Updates on COVID – 19 precautions

Update 15th April 2021

We have been provided updates to Residential Aged Care COVID Vaccinations. For further information please see:

COVID-19 Vaccination Factsheet for Residents and Families

COVID-19 Vaccination Factsheet for Aged Care Workers

If you do have any queries please do not hesitate to contact our Clinical Services Manager, Wendy Tempest.

Update 5th March 2021

As you may or not know the Tasmanian Public Health department has issued new directives regarding entry into Residential Aged care facilities commencing today the 1^st March please see details below;

The Direction under section 16 of the Public Health Act 1977 (Residential Aged Care Facilities No. 11) has been signed by the Director of Public Health and will replace Residential Aged Care Facilities Direction No. 10 on Monday 1 March.

The main changes were announced by the Premier on Friday 26 February 2021.

The main changes are:

1. Removal of the requirement for a person to have the latest influenza vaccination to visit or work in a residential aged care facility.
2. Addition of the requirement for operators of residential aged care facilities to keep a record (name, phone number, date and time of entry) of every person who enters and remains on the premises for 15 minutes or more.
3. Removal of restrictions on the number and duration of support and care visits.
4. Reinforcement of the need for 1.5 metres to be maintained, when practicable, between people visiting in communal areas of your facility.

Corumbene has also aligned with Check in Tas which is the Public Health contact tracking app. which is widely used throughout Tasmania which will help with the ongoing screening at our facility. We will still have the paper based system for visitors, staff not wishing to utilise the phone app. The Check in Tas QR posters will be available at all main entry points.

We will still be using the reception door entry point for visitors during usual office hours to help with the screening process, this may change after review in a few weeks, But I will keep you informed. After-hours visits to the facility will be through the Marriot Avenue entrance when a screening post will be set up for visitors.

During this transition, it would be appreciated if we could all be mindful of the social distancing aspect and politely encourage all within our facility to comply with this whenever possible. You may note a few more social distancing posters and numbers within particular space notices around the place too.

If you do have any queries please do not hesitate to contact our Clinical Services Manager, Wendy Tempest.

Update 5th February 2021

As you may be aware the Government will soon be rolling out the new Covid 19 vaccinations to both staff and residents within aged care facilities, as yet we don’t know the dates when this will be happening  but here are some links to very useful information that may help you with your decision on whether you have the vaccine or not and more about the vaccine and programme

The Government is actively encouraging all Australians to have the vaccine its attempt to eradicate or severely disrupt the transmission of this terrible virus.

I am in no doubt that there will be some information sessions coming up regarding the Covid immunisation programme in the very near future and we will keep you posted as to when and where these will occur.

The department has provided some informative video’s below for your information:

COVID-19 Vaccines – Priority rollout (animation)

COVID – 19 vaccines – How vaccines work

COVID-19 vaccines – TGA approval process

Update October 15th December 2020

Firstly may we take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing patience and support for the last ten months with the ever present threat of COVID 19, it has been a very difficult and trying time for everyone.

Here in Tasmania we have been very fortunate to escape so far the devastating effects of the virus and may that continue to be the case.

Although a lot of the restrictions are easing throughout Australia we are still practicing the requirements as mandated by the Tasmanian government department in relation to visitors to our facility, this is because it is widely acknowledged that the effects of COVID 19 into a facility where the most vulnerable population live can have terrible consequences and it is for that reason the Government still have these restrictions in place, to help protect all residents.

So to refresh;

Two visitors at one time

Visits to be in resident’s rooms or non-communal areas

All visitors to be screened as per Government mandate prior to entry into facility

Booking visits helps to organise our concierge system and maximises the amount of visitors we can safely accommodate at one time

Please phone during office hours to make appointments: 6261 2744

Weekends (preferably not as limited capacity) 0437 767 960

We will work very hard to accommodate everyone’s visiting requests over the Christmas period so please book your visits in a timely manner.

Please can you notify staff if you are intending to go out/take a relative out over the Christmas period so that we can have the correct paperwork completed to comply with our Government obligations.

We hope that everyone manages to have a safe and happy Christmas and let’s hope for a better 2021.

