14 days of seeking entry
• any person having known contact with a person who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 within 14 days of seeking entry
• any person having a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees
• any person having symptoms of acute respiratory infection; eg. including, but not limited to

1. common symptoms - cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath
2. other symptoms - loss of smell and/or taste, muscle and/or joint pain, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting and loss of appetite

• any person without a verified, up-to-date vaccination against influenza, regardless of age, unless

1. written evidence confirms the vaccination is not available to that person
2. a medical certificate on the approved form and issued by a medical practitioner, certifies that person has a medical contraindication to the vaccination against influenza
3. in a direct emergency response, any contractor & supplier of goods/services deemed essential by the CEO
4. in a direct emergency response, any emergency management or law enforcement personnel

• any person having visited the greater Melbourne area within prior 14 days

Conditions of Entry for All

• maximum of two (2) visitors at a time per resident – visitors can be any age
• visits undertaken in resident’s room subject to maximum time span of 2 hours
• visits undertaken in designated outside areas subject to maximum time span of 3 hours
• strictly no visits to occur in resident communal areas
• Spouses, siblings and offspring, whilst subject to a maximum of two (2) persons visiting at a time, to maximum time span of 4 hours
• minors must be closely supervised and all persons must fully comply with all conditions of entry
• social distancing practices (no closer than 1.5mtrs) must be engaged at all times unless impracticable in the course of employees and contractors providing services
• hand sanitising immediately upon entry and prior to exiting facility
• personal hygiene must be tightly controlled, particularly of children

Special Visitor Consideration

• available on case-by-case basis – approved only by the CEO

Permitted Resident Exits – all subject to prior authorization by Facility Manager or Clinical RN

• attend essential primary and allied health and medical appointments that cannot be satisfactorily undertaken by means of telecommunications or alternative options
• attend a family member’s home for maximum duration 2 hours plus travel time, subject to

1. Facility Manager/Clinical RN-approved risk assessment assessing compliance feasibility, local epidemiology, COVID-19-safe practices; capacity for due responsibility of excursion sponsors
2. full and written disclosure of date, location and attendees for subsequent tracing if necessary
3. maximum of one internal setting
4. maximum gathering of 20 people with strict social distancing practices and compliant hygiene protocols to facility-equivalent standards adopted
5. social distancing practices and compliant personal hygiene standards maintained during trips to and from facility

• attend an external community setting with expansive (uncrowded) open space for maximum duration 3 hours plus travel time, subject to

1. Facility Manager/Clinical RN-approved risk assessment assessing compliance feasibility, local epidemiology, capacity for due responsibility of excursion sponsors
2. full and written disclosure of date, location and attendees for subsequent tracing if necessary
3. one external setting only
4. maximum gathering of 20 people with strict social distancing practices and compliant hygiene protocols to facility-equivalent standards adopted
5. social distancing practices and compliant personal hygiene standards maintained during trips to and from facility

• alternative scenarios considered on a case-by-case basis – approved only by the CEO

Expressly Excluded Resident Exits

• attendance at densely populated venues with likely social distancing non-compliance; eg. shopping malls, supermarkets
• attendance at any event where any attendee would otherwise be excluded from entering the facility

Resident Social Distancing Requirements 

• Facility to continue emphasis on ensuring social distancing practices and compliant personal hygiene of residents within the facility at all times
• Resident gathering in communal areas, indoor or outdoor, to be limited to maximum of 20 persons at any one time in each communal area

Resident Re-entry Requirements

• any resident re-entering the facility will be monitored for COVID-19 symptoms at least twice daily for a minimum period of 14 days
• any resident entering the facility for the first time will be subjected to a risk assessment by the Facility Manager to determine whether

1. quarantined and symptom-monitored at least twice daily for a minimum period of 14 days
2. monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms at least twice daily for a minimum period of 14 days

• any evidence of COVID-19 symptoms must be dealt with immediately in accordance with standing infection control protocols

Matters Still Under Review

• NDIS participant residents – support services
• volunteers – support services

Next Review Date

• 2 July 2020, or earlier as compelled by circumstances

Again, thank you for your continued support. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact us at 6841 4100- Rebecca McDonald, Facility Manager; Rachel Chifamba, Clinical RN or the Registered Nurse in charge of the shift. 

Regards,

Rick Lawford 

Chief Executive Officer