Coronavirus Information – Residential Aged Care
Outbreak Communications
When we last wrote, we let you know about changes to our COVID-19 outbreak communications: over the last few weeks, if your loved one is at a site where there has been an outbreak, you will have experienced this new system in practice.
Our site staff are handling it very well and I commend our Residential Managers and senior site staff for the way they are leading their teams as we all grapple with the high infection numbers and constant risk to our vulnerable residents.
One-Minute Video – Please click to watch
Thank you for being Careful when Visiting
We are very grateful to all visitors who are doing their absolute best to avoid any chance of bringing COVID into our aged care homes – thank you.
Unfortunately, we continue to have outbreaks and we still need your help to reduce this occurrence. So…
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Are your hands washed/sanitised?
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Are you completely free of symptoms?
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Have you done your RAT? Was it negative?
Don’t skimp on doing this – it is a very important indicator and may alert you to an asymptomatic case.
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Is your N95 mask on?
Your face mask might be the only thing between our community and COVID-19.
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Are you staying far enough away from other people?
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Have you tested positive? Yes? Please let us know ASAP.
Around half of all Victorians have now had COVID – so it is likely we will all eventually get it.
If you test positive and have visited recently – in the 4 days prior – it is vital that you call and let us know immediately so we can take steps to reduce any spread.
The earlier you tell us, the better! Thank you.
After having COVID…
Note that the Australian Government changed the rules last month so that if you have had COVID-19, rather than 12 weeks, it is now only 4 weeks when you do not have to do a RAT before entering aged care. Please ensure you follow this requirement.
Free N95/P2 and KN95 Face Masks from the Victorian Government
Our state government is providing free N95/P2 face masks via:
- State-run testing centres – free box of 10 masks to all who present for a RAT or PCR test
- Community health services – disability providers, multicultural organisations & Aboriginal gatherings
- Public transport network – popular train stations
We strongly encourage you to wear a face mask if you are at an indoor public place such as shops and shopping centres.
RSV – what is it?
RSV – Respiratory syncytial virus – is a virus that causes respiratory infections such as a cold with a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, fever and headache, cough, wheezing and difficulty breathing. All these symptoms are very familiar to us as they are very like COVID-19. RSV is often riskier in young children but it can also be serious for older people and those with health issues. Diagnosis is via a test.
There have been some cases of RSV in aged care this year and we have seen two cases in our community.
The same precautions apply to RSV as to COVID-19 and the flu – hand sanitising, physical distancing, cough etiquette and face masks.
COVID-19 precautions will continue to be needed for the foreseeable future. We ask you to help us maintain a safe environment for our very vulnerable community.
We’d like to tell you about a change to our communications and emphasise the need for great caution.
Pandemic Communications Changes
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Executive Team has been leading our pandemic response across Vasey RSL Care. The pandemic particularly affects our residential aged care homes, and after this length of time, our site staff have become expert in what is required when an outbreak or exposure occurs.
Therefore, the day to day pandemic management will now be taken over by our residential site staff in conjunction with our Infection Prevention and Control Manager (who visits all sites to provide expert advice), with oversight from the General Manager Aged Care Services and General Manager Quality & Risk.
You will now note that site-related outbreak/exposure updates will be sent by either the Residential Manager or the After Hours Supervisor, instead of the GM Quality & Risk, the GM Aged Care Services, or myself. I have confidence in all our site teams and believe this is a good solution to the ongoing requirements of the pandemic.
Please be assured that the Executive Team, the Board and I will continue to take an active role in overseeing our pandemic response and will continue to monitor all outbreaks and exposures. We are ready to move into emergency mode if needed and will be kept informed at all times.
I will continue to send you communications where issues or updates relate to all sites (as this update) and from now on we envisage sending you communications approximately monthly. If there are any significant changes that need to be communicated outside of that schedule, we will do so.
Please Be Careful When Visiting
We have had five declared outbreaks in the last four weeks and each one takes a toll on everyone – especially residents.
We don’t know where all the outbreaks originated, but we do know that at least three were from a family member.
Balancing the emotional wellbeing and physical wellbeing of residents is not easy during a pandemic, but our current practice of giving access to Essential Visitors (Partner in Care or Nominated Visitor) during outbreaks has been working well.
We respect the dignity of our residents and we trust in the honesty of visitors and we will not be ‘policing’ you!
However, we expect visitors to be 100% compliant with visiting requirements, but we are still seeing or hearing about visitors…
Not having the N95/P2 face mask/respirator sealed against their face – gaps allowing air to escape
Not having the N95/P2 face mask/respirator over their nose
Removing the N95/P2 face mask/respirator at some stage while visiting
Your face mask might be the only thing between our community and COVID-19.
Please wear it correctly while you are visiting.
Pandemic Declaration Extended
Last week, the Victorian Government announced that the pandemic declaration (due to expire tomorrow, 12 July) would be extended for a further three months, until 11.59pm on 12 October 2022. Premier Daniel Andrews noted that he was “satisfied on reasonable grounds that there continues to be a serious risk to public health throughout Victoria due to the coronavirus disease which required continued public health and other protective measures to reduce the risk of transmission and hospitalisation”.
What is an Air Purifier (Air Scrubber)?
Over the past year, we have mentioned the use of air purifiers on many occasions as they have become an important element of our raft of infection control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is what an air purifier is and what it does:
Air Scrubbers:
- Suck dirty air in using a fan,
- Filter the air,
- Blow out clean air.
COVID-19 is an air-borne virus, so air scrubbers remove the virus from the air and reduce transmission.
Air scrubbers are installed in residents’ rooms (small machines), and in nearby corridors and indoor don/doff areas (larger machines).
They come in all shapes and sizes depending on the volume of air they have to clean.
Air scrubbers do not heat or cool the air and they make very little noise.
When we have an outbreak, air scrubbers are an important part of our infection control measures.
To be effective, they must be kept on at all times.
Changes to COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility
Last Thursday (7 July), the federal Department of Health and Aged Care announced that in line with the updated recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), a number of changes have been made to eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations:
- Adults aged 50 to 64 are now recommended to receive a winter booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccination.
- Adults aged 30 to 49 can receive a winter booster, although the benefit is less certain.
- The interval between having COVID-19 or a booster/winter dose is now 3 months.
All those previously eligible are still eligible for the winter booster/fourth dose – ie all adults 65 or over, all residential aged care residents, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 50 or over, people with severe immunocompromised systems (for whom it will be a fifth dose), people 16 or more with a medical condition that increases the severity of COVID-19, or disability, significant or complex health needs or multiple conditions.
If you are now eligible for a further dose/booster, please don’t delay in getting it organised.
Concerns for Aged Care
Daily new cases remain high, hospitalisations are increasing, and there have been more than 10,000 COVID deaths in Australia, 8000 of these being in 2022.
It is a very stressful time for everyone with a loved one in aged care and all our homes have experienced multiple outbreaks, putting a great deal of strain on everyone, especially residents when they are restricted to their rooms.
Visiting has been the most common way for the virus to reach residents.
We therefore urge all visitors to increase your infection prevention measures:
- Wash/sanitise hands before, during and after your visit
- Maintain 1.5m from everyone at the aged care home – including your loved one
- Wear your N95/P2 face mask correctly at all times. Do not remove it AT ALL while on the premises.
- Carry out your RAT carefully and wait 15 minutes for the result.
- If you have symptoms of any sort, stay home. Do not visit.
It is clear that COVID-19 prevention measures will be needed for some time to come: we need you to help us maintain a safe environment for our very vulnerable community.
Updated Pandemic Orders
The Victorian Government has announced a change to the Pandemic Orders. From tomorrow, Saturday 25 June there will be no limit on the number of visitors a resident may have.
However, all screening and entry requirements are still in place – a negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) is mandatory before entry and N95/P2 face masks (respirators) must be worn by all visitors at all times. Visiting should still occur in residents’ room, not in communal areas.
The health and safety of our residents is still a major concern, especially during these winter months with the ongoing high daily new COVID-19 cases, and the additional risk of influenza.
We greatly appreciate your support for these measures.
Future Exposure or Outbreak Situations
If an exposure or outbreak occurs, visitor restrictions and Personal Protective Equipment requirements will be adjusted and communication will be provided.
Entry Requirements Reminder:
- RAT every visit; WAIT 15 minutes for the result.
This is a legal requirement: it applies to ALL visitors, including children.
- EntrySign screening.
- N95/P2 face mask at all times.
- Hand hygiene and physical distancing
- Wear your visitor sticker
- Symptoms? Do not visit.
Flu Vaccination is FREE in June
The Victorian Government has made flu (influenza) vaccination free of charge for all Victorians over 6 months old for the month of June. If you have not already had your flu vaccination, take up this great offer! Simply book in at your GP.
Flu numbers are very high this year and it is up to us all to do what we can to prevent it spreading.
End of Financial Year Donations
As we approach the end of the financial year, please consider making a donation to Vasey RSL Care. We are a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status and any donations of $2 are tax deductible. Donations enable us to provide ‘extras’ that add to the quality of life for all our clients, consumers and residents.
How to donate?
Each of our aged care homes has a Quest Donation Point where you can simply tap your card to make a donation.
Alternatively, donations can be made online via our website.
Thank you for your support – it is greatly appreciated.
Please continue to take care of yourselves, and if you’re not 100%, please stay home.
The last few weeks have been a challenging time for aged care and our organisation is no exception. Since the start of 2022, we have had outbreaks at each of our aged care homes, and we are sincerely grateful to our staff who have stepped up when needed and ensured that residents have been well cared for. It has not been easy and this situation is continuing, especially with the seasonal risk of influenza outbreaks.
Update to Visitor PPE
We have one change that will make life a little easier for visitors. From tomorrow, Friday 3 June, visitors will no longer be required to wear goggles/face shields. N95/P2 face masks ARE still required and we ask that you don’t let your guard down – continue with infection control – hand washing etc.
In the case of an exposure or outbreak, eye protection (goggles or face shields) may be reinstated temporarily, so please continue to follow our regular communications for each site for any changes.
Visiting Reminders:
- Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) every visit; WAIT 15 minutes for the result.
This is a legal requirement: it applies to ALL visitors, including children.
- EntrySign screening
- N95/P2 face mask at all times
- Hand hygiene and physical distancing
- Wear your visitor sticker
- Symptoms? Do not visit.
Taking Your Loved One Out
Before taking your loved one out to spend time with family and friends, please make absolutely sure you and other family members have no symptoms and return a negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) in case you are asymptomatic.
What do You Think of Our Uniforms?
During the last two years, at times staff in residential aged care have had to wear masks, shields, gowns and gloves: we have found that many staff preferred to wear ‘scrubs’.
We are considering making this a permanent uniform option and we would like to hear your views on this and other aspects of our staff uniforms, such as introducing uniforms for teams that don’t currently have one.
Please provide your feedback – it will take just a few minutes and we really value your views.
Vaccinations!
COVID-19:
Recently, the Australian Department of Health changed the criteria for the COVID-19 Winter Booster (or ‘4th dose’). In addition to those over 65, it is now available to people aged 16 to 64 (4 months after the third dose/first booster) who have a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 sickness, or with a disability with significant or complex health needs or multiple comorbidities which increase the risk of a poor outcome from COVID-19.
The additional medical conditions are cancer, chronic inflammatory conditions, chronic lung disease and liver disease, severe chronic kidney disease (stage 4 or 5), chronic neurological disease, diabetes mellitus requiring medication and chronic cardiac disease.
Full list of conditions and more information
INFLUENZA:
The number of cases of flu has suddenly shot up and we are aware that some aged care homes are battling outbreaks of both flu and COVID-19 at the same time. The Australian Department of Health reports that:
‘From mid-April 2022, the weekly number of notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza reported in Australia has exceeded the 5 year average,’ and that:
‘Since commencement of seasonal surveillance in April 2022, there have been 368 hospital admissions due to influenza reported across sentinel hospitals sites, of which 7.6% were admitted directly to ICU.’
This is very concerning and while we are doing our best to prevent flu getting into our aged care homes, we ask that if you have not already had your flu vaccination and plan to visit, you book it in as a MATTER OF URGENCY. *
Vasey RSL Care Staff Member Ashish on the ABC
Vasey RSL Care has a large number of personal care workers and nursing staff caring for our aged care residents – and like all other aged care organisations we have a lot more female than male staff.
The ABC recently contacted us about the importance of male representation in the healthcare workforce and chatted with one of our male nurses at Frankston South – Ashish. Thank you and well done to Ash for his TV appearance and big thanks to our wonderful residents for helping out and being our TV stars!
As Ash said, every day is different at Vasey RSL Care!
‘Serving Those Who Served’ is our mission every day and we are proud to have such caring staff – male and female – who put the care of our residents first.
Please take care, stay safe, stay home if you’re not 100% and look after yourselves.
Sunday will be Mother’s Day – a day of celebration!
While not every one of us has been lucky enough to have children, there are plenty of other ways that we use our mothering (or fathering) instincts – and we have all had a mum!
Mums are special. They are the first person we touch, and as our eyes begin to focus, we can recognise our mums, possibly from just a few days old. We know their smell and the sound of their voice. A mother’s love is strong and kind, warm and nurturing, a safe place.
As young soldiers fought on battlefields, it was often their mum they cried out for in fear or in pain: a longing for safety in that person who always made them feel safe. This feeling of being safe in their mother’s arms has led to Australian mothers helping wounded soldiers to feel some comfort with a quilt – and Quilts of Valour continues to present quilts both to wounded servicemen and women, and to the families who have lost their loved one.
Today’s mums have a very different role as they juggle the complexities of 21st century lives. Some, like New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, seem to manage it with ease – and what a wonderful role model she is, having a baby while in office, leading with a human touch and always ready to listen.
And while today’s mums balance their professional and personal lives with their roles as a mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, sibling, friend, while managing their households, they do at least have a lot of gadgets to help them!
Our residents came from a time without fridges and freezers, where they had to shop every day, do the washing by hand, dry it on the line and iron everything. No ready meals then. No home delivery or takeaways!
Life is certainly different for each generation; but one constant for all generations, is the central role of mums, the love they give, and the way they make us feel.
On this Mother’s Day, we hope you enjoy time with family where possible, or simply enjoy remembering the women who mothered you – your mum, step-mother, grandmothers, aunts and all the other women in your life.
COVID-19 Reminders
We have sent updates to our Brighton East and Frankston South families, where we have outbreaks in some of the units. All residents are doing well and none have had to go to hospital.
Please take note of the specific requirements if you have received these messages.