If you do have any queries please do not hesitate to contact one of the management team here at Corumbene for clarification.

Warmest wishes

Corumbene Management

Update October 27th 2020

As you may be aware Tasmania has now opened the borders to low risk states of Australia and New Zealand, this will allow many more visitors to our state which will be a blessing for all of those people desperately missing family and friends that were caught up in the COVID-19 lockdowns, however, this will definitely increase the anxiety of all Aged Care Providers currently working hard to help protect the vulnerable people we look after so we are asking for some assistance in helping us with our protection plans.

Currently we have a concierge system for visiting which assists visitors to navigate the Government mandatory requirements of pre-entry COVID screening and we also ask that people use a booking system to reduce the amount of people within the home and the movement in communal areas. During the usual Monday to Friday working week this hasn’t been a problem however after hours and during weekends we are struggling to deal with the amount of people that arrive without prior bookings and notification.

We ask that you plan the weekend and after-hour visits and book in the times with reception Monday to Friday so that we can effectively manage all the appropriate and mandatory screening in a timely manner. It is vitally important now that entry to Tasmania is easing that all the pre-entry COVID-19 screening is undertaken.

Thankyou

Corumbene Management

Update June 19th 2020

From Monday 22 June 2020, visitation restrictions will ease for aged care facilities in line with public health advice https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/families-community/aged-care-facility-visits

These changes include

• Up to two people per visit with visit times unrestricted and multiple visits allowed in one day, subject to facility policy.
• Persons under the age of 16 will be allowed to visit an aged care facility.
• Visiting services such as hairdressers and allied health professionals will be able to attend a facility.
• Residents will be allowed to leave the facility, for example with friends and family

ALL OTHER RESTRICTIONS REMAIN IN PLACE

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR VISITORS TO CORUMBENE?

All visitors will still have to comply with the Government mandated pre-entry screening which also checks that every person entering our facility has a current influenza immunisation and this does include all children.

All visits are still to take place in individual residents’ rooms or in an allocated outside space if no other individuals are in the vicinity. You will be escorted to and from these areas by our concierge staff.

All children are to have adult supervision at all times and are required to remain in the designated visiting space.

Because of the continued monitoring to protect our vulnerable residents we will remain on a booking system for the next two weeks and review after this, we will attempt wherever possible to allow the maximum visitors at any one time.

If you are unable to attend during the given booking times each request will be reviewed individually, unfortunately we are unable to facilitate a complete relaxation of visiting after hours due to the amount of ongoing monitoring that is defined above.

Obviously, residents with acute care needs and palliative care will have access to more relaxed visitation times.

We hope that you understand our commitment to protecting all of our residents here at Corumbene.

The good news is that residents can now go out of the home to spend time with family and friends, we ask that you please notify staff if a resident is leaving the facility.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our residents safe

From Monday 22 June 2020, visitation restrictions will ease for aged care facilities in line with public health advice https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/families-community/aged-care-facility-visits

These changes include

• Up to two people per visit with visit times unrestricted and multiple visits allowed in one day, subject to facility policy.
• Persons under the age of 16 will be allowed to visit an aged care facility.
• Visiting services such as hairdressers and allied health professionals will be able to attend a facility.
• Residents will be allowed to leave the facility, for example with friends and family

ALL OTHER RESTRICTIONS REMAIN IN PLACE

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR VISITORS TO CORUMBENE?

All visitors will still have to comply with the Government mandated pre-entry screening which also checks that every person entering our facility has a current influenza immunisation and this does include all children.

All visits are still to take place in individual residents’ rooms or in an allocated outside space if no other individuals are in the vicinity. You will be escorted to and from these areas by our concierge staff.

All children are to have adult supervision at all times and are required to remain in the designated visiting space.

Because of the continued monitoring to protect our vulnerable residents we will remain on a booking system for the next two weeks and review after this, we will attempt wherever possible to allow the maximum visitors at any one time.

If you are unable to attend during the given booking times each request will be reviewed individually, unfortunately we are unable to facilitate a complete relaxation of visiting after hours due to the amount of ongoing monitoring that is defined above.

