There is also further help available at the Guiding Principle Support Hub or through 1800 491 793 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm).

Published 6th August 2020

Prepare your communications

Residential Aged Care Facilities are being reminded of the need to have up-to-date contact details for the authorised representative of each resident living within the facility.

As a part of your ongoing preparedness to manage a potential case of COVID-19, it is important that correct contact details, including a mobile telephone number and email address, are held for the primary contact of each resident. These details should be readily available to facilitate prompt and regular communication with residents’ families in the instance of a COVID-19 case being linked to the facility.

It is recommended you contact all authorised representatives to ensure the contact details you hold are appropriate, and to remind them that they will be the primary contact should the facility need to communicate with families about a COVID-19 case or outbreak.

Authorised representatives should be encouraged to share the information they receive directly from providers about their loved one’s health and wellbeing with wider family and friends.

Training on face shield use

The Department of Health has published a new guide on face shield use. In addition to the requirement for all Victorian aged care workers to wear face masks, aged care workers in Victorian residential aged care facilities are now advised to wear face shields as a precautionary measure.

When worn together with a properly fitted surgical mask, face shields offer protection from contamination to others, as well as to the wearer.

The training guide on face shield use contains instructions on how to safely put on and take off (donn and doff) a face shield, as well as cleaning and disinfecting instructions.

Providers are reminded however that the face shields being distributed from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS) to all residential aged care facilities in Victoria are single use.

Updated restrictions and advice from Queensland

Increased restrictions have been put in place for residential aged care facilities in Queensland. All residential aged care facilities, no matter where they are located must have a workforce management plan in place that makes it mandatory for employees to:

• tell their residential aged care facility employer of any other places of employment
• tell their residential aged care facility employer if a COVID-19 case is identified at their other workplace.

Due to recently announced cases in Queensland extra restrictions have now been put in place for residential aged care facilities in:

• Brisbane City Local Government Area (PDF)
• Ipswich City Local Government Area (PDF)
• Logan City Local Government Area (PDF)
• Redland City Local Government Area (PDF)
• Gold Coast City Local Government Area (PDF)
• Scenic Rim Regional Local Government Area (PDF).

For visitors:

• No personal visitors, including care and support visitors are allowed to enter
• Only persons providing an essential purpose will be allowed to enter
• End of life visits will still be allowed
• Anyone entering a facility must wear a single use surgical face mask.

For residents :

• Cannot leave the residential aged care facility unless they are receiving health care, attending a funeral or for an emergency or for compassionate reasons
• The residential aged care facility or the Chief Health Officer can provide an exemption for leave on compassionate reasons.

For staff:

• Residential aged care facility operators must make sure staff do not work across multiple facilities as much as possible
• Anyone providing medical care (including staff, volunteers or family members) must wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in accordance with Commonwealth and state government guidance.

The Queensland advice can be found here.

Updated restrictions and advice from NSW

The state’s Chief Health Officer has advised all NSW aged care facilities must ensure:

• There is an infection control lead or champion at the facility
• Staff are well trained and can demonstrate competency in infection prevention and control, particularly use of PPE
• Sufficient stocks of PPE are held on site.

The local government area of Bankstown has also been added to the list of regions required to implement the following measures:

• Any visitors to any residential aged care facility who have been in the following local government areas in the previous 14 days should be excluded from the facility: Bankstown, Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick, eastern part of City of Sydney, Parramatta, Fairfield, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Camden, Wingecarribee and Wollondilly.
• All aged care staff who reside in the above local government areas or a NSW/VIC border community must wear a surgical mask while in the facility.
• Staff and visitors who have visited any of the locations on the same date as a COVID-19 case (see updated list of venues and dates) should be excluded for a period of 14 days since their visit to the listed location. 
• All residential aged care staff who work in residential aged care facilities located within the above LGAs and in communities along the NSW/VIC border must wear a surgical mask while in the facility.
• Residential aged care facilities in the above local government areas should not allow any visitors (visitors performing essential caring functions may be allowed but must wear a mask). In exceptional circumstances, seek advice from your local NSW Health public health unit on 1300 066 055.

Home Care Service Providers who either live or work in any of these designated local government areas must also wear face masks while providing services.

Veiw the latest NSW Health advice for residential providers and home care providers.

Reminder - notify the Commonwealth

All aged care service providers are reminded that you must immediately notify the Commonwealth Department of Health of any COVID-19 cases among residents and staff.

Email the Department of Health at .

This notification is essential for the activation of Commonwealth support including rapid access to PPE from the National Medical Stockpile, case management, surge workforce support and supplementary pathology testing.

This notification to the Department of Health is in addition to notifying your Public Health Unit.

For more information on COVID-19 outbreak preparedness and management, refer to the CDNA National Guidelines.

Source:
Unknown Author, 2020, Department of Health