Visiting
For everyone planning to visit this Mother’s Day, we ask that you observe the entry protocol to the letter, so that we can avoid further positive cases among our residents:
- Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) every visit; WAIT 15 minutes for the result.
This is a government requirement and applies to ALL visitors including children.
- EntrySign screening.
- N95/P2 face mask and goggles/face shield (except children 2 years or under) at all times.
- Hand hygiene/physical distancing/more hand hygiene!
- Wear your visitor sticker
- Symptoms? Do not visit.
Taking Your Loved One Out:
Brighton East and Frankston South families: please refer to the information sent to your primary contact.
Brighton and Bundoora families: please make absolutely sure you and other family members are 100% healthy, each person does a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) in case you are asymptomatic.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
We greatly appreciate your support for the precautionary measures over the last two important weekends. I hope you were able to enjoy some family time, and/or R&R.
Our ANZAC Day services all went well and we thank everyone who contributed to these significant commemorations. In spite of the ongoing pandemic, we are indeed very fortunate here in Australia in so many ways.
High new case numbers continue in Victoria with over 10,000 new cases for the last three days. It is a concerning trend and continues to put pressure on us all.
Protecting Your Loved Ones
Our Brighton East facility is currently experiencing an outbreak with 14 residents testing positive. While many of them are asymptomatic, residents in two units of the facility are being asked to self-isolate in their rooms with only ‘Essential Visitors’ permitted.
So we ask that you take an ultra-cautious approach both to visiting and to taking your loved one out:
Visiting
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- Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) every visit; WAIT 15 minutes for the result.
- This is a government requirement and applies to ALL visitors including children.
- EntrySign screening.
- N95/P2 face mask and goggles/face shield (except children 2 years or under) at all times.
- Hand hygiene/physical distancing/more hand hygiene!
- Wear your visitor sticker
- Symptoms? Do not visit.
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Taking Your Loved One Out:
If you take your loved one out, please make absolutely sure you and other family members are 100% healthy, each person does a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) in case you are asymptomatic, and help us avoid having outbreaks and restrictions at our other aged care homes.
Seeking Input from Veterans and Families – closes Tuesday 3 May
The Victorian Veterans Council is preparing to host the state’s first Ex-Service Organisation one day Summit to bring together Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs) from across Victoria to matters of importance to veterans and their families. Veterans and their family members are invited to participate in their online survey to help shape the content of the summit:
Click here to fill in the survey.
Flu (Influenza) Vaccination
Have you had your 2022 flu vaccination? If not, please make sure you get it done asap.
Remember, it is free of charge for anyone 65 or over, children from age 6 months to under 5, all pregnant women, all people of ATSI origin over 6 months, and anyone over 6 months with cardiac disease, chronic respiratory conditions, chronic neurological conditions, immunocompromising conditions, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, renal disease or haematological disorders, and children aged 6 months to 10 years on long term aspirin therapy.
And it is inexpensive for all others at around $17 to $20 at most pharmacists.
This is a simple way that we can all help reduce the chance of a major flu epidemic this winter and reduce the pressure on our overburdened health system.
Thank you for your support of our short-term precautions for the Easter and ANZAC Day long weekends – we appreciate it greatly.
As you are no doubt aware, daily new COVID-19 cases remain high, with around 10,000 new cases each day here in Victoria. The risk to the elderly remains high and we must all do everything we can to protect those in our care.
ANZAC DAY – Monday 25 April
Please refer to your email from our CEO, Janna Voloshin for details for Monday.
Seeking Views of Veterans and Families
The Victorian Veterans Council is preparing to host the state’s first Ex-Service Organisation Summit during winter 2022 and is seeking input from the ex-service community. They say:
“The one-day Summit will bring together Ex-Service Organisations from all around the state to discuss the topics and issues that matter to veterans and their families.”
They are inviting veterans and their families to participate in an online survey to ensure the summit is veteran-centric and addresses topics that are important to veterans and their families right now. Click here to fill in the survey.
Flu (Influenza) Vaccination
The weather has definitely taken a turn, reminding us that we are in autumn and winter is around the corner!
Now is the time to have your 2022 flu vaccination. It is free of charge for:
- Anyone aged 65 or over
- Children aged 6 months to under 5 years
- Pregnant women (at any stage of pregnancy)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 6 months up
- Anyone aged 6 months or more who has any of the following:
- cardiac disease
- chronic respiratory conditions
- chronic neurological conditions
- immunocompromising conditions
- diabetes and other metabolic disorders
- renal disease
- haematological disorders
- children aged 6 months to 10 years on long term aspirin therapy
The Easter long weekend is an occasion when we spend time with our families and friends, and the following weekend, ANZAC Day will be commemorated on Monday 25 April. Our lifestyle teams are busy preparing their services of commemoration for our residents.
New COVID-19 Short Term Precautions from TODAY
The last thing we all want is to have to restrict visitors to our aged care homes at this particularly important time of year for our residents and their loved ones.
Therefore, as a precautionary measure, N95/P2 facemasks and goggles or face shields will be required by all visitors and staff for 14 days, from today Tuesday 12 April, until and including Monday 2 May.
There are many factors that may result in an increased risk to our residents:
- The Grand Prix, AFL games and other large events have been recommenced,
- Easter weekend and school holidays and more family contact
- ANZAC Day is approaching
Taking this precaution now will reduce the chance of a COVID-19 exposure or outbreak.
Thank you for your support of these important precautions.
Symptoms?
If you have any symptoms – no matter how insignificant they may seem – please do not visit. Please err on the side of caution. If a visitor subsequently tests positive, that may result in visitor restrictions.
Everything you do helps: recently, a visitor tested positive after a visit to one of our homes, but as the visit occurred outside and physical distancing was followed, the risk to the resident and others was reduced and there was no transmission.
Visiting Requirements:
- Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) required EVERY TIME YOU VISIT: you MUST wait 15 minutes for the result.
** This is a government requirement applying to ALL visitors including children **
- Screening process must be completed by all visitors before entry.
Wishing you a safe and happy Easter.
COVID-19 Update
We continue to have no outbreaks in any of our aged care homes and we thank all visitors for supporting the ongoing entry requirements. We sincerely appreciate your understanding of the need to remain careful.
Visiting Requirements: please remember…
- Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) required EVERY TIME YOU VISIT. Please ensure you wait 15 minutes.
- ** This is a government requirement and includes all visitors including children **
- Screening process must be completed by all visitors before entry.
- Surgical masks must be worn AT ALL TIMES by visitors including children aged 3-5 if they will tolerate it, but excluding children 2 years old or younger.
Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) & Screening
If you are having difficulty with the RAT or with any aspect of the Entry Sign screening process, contact the site and visit during office hours so our staff can assist.
Symptoms?
Daily new COVID-19 case numbers in Victoria are over 12,000 per day! We must all continue to be extremely careful not to bring COVID-19 into any of our aged care homes.
We would like everyone to enjoy the Easter long weekend – safely – and not have any of our homes facing an outbreak. If you have any symptoms – even the most minor ones – do not visit.
- Slight headache – do not visit!
- Sniffle – do not visit!
- Sore throat – do not visit!
- Etc!
Thank you.
Being Prepared for Future Outbreaks and Exposures: Resident Wellbeing
As mentioned in the previous update, we have been developing a standard response to implement in the event of a future outbreak or exposure, where government visiting restrictions are in place, that helps maintain resident mental health and wellbeing.
New Essential Visitors Program
We are implementing an ‘Essential Visitors Program’ which will enable every resident to determine one person who is their ‘Essential Visitor’. Essential Visitors will be able to visit their loved one, even during an outbreak or exposure. They will be required to follow the entry screening process and wear the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all times during their visit.
This Essential Person might be the current ‘Partner in care’ or they might be a different person. If the resident is unable to determine this person, our staff will contact the primary contact to discuss it. We will be in touch with all nominated Essential Visitors in the next few weeks.
As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, this is an important step towards reaching a balance that provides safety for residents while still supporting their mental health.
COVID-19 Second Booster (fourth/’winter dose’)
We have been informed that a second booster, also known as a ‘winter dose’ or ‘fourth dose’ will be available to all aged care residents, those over 65, and people who are severely immunocompromised. Each site will be in touch to let you know the dates once we have that information.
FaceBook Easter Competition
Our FaceBook followers will be familiar with our annual Easter Egg competition. It is live now and ready for your guesses! To be in with a chance, all you need to do is like and follow our FaceBook page, visit and put your guess in the comments. Closes Monday 11 April 11.59pm. (Terms and conditions are on the Facebook page.)
Good luck!
2022 Flu Vaccination
We have already begun our influenza (flu) vaccination clinics for residents and staff, and we strongly encourage you to book your vaccination ASAP – we are already into April.
According to the ABC News website, infectious disease experts are anticipating a significant flu season this winter following two winters with almost no flu infections.
They are particularly concerned about the low uptake of flu vaccinations over the past two years and are advising us all to get on to it as soon as we can. Please don’t delay.
Ministers’ Visit to Ivanhoe and Future V Centre
We were very pleased to welcome The Hon Shaun Leane, Victorian Minister for Veterans and The Hon Anthony Carbines, Victorian Minister for Ageing, to meet with us at our former Ivanhoe aged care home to talk about our plans to develop The V Centre.
Our Board Chair, Mike O’Meara OAM, GM Veteran Services, Chris Gray and I showed the Ministers around the property and talked about our plans to support veterans who are homeless, marginally homeless or struggling to find their way after leaving the services. The Ministers expressed support for our plans and have asked to be kept informed on our progress. (Photos below.)
Around Our Sites
- At Vasey RSL Care Frankston South, the Mr Whippy van dropped by one day last week with its music bringing residents and staff outside for a delicious treat.
- Residents at Bundoora also had a treat, with students from Parade College putting on a dinner for them: the students volunteered their time to organise maxi taxis both ways, cook a lovely meal and wait on our residents. Big thanks to Parade College and teacher, Anne-Marie! They have been wonderful supporters for many years.
- At Brighton, the walking group was very happy to be back in action and can be seen walking past our home and the wonderful Moreton Bay fig tree. Joan commented (referencing Crocodile Dundee and the knife…), “Now that’s a tree!”
- At Brighton East, Thais can be seen taking guesses for their Easter fundraiser – a gold coin donation gives you a chance to win their lovely jar of goodies.
- Lastly, as mentioned above, a meeting took place at the proposed V Centre, with Minister for Veterans, the Hon Shaun Leane (centre), Minister for Ageing, the Hon Anthony Carbines (2nd from right), Mike O’Meara OAM, Vasey RSL Care Board Chair (left), myself and our General Manager Veteran Services, Chris Gray (right).
We are currently sending communications approximately every two weeks and we plan to continue this unless additional communications are required, most notably in the case of a new outbreak.
Wishing you a lovely Easter time and don’t forget that ANZAC Day follows a week after Easter on Monday 25 April.
COVID-19 Update: Important Changes
Over the last few weeks, with your support we have managed to prevent COVID-19 reaching our residents. Thank you for helping us maintain their safety.
In response to the changing situation and government recommendations, visiting requirements are now being eased (as long as there are no outbreaks) and we are working towards establishing a new standard way of operating for times when we do have an outbreak/exposure and times when we do not. We will bring you regular updates on this over the next few weeks.
Please note the following imminent changes:
Ongoing Caution Please
While we are moving to ease restrictions, it is important to note that there are over 400,000 active cases in Australia. On 17 March, there were 360 active outbreaks in aged care in our nation and 982 aged care residents affected. Daily new cases in Victoria exceeded 10,000 yesterday and there are 253 Victorians hospitalised, 19 in ICU and 4 being ventilated.
Vulnerable people such as our residents remain at risk and we ask you to continue to assist us in protecting them.
More Vaccinations
Booster/COVID-19 Dose 3
All Vasey RSL Care staff required to have three doses are now fully up to date.
If yours is due, ensure you get it as soon as you can.
2022 Flu Vaccination Time
Rather than “Oh not another vaccination!” think “How lucky are we to have vaccinations to protect us.”
Influenza (flu) is still a killer, and while older people such as our residents, are most vulnerable, flu can be deadly for people of any age, even children. We strongly encourage you to book your flu vaccination as soon as you can – we are already approaching the end of March and the flu season will be with us soon.
There are concerns that with such mild flu seasons for the last two years, we may have a more severe flu season this year. Let us all do what we can to keep ourselves healthy and avoid overloading our hospital system.
Around Our Sites
At Vasey RSL Care Brighton East, craft group members have been working on their own Brighton Beach Hut sculpture and enjoying the process. We will bring you more when it is complete.
A month of birthdays at Brighton: nearly one in five residents have their birthday in March. Pete is one of those and it was his first birthday at Brighton having moved there from Ivanhoe. Happy Birthday Pete.
At Bundoora, there was plenty of fun and lots of green for St Patrick’s Day, followed by orange for Harmony Week.
Frankston South residents also celebrated St Patrick’s Day with a ride in a green vintage Mercedes (450SEL 6.9 for the petrol heads) thanks to Lifestyle Coordinator, Ruwan.
And finally, we have our HR team and our Board of Directors (via Zoom) joining in Harmony Week and wearing orange: a chance to celebrate multiculturalism, inclusiveness, respect and belonging.
Advance Care Planning
On a serious note, this week is also National Advance Care Planning Week. Advance care planning gives the individual a voice in their health care, no matter what the future brings. National Advance Care Planning Week is the perfect time to attend an event or have a conversation with your loved ones about what’s important to them and what choices they would like to make for themselves, if they haven’t already. Speak to the Residential Manager at your loved one’s home for more information, or visit www.advancecareplanning.org.au.
COVID-19 Update: Ongoing Caution
We currently have no exposures or outbreaks at any of our aged care sites.
During January, we experienced a number of outbreaks, and each of our sites was affected. Due to the specific nature of communications required for each site, our communications to you were separate for each site.
Since then, we have been maintaining our ‘abundance of caution’ approach to the pandemic and continuing to have a high level of precautions in place at all four aged care homes.
Daily new virus case numbers in Victoria are still exceeding 6,000 per day and there are over 40,000 active COVID-19 cases in our state.
This remains a concern for vulnerable people such as our residents.
Current Visiting Requirements
Compulsory to wear N95/P2 Face Masks AND either Goggles or Face Shields
All visitors are still required to wear an N95/P2 face mask and either goggles or a face shield AT ALL TIMES while on the premises.
We cannot provide these for you. You must bring your own.
If you do not bring them, you will be asked to postpone your visit until you have obtained them.
RAT Prior to Entry
You must carry out a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) at arrival, BEFORE ENTRY, AND wait 15 mins (or as instructed) for the results. Thank you.