Obviously, residents with acute care needs and palliative care will have access to more relaxed visitation times.

We hope that you understand our commitment to protecting all of our residents here at Corumbene.

The good news is that residents can now go out of the home to spend time with family and friends, we ask that you please notify staff if a resident is leaving the facility.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our residents safe

Update May 25th 2020

There has been recent changes to the visiting of residents within aged care facilities in Tasmania.

These changes are implemented from the 25th May 2020 as advised by the Director of Public Health, Mark Veitch.

The changes state that 1-2 people together can visit a resident daily for the maximum of two hours, in the resident’s room or outside space. Please note you are still required to make an appointment to visit by ringing reception on 6261 2744.

We still have to adhere to the pre entry screening and checking of influenza immunisation status for everyone entering the facility.

It is still not permissible to have free access to the communal areas and to visit more than one resident at a time and it is because of this reason we ask that visits be limited to 30 -60 minutes so we can monitor the amount of people within the facility at any given time. If there are any special occasions or other extenuating circumstances we can extend this visiting time to the maximum two hours if needed.

We do this to continue to protect our vulnerable residents during the present climate of possible Covid -19 infection and we hope you understand and support our decisions.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need further clarification or assistance.

Update May 11th 2020

From 11 May 2020, the current Direction for Residential Aged Care Facilities allows visits by family and friends to provide care and support to residents but with the following limits:

• each resident having only ONE visit a week with up to two visitors
• visits to be in the resident’s room or a designated area in the facility
• all visitors must have an influenza vaccination.

Please call ahead to arrange your visit.

Additional visits will only be permitted:

• for the purpose of end of life support
• if requested by the facility to provide essential support to a resident to reduce distress or confusion as a result of a medical condition.

People should still not visit any residential aged care facility if they:

• have been interstate or overseas in the past 14 days
• are displaying symptoms of respiratory infection or have a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees
• have had contact within the past 14 days with a person diagnosed with COVID-19, or reasonably suspected of having COVID-19.

Operators of aged care facilities must screen all people before they enter the premises.

The above measures will be in place until 25 May 2020.

Update 7th May 2020

At midnight Monday 11 May 2020 the restrictions imposed by the Tasmanian Government under the Public Health Act will be eased and there will be a transition to the national arrangements for visitation in residential aged care facilities.

Under this new arrangement visits will be managed by the facility to ensure the risk to our vulnerable residents is minimised. Visiting will be resumed during the hours of 10:00 to 4:00 pm, 7 days a week. This will be in place for a trial period of 2 weeks and at the end of that time we will undertake a review of the arrangements and make changes as required.

All visitors will be required to make a booking to visit and will need to come to the front reception area where they will be met by a designated staff member who will ensure that a screening questionnaire is competed, temperature checked and that evidence of current influenza vaccination is sighted. Please note that visits will not be permitted if you have a temperature over 37.5°C, answer yes to having been in contact with COVID 19 or are displaying even mild symptoms such as a dry scratchy throat. Documented evidence of current influenza vaccination is also mandatory.  We suggest that you take a photo of your vaccination documentation and saved a copy on your mobile phone.

After you have completed the screening process a staff member will take you to the designated visiting location where you must remain for the duration of your visit. We understand that in a community such as ours that many of you know a lot of our residents but you will only be permitted to visit with the resident for whom you have made the booking. Visits will be limited to 30 minutes and only two visitors per day per resident will be allowed. At the end of your visit you will be escorted back to the front reception by our staff member.

A booking calendar will be set up on our website as soon as possible so that you can book a suitable time for your visit. Please note that visits will be limited and that you will need to be mindful of accommodating the needs of others. For those who are unable to access the booking calendar you can call Corumbene on 6261 2744 and a staff member will assist you to make a booking.

Even though there has been an easing of restrictions to visitation, COVID 19 still represents a significant risk to older persons and as is evidenced by the events unfolding at the Newmarch facility once it takes a hold in a residential aged care facility the impacts can be devastating. To that end we ask that you consider your visit in the context of the risk that it poses to your loved one. If you wish to have contact in a way that poses less risk we will be continuing to offer a variety of alternatives such as window visits and Skype calls.

