Staying Safe Our Covid-19 Update:
We are currently on AMBER visiting status
The happiness, safety, health and wellbeing of our Residents is an absolute priority for Woolgoolga & District Retirement Village Ltd, incorporating Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre.
We know the that being able to have a visit with a loved one is a compassionate action, essential to support the emotional, social, and mental wellbeing of our residents.
Our Covid-19 Protocols for Visiting.
The following visiting protocols have been developed in line with the Industry Code of Visiting in Aged Care Homes Industry Code for Visiting in Aged Care Homes – COTA Australia in support of residents being able to continue to receive visitors and balance the risk and safety obligations of preventing and managing an outbreak or exposure with the risk of social isolation and harm caused by excluding visitors. Three protocols are provided below and they outline:
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The protocol Woolgoolga Aged Care centre will adopt when we are not experiencing an outbreak or exposure and when there are very low or no levels of local community transmission of Covid-19.
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The visiting protocol Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre will adopt when we are not experiencing an outbreak or exposure when there are mid to high levels of local community transmission of Covid-19.
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The protocol Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre will adopt when we experience a Covid-19 outbreak or exposure.
Visiting Protocol 1: When Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre is not experiencing an outbreak/exposure (No or very low levels of local community transmission) - GREEN
Residents are permitted to have three visitors aged 12 years and over, plus two children aged under 12 years per day:
- Visits need to be pre-booked. You are encouraged to pre-book a few days in advance. As we have additional staff employed to facilitate visitor access, bookings should be made to occur between 10.00am and 3.00pm daily wherever possible. Visits outside of this time can only occur through special arrangement under the authority of the Chief Executive Officer, Operations Manager or Director of Nursing.
- It is preferred that visitors aged 12 years and over must have received a second dose of a COVID vaccination at least 14 days prior to their visit.
- Visitors are strongly encouraged to get booster vaccines as soon as they are eligible for one.
- Visitors must undertake and produce a negative Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) prior to each visit.
- Visitors must complete a Covid-19 Screening Declaration Form and be temperature screened prior to entry.
- Up to 2 children under 12 years are permitted to visit provided they are accompanied by a person fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Visitors are strongly encouraged to receive the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as it is available, each year.
- All visitors must socially distance whilst on-site and must say 1.5 meters away from any other individual.
- Wherever possible, the visit should be in an outdoor area, patio or balcony or be in the resident’s individual room. Visits will not be permitted in any inside communal areas, unless special arrangements have been negotiated in advance of the visit to ensure we are able to protect the safety of other residents’, volunteers, visitors and staff.
- People who are providing a service to the resident (including a health or other professional service) are not counted as a visitor, nor are partners in care.
- All unvaccinated people wishing to visit are to contact our Director of Nursing and undertake risk assessment screening and understand additional PPE and infection control requirements will apply to your visit.
Visitors must not enter a RACF at all if they:
- Have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Have been exposed to COVID-19 unless they have completed their self-isolation and testing requirements. People who have had high risk exposures, are household contacts of someone with Covid-19 or a close contact should not enter high risk settings for at least 7 days since their exposure to a COVID-positive person.
- Are waiting for a COVID-19 test result.
Essential Care visits: Access by Essential Visitors (partners in care – nominated visitor or end of life visits) will be facilitated on a regular basis. Visiting hours for Essential Visitors will be available for those that work full time and include weekends. The length of time an Essential Visitor can visit will not be restricted.
Residents outings: To take a resident out of the Village, an External Visitation Form will need to be completed and returned to us for risk assessment, at least two business days before the scheduled outing is to occur.
External Visits are permitted in homes not experiencing an outbreak or exposure.
We encourage all residents and families to follow all the usual precautions and meet in lower risk areas (such as outdoor venues) wherever possible. Residents who go out and return on same day will undertake RAT on days 2, 4 and 7 without isolating. If they do not return on same day, then they need isolate till a negative RAT and then repeat RAT on days 3, 5 and 7 without further isolation. If they develop any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, we will need them to isolate where possible and undertake a PCR test.
Visiting Protocol 2: When Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre is not experiencing an outbreak/exposure (High levels of local community transmission)- AMBER
Due to increasing rates of community transmission residents are permitted to have two fully COVID vaccinated visitors aged 12 years and over, plus two children aged under 12 years per day visit with them:
- Visitors aged 12 years and over must have received a second dose of a COVID vaccination at least 14 days prior to their visit.
- Visitors are strongly encouraged to get a booster vaccine if they are eligible for one.
- Visitors must undertake and produce a negative Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) prior to each visit.