AND you must:
- Be fully vaccinated and have NO symptoms
- Follow all entry screening procedures and please be patient
- Visit in resident’s room with window open, or visit outside
- Observe max 2 visitors/resident/day
- Please continue to allow an extra 20-30 minutes for the entry process.
AND Observe Visiting Hours:
| Monday to Friday | Weekends | |
| Brighton | 10am to 12pm; 1pm to 3pm | 11am to 2pm |
| Brighton East | 10am to 12pm; 1pm to 3pm | 10am to 12pm; 1pm to 3pm |
| Bundoora | 10am to 2pm | 10am to 2pm |
| Frankston South | 11am to 3pm | 11am to 3pm |
Thank You
We greatly appreciate your support for these ongoing measures to protect our residents.
Around Our Sites
A big shout out to our lifestyle staff who continue to do all they can to bring some sparkle to the lives of our residents!
At Bundoora, a ‘Party Just Because’ was a great way to make everyone feel good – with three roving entertainers, staff wearing bright colours, party food, champagne and dancing.
Frankston South residents received letters from our pen pals at Derinya Primary School which brought happy smiles to their faces, and residents will reply soon. It’s a great way for the generations to keep in touch.
Congratulations to Brighton resident, Veronica, who turned 102 yesterday! She is surrounded by gifts, cards, flowers, cake and enjoyed lunch with a very special friend who visited after months apart.
Thank you to the residents at Brighton East who have been putting together kits of RATs for our staff to take home as part of our ongoing virus precautions. Their help has been really appreciated.
It is great to see our residents all currently able to mingle and get back to some activities.
These are very testing times and call for all of us to be mindful of how we can protect one another and keep our whole community safe.
We sincerely appreciate all the support family members have shown us even when times have been very tough.
Changes to Communications
Since the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic, we have been providing COVID-19 updates to family members using multiple contact databases. The emails from me have been from the ‘COVID-19 family database’, maintained specifically to keep families up-to-date with organisation-wide information about the virus, while other messaging has come from our central clinical database system.
Due to the increased community infections in the community, we are now experiencing different situations at each of our aged care homes. For us to provide accurate information to each resident’s representatives, we are finding we need to communicate to the family members at each site separately and for this, we are now using the central clinical database system, which is kept up to date continually by staff at all sites.
Currently, our clinical database system enables us to send group emails only to the Primary Contacts, and it is essential therefore that the Primary Contact forwards these messages to all other family members/friends. (Note: in most email systems, you can set up a rule to automatically forward emails to specific people – File\Rules & Alerts.) We are looking at how we can improve on this system, but that will not happen immediately.
If you are NOT the Primary Contact, please remind the Primary Contact in your family to make sure they forward all messages to you. (At the beginning of each email, we will include a reminder for the Primary Contact to forward the message to other family members/friends.)
If you need to change the Primary Contact, please get in touch with the relevant aged care home and speak to the admin staff to provide them with the updated details.
This email from me is the last email to those in the COVID-19 family database.
Positive Cases and Household Close Contacts
The daily new virus case numbers have escalated dramatically and give us great cause for concern – another 40,000 new cases in Victoria today and over 200,000 active cases in our state.
We are seeing an increasing rate of ‘household close contacts’ affecting our staff: if they are a household close contact, they must self-isolate and cannot work. We are very grateful to our staff for the way they are supporting each other and taking on additional shifts to avoid staff shortages.
In the last week we have had a significant number of staff test positive, as well as a few residents. We have been in regular contact with those affected and their representatives and I can confirm that all residents are well: most were asymptomatic or had very mild symptoms. None has been hospitalised or severely affected. One staff member had a more severe case and they are recovering well.
Updated Visiting Requirements
We have experienced a few occasions where a visitor to one of our homes has tested positive shortly after their visit. Every exposure at our homes impacts our residents: staff are required to self-isolate and reduced staff are available to work; self-isolation of residents in their own rooms and lack of opportunity to socialise; visiting is suspended. There are impacts on everyone in our community.
N95/P2 Face Masks Must Now Be Worn
To reduce the chance of exposures and in line with government requirements and risk assessment, we are increasing our visiting precautions across all sites and all visitors will now be required to wear an N95/P2 face mask. You will need to purchase one and bring it with you as we have limited supplies which are reserved for staff use.
Tier 3 PPE May Be Required
Depending on the circumstances, visitors may have to wear Tier 3 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – ie face masks, face shields or goggles, gowns and gloves.
It is strongly advised that visitors:
* Carry out a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) before leaving home, in case you are infected but asymptomatic.
As previously, visitors must:
* Be fully vaccinated
* Follow all entry screening procedures
* Continue to wear required face masks/PPE at ALL TIMES – you must not remove it while on the premises
* Visit in the resident’s room with the window open, or, visit outside
* Observe maximum of two visitors per resident per day
Visiting requirements vary by site/unit, depending on its status. Visiting is not permitted at all where a site is considered an ‘exposure’ site or an ‘outbreak’ site. The Primary Contact will be kept updated on the details.
Thank you for your understanding and support throughout this pandemic: it continues to be a ‘journey of discovery’ with something new nearly every day. With your support and cooperation, and with the commitment of our workforce and management, we will continue to maintain our ‘abundance of caution’ approach to keeping your loved ones safe and well looked after as this pandemic continues.
Christmas Greetings!
It’s been a trying year – but we have just about got through it, thanks to a combined effort from the whole of our community.
We hope you’re able to relax and enjoy precious time with your loved ones over the next few weeks.
COVID-Safe Gatherings
COVID-19 is still with us and new variants continue to appear. So I call on you to continue to show caution and care.
The Department has published advice for hosts and attendees of household Christmas parties on their website.
To summarise, we have three recommendations for you:
1. Should I go/host?
If you have symptoms, don’t go or host. Get a PCR test and stay isolated until you get a negative result.
If you don’t have symptoms, consider taking a rapid antigen test (can be purchased from pharmacies) before leaving home.
If you’re hosting, ask guests to take a rapid antigen test before coming. This might mean someone misses out on Christmas lunch, but that’s a lot better than everyone getting COVID.
2. Fewer faces; bigger spaces.
Take extra precautions, especially among those who are elderly or vulnerable.
Having fewer people in bigger spaces means less risk to everyone. It’s best to wear a face mask when talking to people face-to-face. Wash your hands regularly. Open up the doors and windows and get the fresh air flowing through. And keep note of who comes, just in case.
3. Keep it short and take it outdoors.
Short events and outdoor events reduce risk and prevent you from becoming a household contact who must quarantine for 7+ days: once you’ve spent 4 hours indoors with someone who then tests positive, you are a household contact. So have your gathering on the veranda or at the beach! If you must be indoors, don’t stay so long – cut it back to under 4 hours. You may still have to get tested, but time in isolation will be shorter.
** This is every bit as important for residents, who are looking forward to spending time with you – please do all you can to help reduce their risk while they are enjoying time with you. **
Visiting Details
Please note the following visiting requirements for all four aged care homes:
| People aged 12 upwards who are FULLY vaccinated, ie at least 2 doses
|
People who are NOT fully vaccinated, ie
|
MAY visit at the aged care home:
May also take resident out. |
May NOT visit at the aged care home (indoors or outdoors).
May make arrangements to take resident out and meet at the entrance.
|
Booster COVID-19 Vaccinations
The COVID-19 booster is an important additional level of protection against the virus. They are highly recommended for older people and for those visiting or working in aged care. We strongly encourage you to have your booster as soon as you are eligible (5 months from your second dose). Find out more about booster vaccinations.
Around Our Sites
Residents have enjoyed Christmas parties and events over the last couple of weeks and here are just a few photos.
From left: Bundoora, Brighton, Frankston South and Brighton East.
We are Here!
While there are some public holidays over the next two weeks, our aged care home hours are 24 x 7 x 365! Our staff will continue to provide the usual standards of care and support throughout the festive period.
Wishing wish you a safe and happy time,
All at Vasey RSL Care
COVID-19 Pandemic Status
Victoria’s new virus cases dipped below 1000 for a couple of days but are back over 1000 again today. Victoria remains the leader in these worrying statistics with almost 12,000 of the current 14,800 active cases in our state. There are 299 people in hospital, 43 in ICU and 18 ventilated.
More concerning is that, as of last week, 28 Victorian aged care homes had ‘outbreaks’ and over the previous two weeks, there had been an average of 25 outbreaks at any time in aged care.
This is a reminder to us all that we must continue to show caution and care, maintain our infection prevention practices and avoid complacency!
If you are returning from interstate (or even overseas), please be especially cautious in visiting your loved one in aged care. I know it is hard to stay away, but it’s so important to do all we can to keep our seniors safe.
Booster COVID-19 Vaccinations
COVID-19 boosters have already taken place at our Frankston South and Bundoora sites with Brighton and Brighton East scheduled for next week. This is mainly for residents, but also available to eligible staff.
While boosters are optional, they are highly recommended for older people as there is an age-related fall in immunity. And while many of our staff are younger, we are determined to continue our ‘abundance of caution’ approach and do everything possible to minimise the risk.
We also strongly encourage family and friends of our residents to have a booster to help us protect our community: make an appointment with your GP, pharmacy or vaccination clinic, 6 months from the date of your second dose. Read more about booster vaccine advice here.
Christmas Celebrations
The residents Christmas parties are organised and ready! Decorations are beginning to create a festive appearance and we have arrived at the first day of Advent!
It will not be possible to have family or friends attend this year and I know this will be disappointing to some. Please know that we continue to make decisions that are in the best interest of our entire community, and for a situation where food and drinks are being consumed and masks not worn, the risk to older people is just too high.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we all cope with the way that COVID-19 is affecting our lives.
Around Our Sites
Top left: Lifestyle Coordinator at Bundoora, Linda, arranged for resident Patricia to meet via Zoom with her twin Essie in Echuca! Thanks to the lifestyle coordinator at Essie’s aged care home, the sisters loved having a catch up – “It was quite emotional,” says Linda.
Bottom left: the Ivanhoe budgies have transitioned well to Brighton and are loving their fresh greens, grown by resident, Phyl. A spinach leaf a day is good for budgie health!
Bottom middle: Frankston South residents have been outside in this glorious weather – Margaret and Trish enjoying the roses and Vince getting this year’s crop of veggies going.
Right top and bottom: at Brighton East, residents loved seeing and hearing about the hobbies and crafts that their clever staff do in their down time – Heidi, Simon, Elizabeth, Lulu and Sabina are just some of the participants. (You can see more on our Facebook page.)
Aged Care Visiting – EntrySign System Update
All Sites:
If you have provided your proof of vaccination, please now choose ‘Authorised Visitor’ (not ‘Visitor’) when you check in.
The label system is now up and running at all our aged care homes. If you are an Authorised Visitor, please take and wear your label prominently.
Bundoora Only: if you are NOT an authorised visitor, the doors will remain closed: press the speaker button to request staff to allow you entry.
All Sites:
If you are fully vaccinated but have not yet provided your proof of vaccination register via our website and upload your proof of vaccination.
Visiting Reminders
Those who are fully (double) vaccinated:
- Hours: preferred visiting is daily from 10am to 6pm.
- Children aged up to 11 not permitted
- Children aged 12 to 15 years permitted only if fully vaccinated.
- EVERY visitor MUST use the EntrySign system on arrival even if you visit as a group.
- Authorised visitors must wear their authorised visitor label.
- Face masks are compulsory indoors: make sure it covers your NOSE at all times.
- Hand hygiene remains compulsory.
- Visits can take place in the resident’s room (max 2 visitors) or outdoors
- Max 5 visitors per day – please coordinate with other family members
- Visits not permitted in communal areas (eg lounges and dining rooms)
For those who are unvaccinated/only had one dose:
You can meet with your loved one outside the home. Call the aged care home and speak to the unit where your loved one lives. Let them know that you wish to take your loved one out so that staff can help them be ready. We recommend you meet with them outdoors to minimise the chance of COVID-19 infection.
* If you are NOT YET fully vaccinated and wish to visit indoors, please get vaccinated/get your second dose (find out about current vaccination options). When fully vaccinated, download proof of vaccination to your phone/PC or obtain a certificate and visit our website and upload your proof of vaccination. Note: if you decline to have the COVID-19 vaccination without an exemption, entry restrictions may apply.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, other faiths or none, we hope that this time of year, with its public holidays and warmer weather, will enable you to spend time with your loved ones and soak up some much-needed Vitamin D.
Remembrance Day Commemorations
I am aware that this was another difficult day for the families and loved ones of our aged care residents, not being able to be with them once again. It was particularly hard for our Bundoora home as it became an ‘exposure site’ the day before, and the preparations had to be adjusted at the last minute.
Despite this, all four homes held poignant services to remember those who gave their lives serving their country to protect the freedom we enjoy here in Australia today – and to remember all who have served and continue to do so, in wartime and peacetime, for the safety of our country.
Lest we forget.
Top row: from left – laying wreaths at Brighton; Flight Lieutenant Esh delivers the commemorative address at Brighton East; Commander Cameron Eastman OAM (centre) from the Royal Australian Navy gives an address at Frankston South.
Bottom row: Bundoora made the best of the situation with residents indoors and listening through the speaker system and those taking the service outdoors.
Poll Results – majority agree visitors must be vaccinated
Thank you to all who took part in the recent poll asking about your views on whether or not unvaccinated people should be permitted to visit aged care.
From all the respondents, just four felt that visitors should be permitted to visit without being fully vaccinated. Two commented on the fact that under 12s are not permitted entry because the vaccine is not yet available to them and younger children cannot see grandparents or great grandparents, which is having a severe impact on both the children and seniors. We have noted this and will keep you updated on any changes.
There were many comments supporting our current practice: among them…
“I feel very strongly about this. Staff have worked so hard to keep residents safe, and residents have had to endure long lock downs, loneliness, sadness and no visits from family and friends. To be exposed to non-vaccinated members of the public is totally wrong.”
“Aged people have comorbidities which can leave them vulnerable despite their vaccination status. Once the community vaccination level passed about 70% it surely became clear that people without a valid exemption who remained unvaccinated have a problem that should remain theirs rather than presenting a risk to other members of our community and the cost to our aged care community both physically and financially is all too well known. While this choice has been forced on them, it has been forced on all of us and is a simple, pragmatic choice. Thank you.”
“This is no different to requiring a flu jab which was of no major concern. Covid-19 vaccination of visitors protects residents, staff members and other visitors. It is part of being in a community.”
Visiting Restrictions
As a result of yesterday’s announcement from our state government, it is lovely to see Victoria continue to open up as summer approaches.