We ask that you pass this information onto any other relevant people who may not have received direct communication or have access to the internet. There is a draft Aged Care Visitor Code out for consultation and we will continue to review our visitation arrangement in light of this.  We will continue to post updates on our website and Facebook page both of which are excellent ways of keeping up to date.

Please note that if visitors fail to adhere to visitation requirements they will be asked to leave and any further visits may be precluded. These conditions may seem somewhat strict but we are passionate about the safety of our residents and ask that you bear with us as we navigate these strange and trying times.

KEY POINTS

• Managed visits will resume Tuesday 12 May 2020
• Bookings must be made for each visit
• Visitors will be screened and must present documented evidence of current influenza vaccination
• Each visit will be time limited to 30 minutes
• Each resident may have 2 visitors per day
• Visitors must remain in the designated resident’s room and will be taken to and from the room by a staff member.
• To make a booking call 6261 2744 between 9:00 am and 4:00pm Monday to Friday or use the booking calendar (available soon)  on our website corumbene.org.au

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our residents safe.

Update 4th May 2020

The Premier Mr Peter Gutwein has announced this morning that the state level restrictions on visitation in residential aged care facilities will be extended until midnight next Monday, 11th May 2020.

After this, Tasmania will begin to transition to the national position on aged care visitation. Visits will be managed and screening of all visitors will be undertaken to ensure compliance with mandatory influenza vaccination requirements and screening for symptoms of COVID 9 and other respiratory illness.

Corumbene is working to establish processes to ensure that visitation can be facilitated in a safe and controlled manner to ensure the safety of our vulnerable residents. We will communicate details of these arrangements to the nominated next of kin for each resident in the upcoming days. Please bear with us as we navigate these new and unchartered waters.

For Mother’s Day, Sunday 10th May 2020, we will be facilitating contactless window visits. Please contact Lynette on lkent@corumbene.org.au for further details on where this will take place and to assist her in scheduling visits to ensure social distancing is maintained.
Corumbene Management

Update 22nd April 2020

Comments made yesterday by the Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the press briefing  following the national cabinet meeting may have led to some confusion about visits to aged care facilities.

Despite Mr Morrison’s assertions that it is permissible to have 2 visitors per day per resident we are currently bound by State Health orders which preclude visitors except in a few clearly defined exceptional circumstances.

These orders are in effect until 4 May 2020. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our protocols accordingly.

We understand that this is a difficult time for all but we are deeply concerned at the risk that COVID 19 poses to our vulnerable residents and are taking every precaution possible to see them safely through this pandemic.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to organise a Skype call with your loved one.

Update 8th April 2020

The Corumbene care residential facility has reviewed the State Government requirement for aged care and health care facilities to go into full ‘lock down’ and restrict visitors access.

Corumbene has been operating in a lock down situation since the announcement of the pandemic and as such will continue to restrict visitors to the residential facility in line with these new requirements.

You can see the media release from the Premier HERE.

We will continue to facilitate virtual visits through the use of technology such as Skype.  To book a virtual visit with your family member, please contact us.

Update 24th March 2020

In the interests of safety and in line with social distancing recommendations, we politely request that only 1 person enter our reception area at any one time.  This is due to the size and space of our reception area.

If your matter is urgent, please indicate this to the reception staff who will be able to assist you.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time.

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SCREENING / TRIAGE REQUIREMENTS

All contractors & Staff will now be required to undergo screening and triage prior to entry into our residential facility including the taking and recording of your temperature and questions relating to your travel and illnesses.

This is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well being of our vulnerable residents and staff.

Update 23rd March 2020

Corumbene Care has implemented Restricted Access (Lockdown) in our Residential Home for a period of at least two weeks.

While the majority of people who have contracted the virus around the world have recovered, it is our elders who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. Therefore we must be hyper-vigilant in our actions to protect all of those we care for against the spread of the virus.

Thank you for helping us to make our home the safest place possible for our residents and team. Please be assured that we will manage these restrictions together with each resident and their loved ones with the utmost care and compassion.

No Corumbene resident or team have tested positive for COVID-19 at this time.