- Up to 2 children under 12 years are permitted to visit provided they are accompanied by a person fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Visitors are strongly encouraged to receive the 2022 seasonal flu vaccine as soon as it is available.
- All visitors must wear a surgical mask over their nose and mouth while visiting indoors at all times.
- Wherever possible, the visit should be in an outdoor area, patio or balcony or in the resident’s individual room. Visits will not be permitted in any inside communal areas.
- People who are providing a service to the resident (including a health or other professional service) are not counted as a visitor.
Visitors must not enter a RACF at all if they:
- Have COVID-19 symptoms
- Have been exposed to COVID-19 unless they have completed their self-isolation and testing requirements. People who have had high risk exposures, are household contacts of someone with Covid-19 or a close contact should not enter high risk settings for at least 10 days since their exposure to a COVID-positive person.
- Are waiting for a COVID-19 test result.
- Have been overseas in the previous 14 days, unless they are:
- Fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it has been at least 7 days after arrival, and they have received a negative rapid antigen test 6 days or later after arriving in NSW.
Essential Care visits: Access by Essential Visitors (partners in care – nominated visitor or end of life visits) will be facilitated on a regular basis. Visiting hours for Essential Visitors will be available for those that work full time and include weekends. The length of time an Essential Visitor can visit will not be restricted.
Residents outings: Are permitted in homes not experiencing an outbreak or exposure. We encourage all residents and families to follow all the usual precautions and meet in lower risk areas (such as outdoor venues) wherever possible. Residents who go out and return on same day will undertake RAT on days 2, 4 and 7 without isolating. If they do not return on same day, then they need isolate till a negative RAT and then repeat RAT on days 3, 5 and 7 without further isolation. If they develop any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, we will need them to isolate where possible and undertake a PCR test.
Visiting Protocol 3: When Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre is experiencing an outbreak/exposure- RED
When the Public Health Unit (PHU) gives a direction to restrict visiting to Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre, essential care visits are still permissible in line with Health advice and risk assessments.
If Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre experiences an exposure or outbreak the WDRV Outbreak Management Team will consult with the Public Health unit. Our aim is to ensure continuity of care for residents who would normally experience daily or regular support from loved ones, prior to the outbreak or exposure.
During periods of visitor restrictions, we will increase video and phone calls so our residents can stay connected with loved ones, but it is also important to note that video and phone calls can be arranged at any time whether visiting restrictions are in place or not.
Essential Care visits: Partners in care or end of life visits will be facilitated during the outbreak or exposure in line with risk assessments undertaken at the time.
Partners in care are those visitors who play a recognised role in the daily care and support of a resident, such as: helping with meals, personal care, and emotional support. These visitors are particularly important for residents with dementia and residents with a diagnosed mental health issue.
To be deemed a partner in care you would have visited the resident regularly and provided assistance with tasks of daily living. A register of partners in care is maintained at Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre. The determination of who is a partner in care is established between the resident/visitor/family’s person responsible and the Chief Executive Officer and/or Director of Nursing. Each resident can nominate one person to be their partner in care.
Approved partners in care are permitted to continue visiting if they are fully vaccinated (includes booster vaccination), are willing to participate in screening and check in using the QR codes, to produce a negative RAT test prior to entry (frequency of testing will be the same as being done for staff) and wear full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and abide by all infection control guidelines.
Partners in care can visit as agreed to assist their loved one. Visits must occur within the residents own room.
In addition to partners in care, visitors who need to see a loved one who is at end of life, can visit in consultation with the Director of Nursing who will facilitate these visits if clinically indicated. Visitors should be fully vaccinated, produce a negative RAT test prior to entry into the home and wear full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). If you are not fully vaccinated, the Director of Nursing will discuss additional precautions to be taken to facilitate the visit.
Visiting hours for partners in care and end-of-life visitors are available for those that work full time and include weekends but are preferred at the service between 10.00am and 3.00pm daily as we have additional staff employed to facilitate visitor access and provide testing and screening for persons entering the centre.
Orientation to properly donning and doffing PPE is available here https://youtu.be/Yk3P1HDYURI and will be provided at Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre for initial visits of partners in care and essential visitors including end of life visitors.
Residents’ outings are not permitted when Woolgoolga Aged Care Centre is experiencing an outbreak or exposure, unless they occur in consultation with the Director of Nursing the appointment is deemed essential.
Every effort will be made to defer medical appointments or conduct them virtually where possible when the centre is in outbreak or exposure.
Staying Safe.
Our COVID19 Update
The happiness, safety, health and wellbeing of our residents is an absolute priority