* We are not making any immediate changes to visitation, but will update you as soon as any changes are possible. *
Visiting Permitted for those who are fully/double vaccinated:
- Hours: preferred visiting is daily from 10am to 6pm.
- Children aged up to 11 not permitted.
- Children aged 12 to 15 years permitted only if fully vaccinated.
- EVERY visitor MUST use the EntrySign system on arrival, even if you visit as a group.
- All visitors must show proof of vaccination or wear their authorised visitor label (see below).
- Face masks compulsory indoors and make sure it COVERS YOUR NOSE at all times.
- Hand hygiene essential.
- Visits can take place either in the resident’s room (max two visitors), or outdoors.
- Max 5 visitors per day – please coordinate with other family members.
- Visits not permitted in communal areas (eg lounges and dining rooms).
For those who are un-vaccinated/only had one dose:
You can meet with your loved one outside the home. Call the aged care home and speak to the unit where your loved one lives to let them know when you wish to take your loved one out, so staff can help them be ready. We recommend you meet with them outdoors to minimise the chance of COVID-19 infection.
Visitor EntrySign System
EntrySign is in place at all sites.
If you have provided proof of vaccination, you are now in our system. At Brighton, EntrySign will print you an ‘authorised visitor’ label which you must wear while on the premises. At other sites, labels are not yet available so please continue to show your proof of vaccination to staff.
If you have not yet provided proof of vaccination and are fully vaccinated and wish to visit, please register via our website and upload your proof of vaccination.
If you are NOT YET fully vaccinated and wish to visit indoors, please get vaccinated/get your second dose as soon as you are able: find out about current vaccination options. When you are fully vaccinated, download proof of vaccination to your phone/PC or obtain a certificate and then register via our website and upload your proof of vaccination. Note: if you decline to have the COVID-19 vaccination without an exemption, entry restrictions may apply.
Update on COVID-19 Boosters
COVID-19 boosters (a third COVID-19 vaccination) have already begun at our sites with Frankston South and Bundoora residents and staff receiving boosters this week. Brighton and Brighton East boosters are scheduled for the week commencing Monday 6 December. Each site will be/has been in contact with you for any details specific to that site and for consent forms where needed.
Boosters are optional, but highly recommended for improved protection, especially for older people due to age-related reduction in immunity. We encourage you to have a booster to maximise your immunity: make an appointment with your GP, pharmacy or vaccination clinic, 6 months from the date of your second dose. Read more about booster vaccine advice here.
This has been a long message and I hope that the information provided is of help to you.
Please continue to look after yourselves and stay safe.
Remembrance Day – Thursday 11 November
Each of our aged cares homes has organised a Service of Commemoration and Remembrance to take place on Thursday in memory of all who have served and especially those who gave their lives in serving their country.
Sadly, we are still unable to invite family members and friends to these services. Please be assured that they will be no less meaningful for our community.
| Brighton | Brighton East | Bundoora | Frankston South |
| 10.30am
Main dining room. The first time a Vietnam Veteran will be taking part in the service.
|
10.30am
Rumbalara courtyard if fine; Gallery if raining. Flight Lieutenant Esh Park will be giving an address. |
10.30am
Ceremony outdoors with residents watching from indoors. Bugler and piper will be present. |
10.30am
Paxino courtyard.
|
| Residents & staff only. | Residents & staff only. | Residents & staff only. | Residents & staff only. |
** We want to hear your views! **
As I’m sure you know by now, our organisation has an ‘Abundance of Caution’ approach to caring for our vulnerable community and that has extended to allowing visitor entry only to those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Do you agree or disagree with this policy? Click here and tell us now (one question only)
Visiting Restrictions – No Change
I would firstly like to thank you all for your support and cooperation over the past week as we have finally been able to welcome back visitors! You have been sorely missed during these last few months and I know you have missed seeing your loved ones.
Those who are fully (double) vaccinated:
- Preferred visiting is daily from 10am to 6pm.
- Visits can take place either in the resident’s room, where a maximum of two visitors may attend together, or outdoors in one of the courtyards. Communal areas such as lounge and dining rooms are not to be used for visits.
- Children: up to 11 years old are not permitted; 12 to 15 year are permitted only if fully vaccinated.
- EVERY visitor MUST use the EntrySign system on arrival. If you arrive as a group of two or more, every person in that group must individually go through the system separately.
- All visitors must show proof of vaccination to the staff on duty on entry.
- We ask that you wear a disposable surgical mask (not a cloth one) at all times. These can be purchased at very low cost in your local pharmacy. Face shield or goggles are also strongly recommended.
- If you would to take your loved one out to a café or restaurant, you and your loved one will require proof of vaccination. Due to privacy regulations, staff cannot provide this for you as we do not have access to your loved one’s MyGov records. Download proof of vaccination for your loved one to your mobile phone or obtain a certificate by following the instructions found here. (You may need to create a MyGov login for them.) Those with a DVA card (no Medicare number) visit this page for details on obtaining a vaccination certificate for your loved one.
Note: while restrictions allow for up to five visitors per day per resident, they cannot attend at the same time indoors, due to room sizes and COVID-19 physical distancing requirements. Please coordinate your visits with other family members.
Those who are partly vaccinated or unvaccinated:
- You can meet with your loved one outside the home. Call the aged care home and speak to the unit where your loved one lives. Let them know that you wish to take your loved one out so that staff can help them be ready.
- You will be able to meet them at the entrance and take them out with you.
Visitor EntrySign Systems
Our IT team are in the last stages of finalising the new ‘EntrySign’ systems for all four aged care homes. Once complete, these will allow entry for Authorised Visitors without having to show your COVID-19 proof of vaccination each time, although signing in will still be essential. Until then, please continue to show your proof of vaccination on entry.
Visitors who are fully (double) vaccinated:
- Download proof of vaccination to your mobile phone (or PC) or obtain a certificate (Find out how).
- Register via our website and upload your proof of vaccination
Those who are partly/not vaccinated:
- Get vaccinated/get your second dose as soon as you are able: find out about current vaccination options
- When you are fully vaccinated, download proof of vaccination to your phone (or PC) or obtain a certificate (Find out how).
- Register via our website and upload your proof of vaccination
Note: if you decline to have the COVID-19 vaccination without an exemption, entry restrictions may apply.
COVID-19 Boosters Coming Soon
The government has announced that COVID-19 boosters (i.e. an optional additional COVID-19 vaccination) will start being rolled out from Monday 8 November onwards. The government has confirmed that Australian residents are still considered ‘fully vaccinated’ with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination, however a booster is available to anyone who wishes to take this up as an additional layer of protection against COVID-19.
We will be running an in-reach vaccination clinic in each of our aged care homes for residents and staff who had their second vaccination 6 months ago and would like a booster. Dates will be confirmed soon and we will let you know as soon as soon as they are.
If you are also interested in getting a booster vaccination, we encourage you to book an appointment with your local GP, pharmacy or vaccination clinic once you have reached 6 months from the date of your second dose. You can read more about booster vaccine advice here.
Victorian Visiting Restrictions Changing soon
We are very pleased to be able to announce that visiting restrictions are finally easing. I know there are many very patient residents and family members who will be very happy to hear this.
However, community infections are still running at between 1,300 and 2,000 NEW cases every day. There are over 22,000 people in Victoria who have COVID-19. It is essential that we continue to work to prevent the virus reaching our residents.
We call on you to help us in this task.
Abundance of Caution
Vasey RSL Care has taken an ‘abundance of caution’ approach to every aspect of the pandemic: we will be maintaining vigilance and the approach that has been successful to date in protecting our vulnerable community.
Therefore, visiting inside our aged care homes will only be available to those who are fully (double) vaccinated against COVID-19 and can show proof of vaccination to staff on duty from Saturday onwards.
While restrictions allow for up to five visitors per day per resident, they cannot attend at the same time indoors, due to room sizes and COVID-19 physical distancing requirements. We ask that you are considerate and coordinate your visits with other family members. (See below for details.)
Anyone who is not double vaccinated and wishes to see their loved one will be required to visit with them outside of the aged care home (not in the internal courtyards) from Saturday onwards. (See below for details.)
New Electronic Visiting System Not Yet Ready
Thank you to those who have registered and provided proof of vaccination. Our new electronic system is still not quite ready, so the following interim system will be in place from Saturday onwards.
Interim System for Seeing Your Loved One: Are you fully vaccinated?
| Yes, I am fully vaccinated. | No, I am not vaccinated/only had 1 dose. |
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Additional Staff on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday (Cup Day)
To help the visiting process go smoothly for everyone, we have organised additional admin staff to be on duty on this Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.
Our staff will be ensuring that our aged care homes remain places of safety for our residents. Please show patience and understanding to all our staff. Just as they have been required to provide us with proof of vaccination, they will be asking you to show us your proof of vaccination on entry.
Being Ready for Our New Electronic System
If you have not yet registered and provided proof of vaccination, please do so ASAP. We hope to move to our new electronic system by the end of next week. Below is how to become an ‘Authorised Visitor’.
Are you fully vaccinated?
| Yes, I am fully vaccinated.
Register to visit and provide us with your proof of vaccination |
No, I am not vaccinated/only partly vaccinated.
Get your vaccination(s) ASAP |
Once you have done this, our EntrySign system, will be updated with your details and you will become an ‘authorised visitor’.
|
Note: if you decline to have the COVID-19 vaccination without an exemption, entry restrictions may apply. |
Wearing Your Mask Correctly
There are so many ways to get it wrong, and just one way to get it right!
All the above are wrong 😉
If our staff notice a visitor whose mask is not being worn correctly, they may ask you to correct it. The most common error is the ‘Trump’ – not covering your nose. Please don’t be a Trump!
Note: surgical masks are more effective in protecting those around you and we ask that if possible, you use these when visiting. They can be obtained at very little cost from your local pharmacist.
Thank you for your support and adherence to these requirements – we hope that you enjoy seeing your loved one again!
Happy End-of-Lockdown! What a beautiful day for Victorians to finally be coming out of our lengthy lockdown.
Bundoora Outbreak Over
We are very pleased to let you know that we have official confirmation from the Public Health Unit that Bundoora has been given the ‘all clear’. This is a great relief for our residents, their families and our staff at Bundoora. On behalf of our Executive Management Team and Board of Directors, I would like to thank everyone at Bundoora for the way they have responded to this situation. I would particularly like to thank our Residential Manager, Nicole, for her caring and supportive leadership of our Bundoora team through this stressful time and I hope that she and her team are able to have a bit of a break and recharge their batteries.
Care Facility Directions No. 47 Released but No Change to Visiting Regulations
Overnight, the Care Facility Directions Number 47 were released, which replaced number 46 as of 11.59pm last night (Thursday). Disappointingly for family members and loved ones, there are still no changes to the current visitation regulations at this time.
The length of time families have been unable to see loved ones has been incredibly hard for many, and I too share your feelings – as you know, my mum has been living at one of our aged care homes and it has been a real test for me not to see her for so long.
These Directions end at 11.59pm on Thursday 18 November. Let us all hope that after that, restrictions will start to ease.
Preparation for Reopening to Visitors
I would like to thank all those who registered via our website for visiting and provided your proof of vaccination documents. Nearly 200 people have already registered.
If you have not yet registered, please do so now, so that we are ready when regulations change.
* Actions Required Now for Future Visiting * Are you fully vaccinated?
| Yes, I am fully vaccinated.
Register to visit and provide us with your proof of vaccination |
No, I am not vaccinated/only partly vaccinated.
Get your vaccination(s) ASAP |
Once you have done this, our EntrySign system, will be updated with your details and you will become an ‘authorised visitor’.
|
Note: if you decline to have the COVID-19 vaccination without an exemption, entry restrictions will apply in line with the government directive at that time. |
Ongoing Caution
As Victoria starts to ‘wake up’ after our forced hibernation, please don’t forget to continue to be careful. The pandemic is still with us and our daily new cases have been over 2000 again for the last two days. It seems we are going to have to learn how to live with the virus. However, for older generations, the risk is that much greater even when we are vaccinated.
So please enjoy the freedom safely and continue to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Bundoora Update
At Vasey RSL Care Bundoora we still have just one staff member positive for COVID-19 and that person is recovering well. Day 13 testing will take place tomorrow. Residents have been keeping well and staff have been taking very good care of them while in this period of lockdown.
** Preparation for Reopening to Visitors **
There are no changes to visiting regulations at any site yet; however, we are preparing for reopening so that when we get the go-ahead, we are ready. The Victorian Government’s Roadmap indicates that visiting restrictions for people who are fully vaccinated will ease when Victoria’s population reaches 70% fully vaccinated (aged 16+) – ie Phase B. Yesterday, Victoria reached 66.0%, so that is not far off.
As our Premier has been emphasising, in Phase B, entry to many types of business will be restricted to those who are fully vaccinated: as with hair salons, pubs and clubs, we anticipate restricting visiting to those who are fully vaccinated.
* Actions Required Now for Future Visiting * Are you fully vaccinated?
| Yes, I am fully vaccinated.
Register to visit and provide us with your proof of vaccination |
No, I am not vaccinated/only partly vaccinated.
Get your vaccination(s) ASAP |
Once you have done this, our EntrySign system, will be updated with your details and you will become an ‘authorised visitor’.
|
Note: if you decline to have the COVID-19 vaccination without an exemption, entry restrictions will apply in line with the government directive at that time. |
Hairdressers
We are hopeful that our hairdressers may be permitted to return soon! If all goes well with Victoria’s vaccination numbers, it looks like our hairdressers will be back with us next week. For Bundoora, that will also be determined by our lockdown status at that point.
Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding of the restrictions and requirements to keep our seniors healthy. We appreciate your messages of support and encouragement.
COVID-19 Outbreak Confirmed at Vasey RSL Care Bundoora
A staff member working at Vasey RSL Care Bundoora has tested positive for COVID-19. We wish this staff member a speedy recovery.
As this comes within the definition of an ‘outbreak’, we have activated our Outbreak Management Action Plan for Bundoora and informed the relevant authorities. This does not affect any other of our aged care homes.
Notification and Testing
Bundoora residents and staff have been tested for the virus, and all results received to date have been negative. A number of results are still pending and we expect these by tomorrow (Tuesday). A second round of testing is due to take place tomorrow.
Bundoora residents are quarantined in their rooms and staff are doing all they can to ensure they are safe, happy and healthy. All staff on site are double vaccinated and are working in full personal protection equipment.
Partners in Care – all Vasey RSL Care Homes
Those people who are Partners in Care and have approval to visit loved ones are asked to think about the necessity of their visits. The daily new infections are still towards 2000 per day in Victoria and we are no longer being kept informed about Tier 2 infection sites. We therefore ask that you reconsider the necessity of any visits you make to our facilities.
Please be assured that we are doing all we can to protect residents at all our aged care homes. Your ongoing support and understanding are very much appreciated.
COVID-19: Our Community is Vulnerable
It is alarming to read our daily case numbers in Victoria – at 1838 new cases, today’s was the highest daily amount in any state in Australia during the entire pandemic to date. Cases are spread across Melbourne and no area is safe.
Our thoughts are with the 564 Victorians currently in hospital, the 115 in intensive care units and all those caring for them. We also remember those who’ve lost loved ones as this terrible pandemic continues to claim lives – 31 more Victorians have died in the last seven days.
Older people are more vulnerable, even when vaccinated – the older we are, the less effective our immune systems become: 84% of the COVID-19 deaths in Australia are people 70 years and older.
Actions to Prepare for Vasey RSL Care’s Roadmap out of Lockdown
On 1 October 2021 the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) published its statement on visitation in residential aged care facilities. At Vasey RSL Care, we agree with the statement and recognise the essential role of visitors.
As a provider of aged care services in Victoria we must also comply with the Chief Health Officer, Care Facility Directions (currently number 46), which make provision for restricted access to our facilities to limit the spread of COVID-19 to this vulnerable population. The current Directions remain in place until 11.59pm Thursday 21 October and we expect an update from our Premier around that time with details of any changes.
We must achieve a balance between the need to limit the spread of COVID-19 and our responsibilities to the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing of residents.
The Victorian Government’s Roadmap indicates that visitor restrictions will ease according to vaccination rates. Victorian vaccination figures are increasing each day with the first dose percentage (ages 16 and over) now at 84.1% and 55.6% for the second dose. It seems hopeful that Victoria may reach 70% for the second dose around 26 October and 80% in early November.
Our Way Forward: Two Systems for Visiting
Given the above, we are determining the best way to enable visiting access without endangering lives: we are making preparations, knowing that as other parts of the world have already experienced, we too will have to learn how to live with COVID-19 in the community.
There will be two systems for visiting – please see details below.
Please Prepare Now
Visitors who are fully vaccinated |
Those not vaccinated/not fully vaccinated |
| Access to visit (once permitted by government) will require proof of vaccination.
Download your proof of vaccination to your mobile phone or obtain a certificate. Information on how to do this can be found here. |
Get vaccinated now: details of current vaccination options
If you decline to have the COVID-19 vaccination without an exemption, visiting will be restricted for the protection of all residents: details will be provided in our next communication. |
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Visiting Restriction Exemptions
Exemptions to visiting restrictions remain as follows:
- To provide care and support to residents for physical or emotional wellbeing (including mental health support and support for people living with dementia).
- If you are a nominated person (partner in care) of a resident living with a mental illness or dementia, and the purpose of your visit is to provide support.
- If you are visiting to provide end of life support. End of life means where the resident’s death is expected within days (including periods of 28 days or less) or where the resident with or without existing conditions is at risk of dying from a sudden acute event.
** Those Permitted to Visit must adhere to Requirements **
We call on you not to become complacent about the basic infection protection requirements!
- Check the exposure sites before visiting (updated daily)
- Do not visit if you have been to any of the exposures sites
- Carry out screening on entry
- Wear a face mask at all times during your visit correctly covering your mouth and nose
- Observe hand hygiene requirements
- Maintain 1.5m physical distancing
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Residents’ Outings
In accordance with the ‘5 reasons to leave home’, residents may leave the facility for the following reasons (the other two are work and to get a vaccination):
- Shopping within 10kms of the facility.
- Exercise within 10kms of the facility and for no more than 4 hours per day.
- Social gatherings outdoors for a maximum of two households and up to five people if every person is fully vaccinated: they must be able to show proof of vaccination. Picnics have to be outdoors in public areas, not backyards or your home and not in the grounds of the facility. Note: groups are limited to two people if any are not fully vaccinated.
These restrictions are set out in the Care Facilities Directions, number 46
Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Update
As of 5 October, 84% of our staff were double vaccinated and remaining staff have until 15 November 2021 to have their second dose. We do not envisage any issues with staff shortages relating to this requirement and we thank all our staff for ‘doing their bit’.
New Way to ‘Have Your Say’!
Our ‘gold’ ‘Have Your Say’ forms are well know across our organisation! They are a great way to provide feedback (and it can be anonymous) which is important in helping us continually improve.
You can send us…
- A compliment,
- A complaint, or
- A suggestion
If there’s something you’d like to tell us, try out the new online form: Click here to go to the form.
Around Our Sites
Spring in Melbourne is a lovely time of year – we have such beautiful gardens and with all the rain this winter, everything is looking very green and leafy!
Our residents have been enjoying a range of activities and here are just a few of them (from left):
Brighton East: residents took part in the ‘Read-a-thon’ and four of the participants can be seen being presented with their certificates – Marion, Emily, Margaret and Thais. Residents were sponsored per book and the funds raised will go into the ‘Thrive’ lifestyle program for more activities. Big thanks to all who took part and sponsored.
Bundoora: the Wheel of Fortune has arrived at Bundoora and residents enjoyed a bit of fun with it.
Brighton: last week, residents at Brighton celebrated World Smile Day with smiley name tags, poetry and cupcakes – these certainly make you smile.
Frankston South: spring was welcomed by residents with their lovely spring flower frame creating some cheerful photos to brighten up their rooms.
Please be assured that our staff are continuing to help maintain a happy, secure and fun environment for your loved ones. Despite the uncertainties we all face, we will always put residents first and their safety is always our priority.
In our last message, we asked R U OK? And today we need to ask again ‘are you ok?’, but for different reasons!
Today’s 5.8 magnitude earthquake has certainly shaken us around and caused some building damage in the city, but thankfully there are no reports of any injuries – just a bit of a surprise for us all! Our staff have been ensuring that all residents are feeling ok and providing reassurance where needed.
A Quote for the Ongoing Lockdown
What can be locked is just our movement. If we lock our lives it would be our own decision.
Our feelings, expression, creativity, spirit, enthusiasm and care can never be locked.
(Vineet Raj Kapoor via Tess from Bundoora)
This is a good thing to remember as we continue to face restrictions to our lives.
COVID-19 Visiting Restrictions and Outings for Aged Care Residents
Visiting restrictions continue for Residential Aged Care and we continue to use phone and zoom calls.
*** For the safety of all, BEFORE a visit (for any reason) and before an outing, you must phone the facility to talk about your planned visit or outing with a nurse and confirm the arrangements. ***
The exemptions that enable visitation are as follows:
- Provide care and support to residents for physical or emotional wellbeing (including mental health support and support for people living with dementia).
- If you are a nominated person (partner in care) of a resident living with a mental illness or dementia, and the purpose of your visit is to provide support.
- If you are visiting to provide end of life support. End of life means where the resident’s death is expected within days (including periods of 28 days or less) or where the resident with or without existing conditions is at risk of dying from a sudden acute event.
Visitors must check the exposure sites before visiting and must not visit if you have been to any of these: this list is updated daily. Screening on entry, wearing a mask at all times and following all other precautions, including handwashing, are mandatory.
In accordance with the ‘5 reasons to leave home’, residents may leave the facility for the following reasons (the other two are work and to get a vaccination):
- Shopping within 10kms of the facility.
- Exercising within 10kms of the facility and for no more than 4 hours per day.
- Social gatherings outdoors for a maximum of two households and up to five people if every person is fully vaccinated: they must be able to show proof of vaccination. Picnics have to be outdoors in public areas, not backyards or your home and not in the grounds of the facility. Note: groups are limited to two people if any are not fully vaccinated.
These restrictions are set out in the Care Facilities Directions, number 45.
Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Update
As of 17 September, staff working in aged care must have their first COVID-19 vaccination: our staff are now all vaccinated and 80% are double vaccinated. The remaining staff must have their second vaccination no later than 15 November 2021.
New Online ‘Have Your Say’ Form Available
The Quality & Risk Team have developed an online version of the ‘Have Your Say’ form, now available on our website. If you have a suggestion, or there’s something you’re not happy about, or if you’d like to pass on a compliment to one of our staff, this is an easy way to do it.
This is part of our commitment to continuous improvement and your views, whether positive or negative, help us improve what we do by understanding what we do well and identifying areas where we could do better.
Give it a go!
Around Our Sites
Laughter is known to be good for us and Brighton residents have been enjoying looking at photos that make them laugh, such as this one of the ladies riding the roller coaster! And the little monkey orchids also brought a big smile to their faces, shared on their new high definition TV.
At Frankston South, residents received 116 letters from the students at Derinya Primary School! They sent messages about what they have been doing during lockdown – they are hoping to become penpals with our residents and some have already replied. Big shout out to Derinya for reaching out to our residents.
At Brighton East, photos of two of our gentlemen on Father’s Day – enjoying being treated.
And finally, footy celebrations at Bundoora where you can see a whole tribe of magpies!
Dogs or Demons?
Are you a fan of the Western Bulldogs or the Melbourne Demons? If so, good luck to your team this weekend!
Both teams are playing well and it should be a close-run match – let’s hope it’s a good one and gives us something to get excited about.
R U OK?
Today is R U OK Day – and a day that reminds us to check in with those around us and ask them ‘Are you OK?’ – not just today, but any day throughout the year.
If you see someone who seems to be having a difficult time, please remember to ask this simple question – are you ok? It’s a small thing that can make a big difference.
Unsure what to say?
Four steps you can follow: the RUOK campaign notes that when we ask this question, we need to be ready in case the answer is that the person is not ok. If you’d like to find out a bit more so you are ready, check out the four steps online here.
What is this ‘Blah’?
I recently read this article called ‘There’s a name for the Blah you’re feeling – it’s called languishing’. This definitely resonated with me, and it also includes some links to more information for those interested in the psychology of our current pandemic lives. And it includes some antidotes! Well worth a read if you have time.
No Change to COVID-19 Restrictions
It’s been so long since visitors were permitted into aged care and we know that many of you are really struggling with this endless separation. Sadly, there are no changes to these restrictions and we must go on relying on phones and zoom calls for the time being.
While Victoria’s daily new case numbers are going up, our vaccination numbers are also increasing with over 62% of Victorians having their first dose and weekly vaccinations exceeding 400,000.
It is important that we ALL have our vaccinations – both doses – and if you haven’t already, please get it done as soon as you can.
End of Life and Acute Events: please note that exemptions for visiting for the purposes of providing emotional support remain unchanged for end-of-life care and sudden acute events which are life-threatening. Visitors must check the exposure sites before visiting and must not visit if you have been to any of these: this list is updated daily. Screening on entry, wearing a mask at all times and following all other precautions are mandatory.
Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Update
As the 17 September deadline approaches for aged care staff to have their first COVID-19 vaccination, our vaccination rates are:
COVID-19 First Dose 95%
COVID-19 Second Dose 73%
The final 5% includes staff who are on long-term leave and seven employees who have chosen to decline vaccination. We await proof of vaccination for the remainder. We have also been notified that aged care staff require their second dose by no later than 15 November 2021.
The government’s residential aged care worker vaccination map can be viewed online here.
Twenty Years on from 9/11
On Saturday it will be 20 years since four planes were hijacked in the USA and two planes flew into the twin towers in New York, one into the Pentagon and one a field i
n Pennsylvania. Waking up to those dreadful images, which were repeated until they were seared into our memories, remains one of the most shocking events in our modern history.
As this terrible event is commemorated, it’s important we remind ourselves that we are fortunate to live in freedom – and despite the current lockdowns and restrictions, we are still free to choose the lives we live. We have our veterans to thank for that.
COVID-19 Restrictions Continue
For the last couple of days, new cases of COVID-19 in Victoria have not been lower than the previous day, for which we are all very thankful. Let us hope this downward trend continues.
Our thoughts are with all those in NSW where daily new cases are now in the region of 7-800: as of the beginning of last week, it was reported that 24 aged care facilities had active outbreaks and a further ten are under ‘enhanced surveillance’. It must be reassuring to all those working there that the majority of residents and staff are vaccinated, which is a much better situation than we faced here in Victoria last year.
We are expecting an update from our Premier later this week; however, it is unlikely that there will be much change to the current restrictions, and if there are, we will be in touch again.
Please note there are no changes to exemptions for visiting for the purposes of providing emotional support in two situations: end-of-life care and a sudden acute event which is life-threatening. Visitors must check the exposure sites before your visit and do not visit if you have been to any of these: this list is updated daily. Screening on entry, wearing a mask at all times and following all other precautions are mandatory.
Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Update
As at yesterday, our staff vaccination rates were:
COVID-19 First Dose 90%
COVID-19 Second Dose 68%
We are on target to reach 100% well before the 17 September deadline and anticipate no adverse effect on our staff rosters. I would like to commend our staff for getting their vaccinations (or booking them in) as many live busy working lives and are also home-schooling their children – it is certainly not an easy time for anyone.
You can check out the government’s residential aged care worker vaccination map online here.
Have you had your vaccination?
We strongly encourage all family members to have your COVID-19 vaccination if you haven’t already. When visitors are allowed back to see their loved ones, it will be very important we all do everything possible to keep our vulnerable seniors safe.
‘Lockdown Lethargy’
[Photo thanks to Mylundchouosque/imgur]
Are you experiencing lockdown lethargy? A feeling of general overall weariness, a lack of enthusiasm, a sense of tedium and monotony to our daily routine!
We are missing out on the usual fun events that punctuate our lives – the meals out, birthday celebrations, trips, outings, sports, hobbies and people!
I’ve heard of a number of ways that people are combating lockdown lethargy, and here are just a few: finding a new park or reserve within your 5km range and exploring somewhere new every week; buying a bunch of flowers and putting it on the bonnet of a car parked at the shops with a note saying, ‘This is a random act of kindness – I hope it helps brighten up your day’; and a primary school child who wrote little notes for each of the people in their street just to say hello and to call them (their parents) if there was anything they could do to help.
It’s at times like this that we need to look after ourselves and each other.
So if you have a tip on how to overcome Lockdown Lethargy, please email me and I’d love to share it.
Life at our Aged Care Homes
Below is a selection of photos from our aged care homes over the last couple of weeks.
From left, veterans at Vasey RSL Care Frankston South mark Vietnam Veterans Day on 18 August.
At Vasey RSL Care Brighton, Pat turns 100 with a wonderful cake and a message from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, while Betty is just 98! Leo played the birthday song on his harmonica for both ladies. At Bundoora, staff put on a wonderful display of entertainment for Indian Independence Day which included dancing, singing and eating, with some Indian cuisine put on by our kitchen staff. Residents joined in the dressing up and dancing – and don’t they all look amazing.
It is always lovely to see the smiling faces of our residents and I am grateful to all our staff for helping ensure that Lockdown Lethargy is kept at bay!
Please take care and stay safe.
COVID-19 Restrictions Continue
Our Premier has announced that our current lockdown will continue until at least next Thursday, 19 August. Residential aged care homes are therefore still closed to visitors. Care Facilities Directions No. 41 are now current.
Visitor Exemptions
There continue to be certain visiting exemptions and these have been more clearly defined by the Chief Health Officer in recent care facility directions. End of life care is now defined as the situation where the resident’s death is anticipated within the next 28 days. Visits in these circumstances are for the purposes of providing emotional support. Another visiting exemption is in the case of a resident being at risk of a sudden acute event which is life-threatening. In all cases, the visiting is permitted to offer essential support for the physical or mental wellbeing of the resident.
If permitted to visit, you must check the exposure sites before your visit and do not visit if you have been to any of these. This list is updated daily and there have been a lot of new sites added recently. Screening on entry, wearing a mask at all times and following all other precautions are mandatory.
Saluting Excellence Staff Awards – Nominations extended to Monday 23 August
We appreciate all the award nominations received – thank you. You still have time – the deadline has been extended by a week to 5pm on Monday 23 August. Nominate Now!
Around Our Sites
Our lifestyle teams continue to come up with fun and innovative ways to offer some variety and enjoyment for our aged care residents, despite the neve-ending lockdowns.
Over the past few weeks, the Olympics has provided some inspiration, with our Bundoora residents having a torch relay at the beginning, followed by three events – quoits, bean bag toss and nerf gun shooting. Congratulations to their medal winners (some shown below). This has been fun for all involved and their videos have been greatly appreciated by our Facebook followers.
The Brighton East Balladeers, led by Rose, (below right) have been singing to keep up their spirits and a very appropriate rendition of ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ can be found on our Facebook page!
Aged Care Employee Day – 7 August
Last Saturday was Aged Care Employee Day and all staff were treated to ‘a Cuppa on Us’ – with a voucher for a hot drink at a local coffee shop. It’s a small token of our great appreciation for all they do for the people in our care, but we hope they will sit down for a few minutes and enjoy a tea or coffee in the knowledge that they are greatly valued.
Department of Health Promotes Working in Aged Care on TV
Beginning this Sunday, there will be new TV commercials to promote the benefits of working in the aged care, health care and disability sectors. We were very honoured to be approached to be involved in these ads and two of our sites feature in the final version of the commercial. So do look out for it and see if you can spot any familiar faces or locations!
Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Update
We have been encouraging staff to have their COVID-19 vaccinations using a variety of means including incentives, on-site clinics and a Zoom session with a medical practitioner with a live Q&A session. These have all been effective in the overall increases to (as at 10-08-21):
COVID-19 First Dose 84% COVID-19 Second Dose 62%
By 17 September, all aged care staff must have their first dose: the government has now published the details, what exemptions there will be, and how they will be managed: Read more.
It is pleasing that 84% of our staff have already had their first vaccination and we are actively following up on the outstanding 16%, ensuring they are fully aware of the requirements and able to make informed choices. Last year, when the flu vaccination became mandatory for aged care staff, all our staff chose to have their vaccination and stay with us: we anticipate a similar result with the COVID-19 vaccination, despite the adverse publicity and misinformation that has been allowed to permeate the media.
We strongly encourage all family members to have their COVID-19 vaccination as well: while it has not been made mandatory for visitors to aged care to be vaccinated, once visitors are again allowed back in to see their loved ones, it will be very important to do all we can to keep our vulnerable seniors safe.
Visiting Restrictions Remain
I’m sure we were all very pleased to have the lockdown restrictions eased by our Premier yesterday in what he has called a ‘circuit breaker’. The Government has taken a very cautious approach to easing restrictions after previous lockdowns and we expect the same this time around.
Sadly, the easing does not extend to lifting visiting restrictions for aged care facilities, with the Care Facility Directions in place until at least 11.59pm on Tuesday 10 August. Residents – like the rest of the community – have the same restrictions – we are not able to have visitors in our own home.
As previously, there are exemptions for essential reasons and end of life care: please speak to the Residential Manager to discuss your circumstances. If you are permitted to visit, you must check the exposure sites before your visit and do not visit if you have been to any of these. Screening on entry, wearing a mask at all times and following all other precautions are still mandatory.
Zoom and Window Visits Continue
Zoom: book your Zoom visit online here. If you are unable to book online, contact the relevant aged care home during business hours – Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm – for assistance.
Window Visits: please check with the relevant aged care home regarding window visits.
Saluting Excellence Staff Awards
Thank you to all those who have already nominated a staff member for this year’s Saluting Excellence awards.
It is especially meaningful to staff when the nomination comes from a resident or family member – so if you or they have experienced exceptional care, we hope you will nominate them. With the visiting restrictions in place, it’s not possible for you to assist your loved ones to put in a nomination, so if you would like to do it on their behalf, that would be greatly appreciated.
Saluting Excellence Award Nomination
COVID-19 Vaccinations for Aged Care Staff
Our COVID-19 vaccinations have increased considerably over the last few weeks and we are continuing to strongly encourage our staff, provide clinics to make it easier for them, and offer accurate information about vaccination. Percentages across the organisation are:
COVID-19 First Dose 78%
COVID-19 Second Dose 55%
To put this into perspective, the average COVID-19 vaccination rates in aged care in Australia were reported as being 43.4% for the first dose and 25.2% for the second (21 July 2021 The Guardian). While we would like to see our numbers reach 100% as soon as possible, we are encouraged by the continued increases and will continue to strive for full vaccination.
We are also aware that the federal cabinet direction for compulsory vaccination of the first dose for all aged care workers is due to be in place by mid-September.
Please continue to take care of yourselves, get tested if you have even the slightest symptoms, and wrap up warmly against the Melbourne winter.
Victorian Lockdown Extended
This morning, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the 5-day lockdown has been extended for a further week in order to ‘drive case numbers down’ given the high number of close contacts. Unfortunately, this means that visiting restrictions remain in place.
I know this will be a disappointment both to family members unable to visit, and to residents who are missing seeing their loved ones. Please look after your own physical and mental health during this time and let us all hope that these measures will bring good results.
Visiting Restrictions
Visitors are still not permitted in residential aged care and exemptions are only available for essential reasons and end of life care: please speak to the Residential Manager to discuss your circumstances. This will remain in place until 11.59pm on Tuesday 27 July.
Note that anyone who is permitted to visit must check exposure sites before their visit, undergo screening on entry, wear a mask at all times and follow all other precautions required.
Zoom and Window Visits
Zoom: For residents who do not have their own smart phones/tablets/PCs, you can book a Zoom visit online here. If you are unable to book online, contact the relevant aged care home during business hours – Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm – for assistance.
Window Visits: please check with the relevant aged care home regarding window visits.
Residential Care Update
The Victorian Government has announced a snap lockdown in response to an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in our state. The lockdown is from midnight Thursday 15th July and is scheduled to end midnight Tuesday 20 July 2021.
Visiting Restrictions
Visitors are not permitted in residential aged care during the lockdown period. Exemptions will only be made for essential reasons or if a resident is end of life.
*Compulsory for ALL visitors under the Exemption*
It is vital that if you visit, that you continue to support all the infection control procedures that help keep the virus out:
- Stay away if you have any symptoms – no matter how slight
- Check exposure sites before visiting and follow instructions re isolation/testing
- Complete and follow screening requirements
- Wear a face masks at all times
- Carry out hand hygiene on arrival, on entering your loved one’s room and on leaving
- Observe physical distancing requirements (1.5m) at all times
** NEW Entry Requirements for ALL Visitors **
The Victorian Government has announced that from 11.59pm on Thursday 1 July 2021, all visitors must use the ‘Service Victoria QR Code System’.
Those with smart phones must scan the QR Code and enter their name and phone number. For those who do not have smart phones, an alternative system is provided for you to enter your name and phone number. If you need help with this, ask a staff member.
Most of you will be familiar with the QR code system which is in use at stores, supermarkets, libraries etc. The information gathered goes directly to the contact tracing department in case of an outbreak.
To gain entry, it is a legal requirement that you do this. We appreciate your understanding.
Screening Still Required AS WELL: the Service Victoria QR codes do not replace screening – they are additional.
| Bundoora
From this Friday, the ‘EntrySign’ system will include the QR Code as part of the screening process. Instructions will be provided on screen.
|
Brighton, Brighton East, Ivanhoe
TWO QR code scans are required: both the Service Victoria QR Code and the Screening QR Code. Visitors must scan both codes and provide the information required.
|
Frankston South
TWO QR code scans are required: both the Service Victoria QR Code and the Screening QR Code. Visitors must scan both codes and provide the information required. Coming Soon! Frankston South will soon have a new ‘EntrySign’ system available for checking in and screening via the main foyer entrance. Staff may use this option once it’s operational, or use the TWO QR code approach at other entrances. |
If you need assistance, please ask a staff member.
Visiting Restrictions – no change
- Max two visitors at once
- Max five visitors per day (no limit to daily visitors for end-of-life care)
* Compulsory for All Visitors *
It is vital that all visitors continue to support all the infection control procedures that help keep the virus out:
- Stay away if you have any symptoms – no matter how slight
- Check exposure sites before visiting and follow instructions re isolation/testing
- Complete and follow screening requirements
- Wear a face masks at all times
- Carry out hand hygiene on arrival, on entering your loved one’s room and on leaving
- Observe physical distancing requirements (1.5m) at all times
I ask that you all take your responsibilities to our vulnerable community seriously and make sure you follow these requirements.
Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination for Aged Care Staff
Late yesterday, federal government announced that COVID-19 vaccination will be compulsory for aged care staff with their first dose required by mid-September.
We continue to encourage staff to have their vaccinations ASAP and to make this as easy as possible for them. We have arranged in-reach clinics at Brighton East today, Frankston South on Friday and Bundoora next Wednesday.
Staff Vaccination Numbers at 29 June:
| COVID-19 Vacc. | Brighton | Brighton East | Bundoora | Frankston South | Ivanhoe |
| Dose 1 | 55% | 36% | 58% | 41% | 64% |
| Dose 2 | 32% | 18% | 44% | 29% | 20% |
We expect these to significantly increase for Brighton East and Brighton after today’s clinic, for Frankston South after Friday’s clinic and for Ivanhoe and Bundoora after next Wednesday’s clinic. We will continually reassess requirements for further clinics and/or other actions to enable staff to get their vaccinations as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your ongoing understanding and support of the ever-changing COVID-19 prevention measures.
Visiting Restrictions Eased!
I know you will be very pleased that from 11.59pm tonight (Thursday), aged care visiting restrictions in Victoria are easing! This is welcome news for all our residents who have been missing their loved ones.
From tomorrow and for the next two weeks, in-person visits to residents are now permitted as follows:
- Max two visitors at once
- Max five visitors per day
Please be aware that for end of life care, there are no restrictions on the daily number of visitors but no more than two at once can visit.
* Compulsory for All Visitors *
It is vital that all visitors continue to support all the infection control procedures that help keep the virus out:
- Stay away if you have any symptoms – no matter how slight
- Check exposure sites before visiting and follow instructions re isolation/testing
- Complete and follow screening requirements
- Wear a face masks at all times
- Carry out hand hygiene on arrival, on entering your loved one’s room and on leaving
- Observe physical distancing requirements (1.5m) at all times
It cannot be overstated how important it is that every one of us takes our responsibilities to our vulnerable community seriously.
COVID-19 Vaccination In-Reach Clinics
COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics at Brighton East, Bundoora and Frankston South are taking place on 29 June, 2 July and 7 July. Bookings are full for these clinics.
Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe Update
The transition from Ivanhoe to our other aged care homes, under the leadership of Residential Manager, Ruth, is progressing well and we are very appreciative of the support and understanding being shown by all those affected.
Moves are progressing more quickly than we had anticipated, with moving dates for most residents by 2 July! Some residents have already moved and are beginning to get accustomed to their new homes.
A farewell lunch took place at Ivanhoe and staff put up farewell messages to the residents. Each resident has received a little ‘friend’ to take with them – in the shape of a poppy penguin, teddy or monkey, very kindly donated by the Poppy Ladies from Epping RSL.
Our two younger veterans, Matthew and Michael, have been helping residents pack their personal belongings at Ivanhoe and that extra support has been a great help.
Below:
- Residents at Ivanhoe make poppy wreaths to take with them to each of our other aged care homes.
- The farewell messages from staff to residents
- ‘We will miss you’ signs adorn the tables at the farewell lunch
- Our younger veterans, Matthew and Michael have been helping residents pack up
- Patricia is in the bus and ready to move to her new home
- George with FCC Alphi at Ivanhoe
- Alan arrives at Brighton East – pictured with FCC Evalyn
- Margaret at Bundoora welcome Margaret from Ivanhoe to the cooking class
- Two busy helpers move belongings into Brighton
- June enjoys a cup of tea at Brighton
- Ivanhoe’s trio of budgies – Lemon, Ambrose and Charlie have made a move too – now installed happily at Brighton
This is not an easy time for these residents and their family members and I want to acknowledge this once again: decisions like this have far-reaching consequences and disrupting some lives to help others is not straightforward, easy or comfortable. We are incredibly appreciative of our community and the generosity of spirit being shown towards those in need.
Visiting Restrictions Continue
There have been no changes to aged care visiting restrictions since last week. In-person visits to residents are still not permitted unless there are exceptional circumstances: in this case, please contact the Residential Manager to discuss your personal circumstances. At this stage, the restrictions are in place until 11.59pm on Thursday 24 June, when Care Facility Directions No. 33 are due for review.
The situation in Victoria is continuing to slowly improve and we are optimistic of some better news next week. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.
Book your Zoom Visits via Our Website: for those residents who do not have their own smart phones, tablets or PCs, you can book a Zoom visit online here. (If you cannot book online, contact the relevant aged care home during business hours – Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm – for assistance.)
Staff Vaccination Update
We have been very pleased with the staff COVID-19 and flu vaccination uptake which continues to increase steadily. We have set up COVID-19 On-Site Vaccination Clinics through MecwaCare at Brighton East, Bundoora and Frankston South (staff at Brighton will go to Brighton East and Ivanhoe to Bundoora). These clinics will offer another boost to the number of staff having their vaccinations and will take place over the next few weeks.
Vaccination Timing Advice Revised
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has updated its advice on how long you should leave between having your influenza (flu) and COVID-19 vaccinations.
They are now advising that a gap of 7 days between the influenza vaccine and a dose of COVID-19 vaccine is enough. Also, the flu vaccination can go before or after either dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.
We strongly urge you to have your vaccinations as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so.
Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe – Closure and Transition
This week, around nine of our Ivanhoe residents have moved to our other aged care homes at Brighton and Bundoora and next week, there will be arrivals at Frankston South and Brighton East.
To help during this busy time, we have once again been able to bring in some younger veterans to assist us. We have Michael and Matthew helping residents pack their personal belongings at Ivanhoe, and unpack them when they arrive at their new home. Extra pairs of hands are very much appreciated with so much going on.
AN-ACC – The Australian National Aged Care Classification
The Federal Government has proposed a new assessment and funding model for residential aged care called the Australian National Aged Care Classification, or AN-ACC. This is a way for government to determine the funding they provide to federally-funded aged care services such as Vasey RSL Care for the care of your loved ones.
Before moving to AN-ACC, a 12-month ‘shadow assessment period’ is taking place currently, alongside the current Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) assessments and at the end of this, the government will make a decision as to which funding model they will use in future and we will be advised of any requirements they have.
This shadow assessment will not affect individual residents care or fees in any way: however, you may notice some new faces at our homes as government staff conduct the assessment.
COVID-19 Lockdown
While the Victorian restrictions are being gradually eased, unfortunately there is no change to aged care visiting restrictions.
This means that in-person visits to residents are still not be permitted unless there are exceptional circumstances: in this case, please contact the Residential Manager to discuss your personal circumstances. At this stage, the restrictions are in place until 11.59pm on Thursday 17 June, when Care Facility Directions No. 32 are due for review.
This is very difficult for residents and family members and we sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience.
Zoom Visits Available
For those residents who do not have their own smart phones, tablets or PCs, Zoom visits are available: please book your Zoom visit online here. (If you cannot book online, contact the relevant aged care home during business hours – Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm – for assistance.)
Vaccination Update
It is still voluntary for visitors and staff to have their COVID-19 and flu vaccinations at this stage. However, there is ongoing discussion by the relevant authorities as to whether it should become compulsory. We will keep you informed of any news.
Residents: residents at all our aged care homes have now had both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination and the flu vaccination. We are continuing to arrange catch-up vaccinations for any residents who missed out on any of these (eg due to being unwell on the day).
Staff: our staff vaccination figures are continuing to increase with 40% letting us know they have had their first COVID-19 vaccination, 18% both COVID-19 doses, and 50% their flu vaccination.
In-reach COVID-19 vaccination clinics: we have been successful in connecting with Mecwacare to hold on-site COVID-19 vaccination clinics for staff and the first dose begins on 29 June. This will make it a lot easier for our staff to get their vaccinations. We are still encouraging staff to get their vaccinations as soon as possible.
Family Members: please ensure you arrange your own vaccinations if you have not already done so. Thank you.
Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe Closure and Transition
Over the last few weeks, we have been liaising with our residents, families and staff at Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe to ensure that everyone is kept informed on the status of the transition and has the information and support they need. This is a challenging time which is not helped by the current lockdown.
We are very grateful to our Ivanhoe staff for the professional way they are continuing to carry out their caring roles and supporting residents, family members and one another. Our HR team and Ivanhoe staff are discussing future options and we will retain as many staff as we can: we will assist those who are not able to remain with us to find new roles through our networks.
Beginning next week, we look forward to welcoming residents from Ivanhoe at our other aged care homes. I know that our staff at all locations will be welcoming to our Ivanhoe residents and will do everything they can to help them feel at home and to assist them to settle in.
We are also very grateful to the Ivanhoe family members who are supporting their loved ones throughout this transition. The official closure date for Ivanhoe is Thursday 19 August.
COVID-19 Lockdown
As you may be aware, the Victorian lockdown has been extended for an additional seven days until Thursday 10 June. This is disappointing, but it is important for the outbreak to be brought under control for the safety of us all – and especially our very vulnerable community.
Unfortunately this means that in-person visits to residents are not be permitted, unless there are exceptional circumstances: in this case, please contact the Residential Manager to discuss your personal circumstances.
Zoom Visits Available
Over the past year, many residents have become much more technically proficient – many are now able to Zoom or Facetime family members and friends on their smart phones, tablets or PCs!
However, if you and your loved have not quite got there yet, we are once again offering Zoom visits and we ask that you book your Zoom visit online here. If you cannot book online, contact the relevant aged care home during business hours (Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm) for assistance.
Note: we are not taking Window Visit or In-person Visit bookings online. We are currently working on the website changes to suit the current situation so if these appear available, please do not book them. Thank you.
Ivanhoe: please note that due to the COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Tuesday 8 June, no Zoom visits will be available before 4pm.
Vaccination Update
Staff: we have figures for staff who have notified us of their vaccination status: at this point, 19% have reported to us that they have had their first COVID-19 vaccination, 12% both COVID-19 doses, and 40% their flu vaccination. Actual numbers may be higher.
We’ve been asked by a few families about staff vaccination numbers and I can assure you that they are steadily going up, with our encouragement (and incentives!) with especial focus during the ‘5-day blitz’ which is prioritising aged care workers and requires no appointments.
There is also some discussion of ‘in-reach’ COVID-19 vaccination clinics for staff and we are hoping these go ahead; if they do, we will be first to have our hands up to have one. Right now though, we are relying on our staff to go and get it done and providing as much encouragement as we can.
Residents: as of today, residents at four of our five aged care homes have had both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination, with Brighton East residents vaccinated on Monday and Brighton today. The second dose for the remaining site, Ivanhoe, will be taking place on Tuesday 8 June.
Arrangements are also being made to vaccinate any residents who have missed a dose: this will be happening at Bundoora this Thursday and we will let you know about other sites as we receive details.
The majority of residents at all sites have also received their flu vaccinations: follow up for any who missed out is being undertaken.
Family Members: we would like to remind all family members to arrange your own vaccinations if you have not already done so. Thank you.
This situation continues to change and we will be in touch with you again when we have anything more to communicate.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all continue to battle the effects of this global pandemic.
OPAN Zoom Meeting Tomorrow
We have just been notified that the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is holding a ZOOM Meeting for residents and their family members tomorrow at 12 noon.
The meeting is to offer you an opportunity to ask questions about the current COVID-19 outbreak and how it affects aged care residents and older family members.
Taking Your Questions:
Gerard Mansour Commissioner for Senior Victorians
Philippa Campbell CEO – Elder Rights Advocacy
Craig Gear CEO – Older Persons Advocacy Network
Since yesterday, the COVID-19 situation in Victoria has worsened and the Acting State Premier, James Merlino, announced late this morning that Victoria will go into a seven-day lockdown from 11.59pm today, Thursday 27 May.
New COVID-19 Restrictions
From 11.59pm today:
** No visitors are permitted to enter any aged care homes **
** We are all to stay home except for the five essential reasons ** read more
** Anyone who has been at an exposure site must follow the requirements ** info on exposure sites
Please note that if your loved one is in end-of-life care or there is some other urgent reason that you need to see them in person, please get in touch with the Residential Manager to discuss your needs.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
In addition to the four reasons to leave home that we are already familiar with, the new fifth reason is to get our COVID-19 vaccination. If you have not already had yours, please do so ASAP.
As far as we know, scheduled COVID-19 vaccination clinics for our residents will be going ahead next week at Brighton East and Brighton and on 8 June at Ivanhoe.
These new restrictions are in place until 11.59pm on Thursday 3 June. We will continue to monitor the Victorian Government directions and will update you further on any changes.
This is a very disheartening situation and let us hope that this seven-day lockdown will quickly get the outbreak under control. Do please stay safe, look after yourselves, stay home and contact your loved ones.
** Please do not visit if you have any signs or symptoms. **
New COVID-19 Restrictions
It is very disappointing that a new cluster of COVID-19 cases has appeared in Victoria with 23 active cases and 15 of these in the community.
As a result, the following Visiting Restrictions are now in place at all our aged care homes:
Visitor Requirements:
- Do NOT visit if you have any symptoms, even the very slightest
- Maximum two visitors can visit at one time
- Maximum five visitors per day (including dependents)*
- If the visitor(s) has/have dependent(s) who cannot be looked after, the dependent(s) may visit
* Please note that for end of life care, the daily limit of five people does not apply.
Note:
- Visitors do not have to be from the same household
- There are no time limits on visits
- No specified purposes for the visit are required
All visitors MUST wear face masks
This is important and we ask that you follow this rule strictly at all times.
Face Masks must be worn by all family members/friends and anyone else visiting any of our aged care homes.
Please remind other family members to do the same. We know it is easy to forget, so please ask staff for a disposable face mask if you leave yours at home.
Have you been to an Exposure Site?
Screening of visitors will include questions about visits to exposure sites.
** It is essential that you check this list before EVERY visit. **
Anyone who has visited an exposure site will NOT be permitted entry: they are required to get tested and to follow instructions according to whether it was a Tier 1, 2, or 3 exposure site (follow link for details).
Residents’ COVID-19 Vaccinations
Residents at all sites have had their first COVID-19 vaccination and those at Frankston South and Bundoora have also had their second one. Remaining second doses are due next week at Brighton East and Brighton, and on 8 June at Ivanhoe.
The COVID-19 vaccination is a vital protective measure that reduces the chance of catching the virus and the severity of an infection. It is already showing great benefit overseas.
We are continuing to work to encourage staff to have their vaccination and we strongly encourage you to get yours as soon as you can.
Influenza (flu) Vaccinations
While it is not compulsory for visitors to have the flu vaccination this year, we strongly encourage you to have yours. Flu can be life-threatening for those in our care and we greatly appreciate your support to minimise the chance of a flu outbreak at any of our homes.
The above restrictions are in place until Friday 4 June: we are continuing to monitor the Victorian Government directions and will update you further if anything changes.
It’s International Nurses Day!
We have a lot of nurses here at Vasey RSL Care and they are essential to the care we provide in Home Care and Residential Aged Care. Quite a few of our management and central office staff are also nurses by trade, myself included.
In Australia, the profession is still heavily dominated by women, with 88.8% of our 372,000 nurses being female. Nursing has been consistently rated at the top of the scale for the most ethical and honest profession – what a wonderful reputation to have.
If you see a nurse today, why not thank them for all they do!
Residents’ COVID-19 Vaccinations
Our Frankston South residents have now had both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with residents at Bundoora, Brighton East and Brighton having had their first dose. We now have confirmed dates for Ivanhoe and the process is all going smoothly with no adverse reactions taking place.
| Dose 1 | Dose 2 | |
| Frankston South | Complete | Complete |
| Bundoora | Complete | Mon 17 May, 8am |
| Brighton East | Complete | ~ Mon 31 May (TBC) |
| Brighton | Complete | ~ Wed 2 June (TBC) |
| Ivanhoe | Tues 18 May, 8am | Tues 8 Jun, 8am |
Where there have been spare doses, these have been offered to any staff present. I was lucky enough to have my first dose at Vasey RSL Care Brighton East on Monday.
Staff who are not able to take advantage of these extra doses, are required to organise their own vaccination via their GP or vaccination clinics. It is not mandatory for staff but it is encouraged.
Reminder for Family Members: the majority of family members who visit loved ones frequently are over 50 and can take advantage of the new COVID-19 vaccination clinics. We strongly encourage you to do so.
Residents’ Influenza (flu) Vaccinations
Flu vaccination clinics have had to be rearranged to fit around the COVID-19 dates, allowing a clear two weeks in between. We hope to have these completed by the end of June.
Reminder for Family Members: while it is not compulsory for visitors to have the flu vaccination this year, this is an important way we can all help protect older Australians, for whom flu can be life threatening. Please have yours as soon as you can.
A few seconds of discomfort can save lives.
Mother’s Day and Much More
From left: a new regular visitor at Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe – the four-pawed kind – Amber was made very welcome on her recent visit. Below, one of the residents who loved the posy-making session (accompanied by a glass of bubbly!)
In red, Reva at Brighton is very pleased to have her first COVID-19 dose, and below, residents enjoy Kaye Harrison’s visit for Mother’s Day.
Wearing teal, one of the lucky Mother’s Day raffle winners at Frankston South, and right, one of the residents gets her COVID-19 injection.
Below, CEO, Janna Voloshin and General Manager Quality and Risk Annette Greenwood, are lucky enough to have one of the spare COVID-19 doses at Brighton East.
Far right, residents at Bundoora have been busy gardening – potting up plants, and decorating their own pots.
We are very pleased that the COVID-19 vaccination program is now progressing well and we look forward to mid-June, when all our residential sites will have had both doses. This is an important aspect of infection control and we encourage all family members to organise their vaccination as soon as possible.
COVID-19 – Caution Still Needed
There are currently 27 COVID-19 cases in Victoria – all in hotel quarantine. While there are no cases in the community, we all know how easily it can happen…
We must not become complacent! We ask that you continue to do everything you can to help us continue to protect our community.
Visiting: remember that you can visit residents in their rooms or outside, but not in common areas. Please don’t linger in the common areas, and make sure you keep your distance from others at all times.
Ongoing Protection: we are maintaining the increased level of regular cleaning and disinfecting, all staff are wearing masks and we are continuing to remind staff of their responsibilities regarding infection control.
Increasing Expertise: eight of our Facility Care Coordinators have undertaken the Department of Health’s online infection control course followed by an accelerated course at the Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control. This ensures that all our aged care homes have a qualified infection control lead in line with new government guidelines.
Remaining Restrictions: there are still some restrictions in place for residents and bus outings are one of them: we sincerely appreciate the patience of our residents regarding this. If appropriate for your loved one, you might like take them out in your own car, even if it is just for a drive, especially when the weather is as beautiful as it is today.
COVID-19 Vaccination Update – Residents
Residents at our Frankston South and Bundoora homes have had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination – there was a bit of a hold-up at Bundoora but it got underway eventually. At Frankston South there were a number of extra doses available and staff were able to take advantage of these. Other staff are required to organise their own vaccination, and as Phase 1a, are able to do it as soon as GPs/clinics can provide it.
Dates for COVID-19 Vaccinations:
| Dose 1 | Dose 2 | |
| Frankston South | Complete | Tues 11 May |
| Bundoora | Complete | Mon 17 May |
| Brighton East | Mon 10 May 8am | approx. 21 days later |
| Brighton | Wed 12 May 8am | approx. 21 days later |
| Ivanhoe | w/c Mon 10 May (TBC) | approx. 21 days later |
Influenza (flu) Vaccination Program for Residents
Flu vaccinations are being arranged at each home to fit around the COVID-19 dates, as a clear two weeks are required between the different vaccinations.
Family Members: it is not compulsory for visitors to have the flu vaccination this year, but we strongly encourage you to do so.
As you may remember, last year the flu vaccination was mandatory for aged care visitors and staff: we had no flu outbreaks at any of our homes last year and we would like to repeat that this year. Flu can be fatal in older people so please do your bit to help us protect our residents.
Serious Incident Response Scheme – SIRS
The Serious Incident Response Scheme came into effect on 1 April and is an important government intiative to improve safety for residents.
SIRS requires changes in the way we report and respond to incidents where a resident is harmed in any way. The main changes are that incidents between residents and those where one or both may have cognitive or mental impairments must also be reported.
We encourage you to find out more about SIRS here and to follow the links provided to the Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission and Department of Health websites.
ANZAC Day
I would like to thank our staff, and in particular our lifestyle teams, for this year’s ANZAC Day services.
This is very important day of remembrance for our community, some of whom have lost loved ones and comrades during or since their service.
Below are photos from our aged care sites and we thank all those involved in the services – we appreciated having ADF representatives with us again this year.
COVID-19 Vaccination Update – Residents
We are very pleased to be able to inform you that over the last few days we have received notification of COVID-19 vaccination dates for residents:
Frankston South: Dose 1 – Tues 20 April 8am; Dose 2 – approx. 21 days later
Bundoora: Dose 1 – Mon 26 April 8am; Dose 2 – Mon 17 May
Brighton East: Dose 1 – Mon 10 May 8am; Dose 2 – approx. 21 days later
Brighton: Dose 1 – Wed 12 May 8am; Dose 2 – approx. 21 days later
Ivanhoe: Dose 1 – Friday 14 May (TBC); Dose 2 – approx. 21 days later
Please note that staff members are not included in the on-site COVID-19 vaccination program.
Influenza (flu) Vaccination Program for Residents
Two weeks are required between the last dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and the flu vaccination: we will be organising flu vaccinations for residents accordingly.
Staff: it is not compulsory for staff to have the flu vaccination this year. However, we are strongly encouraging all staff to help us protect our community by having their flu jab. We have staff flu vaccination clinics organised to make this as easy as possible for them.
Families: again, it is not compulsory for visitors to have the flu vaccination this year, but we strongly encourage you to do so, as the more of us who do, the less likely we are to see outbreaks of flu. Flu is potentially life-threatening to older people and this is one way we can all play our part in helping protect them.
ANZAC Day Commemorative Services
All five of our residential aged care homes will be holding ANZAC Day services on Sunday 25 April. Times and locations are shown below.
Due to the different numbers of residents, layouts and sizes of areas at each location and the physical distancing requirements still in place, we ask that you contact the lifestyle or admin staff at your site for details. These are still difficult times and we greatly appreciate your ongoing support and patience.
| Brighton
|
Brighton East | Bundoora | Frankston South | Ivanhoe | |
| Service Date
|
Sun 25 April | Sun 25 April | Sun 25 April | Sun 25 April | Sun 25 April |
| Service Time
|
10:30 am | 10.30 am | 10.45 am | 10.30 am | 10.00 am |
| Service Location | Main Dining Room | Rumbalara Courtyard (weather permitting) | Outdoors (weather permitting) | Paxino Courtyard (weather permitting) | Outdoors (weather permitting) |
Vasey RSL Care Bundoora – NEW Entry Screen
At our Bundoora home, we now have a new Entry Screen for visitors. Posters indicate what you need to do and Bundoora families will also have receiving instructions about the new system. It is very straight-forward and we hope it makes it quicker and easier on your arrival.
Around Our Sites
From left:
- Betty at Vasey RSL Care Brighton East takes a turn with the communal jigsaw; below her, a photo of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra became part of the discussion about ANZAC Day
- Ladies at Bundoora spent 2020 knitting squares which have now been made into 61 blankets for the McKillop Family Foster Care program – with Parade College, these will make care packs for foster children
- At Frankston South, residents enjoyed lunch at the Frankston RSL; and lovely Lort Smith Volunteer, Elspeth, visits with Bertie for some much-enjoyed pet therapy
- There were some very cute Easter bunnies at Brighton East who delivered chocolate eggs to happy residents!
- Thelma and Alan at Ivanhoe warm up for their weekly drumming group practice
Summer is now a distant memory and the days are getting much colder. Do remember to wrap up warmly and keep yourself well as we move into the colder part of the year.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
We had expected to have been notified about the vaccinations for residents by now: unfortunately the roll-out to residents is taking longer than the original 6-week timetable. We are assured that it is progressing and that the organisation that will be carrying out the resident vaccinations has our details. We continue to wait to be notified.
We will let you know the moment we have a date for our vaccination clinics.
We have also been notified that staff member will not now be included in the on-site vaccination program. We are waiting for confirmation of the process for them.
Influenza (flu) Vaccinations
We will be arranging for our residents to have their flu vaccinations as soon as possible in collaboration with their general practitioner and the Primary Health Network who is organising the COVID-19 vaccinations.
We are encouraging all staff to have their flu vaccination (now) as soon as possible so that it is out of the way and does not hold up their COVID-19 vaccination when available.
Family Members and Vaccinations
Those in Phase 1b:
If you are in Phase 1b (70 years or over, healthcare workers, ATSI people 55 or over, adults with an underlying medical condition/significant disability), we recommend you organise your COVID-19 vaccination now. When you have had both doses, leave two weeks and then have your flu vaccination.
Those NOT in Phase 1b:
As it could be some time before the COVID-19 vaccination is available to you, we strongly recommend that you book your flu vaccination now. While is not compulsory for aged care visitors to have this year’s flu vaccination, by doing so, you are helping protect our residents who are vulnerable to complications from flu. This will also make sure that when the COVID-19 vaccination is available to you, you are ready for it.
Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) – begins tomorrow
Current legislation requires that certain types of incident must be reported to the Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission (ACQSC).
From tomorrow, the range of incidents will increase from three types of reportable incident to eight types. This will include incidents occurring between residents and those where one or both parties involved may have a cognitive or mental impairment. It will be mandatory for us to report details of the incidents to the ACQSC including the personal information of the person or people involved. In this situation, family members will be provided with a Notice of Collection so that you are aware that personal information is being passed to the Commission.
If you would like to know more about this or any other aspect of SIRS, please visit the Department of Health website and the Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission website.
Aged Care Visiting Reminders
This will be a busy weekend for visitors, so please ensure you continue to follow the required procedures:
- Do NOT to visit if you have been involved in the hotel quarantine process.
- Follow the screening process on entry.
- Wear a face mask at all times indoors: note – face masks are no longer required outdoors.
- Wash your hands.
- Maintain 1.5m distance from everyone.
- Not feeling well? Stay home, get tested.
Screening Process Changes
The government has determined that there will be minor changes to the screening process now that we have passed 28 days with no community infection in Victoria.
From now on, any symptom that a visitor experiences that is caused by an underlying health condition or by medication will be excluded from the screening process. For example, if you have allergies or asthma, your usual symptoms will not be part of the screening.
Around Our Sites
Chocolate, Easter and anniversaries!
From top left:
- Residents at Vasey RSL Care Bundoora take part in a chocolate tasting session – who wouldn’t enjoy that! All went down well – the curry-flavoured chocolate – not so much!
- Thelma at Ivanhoe is today’s Easter bunny, waiting to have her nails done
- Marking Holy Week, residents had a special service at Frankston South with Rev Gary Gayson
- Celebrating 70 years married – congratulations to Bernice and Albert at Brighton – ‘It’s impossible – we’re not old enough!’ said Bernice.
- Our Facebook Easter Egg competition winner, Carmel, whose mum is in our residential care – Carmel guessed exactly right.
- Noyelle turns 100! And receives a visit from local MP, James Newbury, as well as beautiful flowers, cards and cake!
Communication Frequency
We are intending to move to fortnightly communications from today unless there is something we need to communicate more urgently.
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and happy Easter and I hope that you are able to enjoy spending time with your loved ones here at Vasey RSL Care.
Our Victorian COVID-19 numbers have now reached zero local infections and two people in quarantine who were infected overseas. We are very fortunate here in Australia!
Are you still remembering to wash/sanitise your hands regularly? It is easy to fall out of these practices so do please keep them top of mind.
Community Engagement Forum
Our inaugural Community Engagement Forum on Thursday went very well, with resident representatives from each of our five residential sites presenting their findings on the topic ‘What residents value in the workforce’.
As well as those presenting, all residents had the opportunity to view the proceedings live on TV, broadcast internally via Zoom.
Valuable insights were provided and some common themes were seen across multiple groups. Chair of the Board, Mike O’Meara OAM commented on the importance of ‘care, dignity and respect’, as the Royal Commission has entitled its Final Report, and the fact that it is not surprising that these same characteristics came through strongly in the forum.
Mike noted the recommendation that staff must be able to adjust their care and manner to suit the needs of each individual and said that it was powerful to hear these points being made by our residents. “The challenge now will be to digest the content of the presentations, reflect on the marvellous material received and translate it into practice.”
The Community Engagement Forums will take place quarterly to ensure the voice of residents is heard directly by the organisation’s leadership and to present the views, feelings and ideas of as many residents as possible from all sites.
Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) – begins 1 April
The new SIRS broadens requirements for reporting and managing any serious incident in aged care. In particular, it extends requirements to those occurring between residents, and those where one or both parties involved may have a cognitive or mental impairment. We are working to ensure that staff are up-to-speed on the impact on their role, ready for the 1 April deadline. You can find out more about this important new scheme at the Department of Health website and the Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission website.
“It’s Time to Care about Aged Care” – please sign this petition today!
The Australian Aged Care Collaboration’s online petition encourages our government to act on the findings of the Royal Commission and to support the reforms recommended.
It is an important message and we ask that you take a moment now to Sign the Petition.
We also ask that you to provide assistance to your loved one if they wish to sign it, as it is only available online.
Influenza (flu) Vaccination
This year’s flu vaccination is now available and we strongly recommend that all family members have it done as soon as possible.
At this stage it is not compulsory for aged care visitors to have had this year’s flu vaccination, but it is a very important protection for our community members who are very vulnerable to complications from flu. Getting your flu vaccination out of the way now will ensure you are ready for your COVID-19 vaccination when your turn comes.
Around Our Sites
This week any residents with an Irish connection particularly enjoyed the St Patrick’s Day celebrations and those with no connections the emerald isle were allowed to be ‘Irish for the day’…
From left:
+ Thelma and Jim at Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe decorating biscuits in the appropriate colour
+ Staff at Frankston South are dressed and ready for some St Patrick’s action
+ Resident Marjory at Brighton with staff leprechaun Leanne, where residents had Irish stew for lunch
+ The Brighton East Balladeers sang Danny Boy and Molloy Malone and you can see one of the Balladeers here with a very cheeky smile
+ Finally, we have two staff from Bundoora where residents ate green cakes, sang and had a fun-filled Irish day
Aged Care Visiting Reminders
- Check exposure sites before EVERY visit and do NOT visit if you have been at any of the exposure sites
- Do NOT to visit if you have been involved in the hotel quarantine process
- The visitor screening process remains in place and face masks must be worn at all times
- Wash your hands. Keep your distance. Keep yourself and others safe.
- Not feeling well? Stay home, get tested.
We know how little encouragement this virus needs to start spreading so please continue to remember your COVID-19 infection protection basics.
SIRS – The Serious Incident Response Scheme
Beginning on 1 April this year, the SIRS requires that aged care providers identify, manage, resolve and report all serious incidents that have occurred, or are alleged or suspected to have occurred, in their aged care homes. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has now released Guidelines for aged care on the SIRS.
Residential aged care already has compulsory reporting requirements for incidents, so this is not entirely new: however, SIRS places greater requirements on aged care providers to report incidents, in particular those occurring between residents and where one or both may have a cognitive or mental impairment. Providers are also required to have effective incident management systems in place.
Legislation that helps minimise the risk of preventable incidents recurring and improves safety for residents is important and beneficial to our sector as a whole and to all individuals cared for. Over the next few weeks, we will be providing a range of learning materials and online training sessions to ensure that our workforce fully understand the new requirements.
For more information about SIRS, visit the Department of Health website and the Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission website.
Petition – It’s Time to Care about Aged Care – have you signed yet?
The Australian Aged Care Collaboration has created an online petition to encourage our government to act on the findings of the Royal Commission. It calls on government to support comprehensive reform of the aged care system. We would like to encourage our whole community to stand behind this petition by signing it: More information/Sign Now
COVID-19 Vaccination Program/Consent Forms
We still have no dates for COVID-19 vaccinations at our aged care homes. We will let you know as soon as we do.
Thanks to all those family members who have assisted their loved ones with filling in and returning consent forms. If you have yet to do this, we ask for your prompt attention in case we have only a very short notice period of our vaccination dates. Consent forms can be downloaded here.
If you have questions about the vaccination, these government pages will provide answers:
Information on COVID-19 Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine
Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination
What to expect on vaccination day
After your COVID-19 vaccination
Influenza (flu) Vaccination
While the COVID-19 vaccination program is going ahead for our residents and staff, vaccination for the general population will not commence until May.
We therefore strongly recommend that you organise your flu vaccination now, so that it is out of the way when your turn comes for the COVID-19 vaccination. The flu vaccination is available from Monday onwards. Check your usual provider and book an appointment today.
NEW – Community Engagement Forum
Our inaugural Community Engagement Forum will take place online on Thursday 18 March and the topic is ‘What residents value in the workforce’.
Board Chair, Mike O’Meara OAM will be chairing the forum and will welcome attendees. CEO, Janna Voloshin will briefly talk about the purpose of the forum, followed by presentations from each of our aged care homes: a resident representative will present their findings on this topic. Residents will be able to attend the forum at each site.
This is an exciting new initiative that will ensure the voice of residents is heard directly by the organisation’s leadership. We look forward to this inaugural event and plan to have quarterly forums in the future based on a different topic each time.
Aged Care Visiting
It is very pleasing to see there were just three cases of COVID-19 in Victoria as of yesterday, one locally acquired and two acquired overseas. We are certainly fortunate here. Despite this, we continue our ‘abundance of caution’ approach and remind you:
- To check the list of exposure sites before EVERY visit and NOT to visit if you have been at any of the exposure sites
- NOT to visit if you have been involved in the hotel quarantine process
- That our visitor screening process remains in place and face masks must be worn at all times
- To remember your hand hygiene, physical distancing and all other virus-prevention precautions.
Not feeling well?
It is still very important that we are vigilant for any signs of COVID-19: if you have any symptoms, please stay home and organise a test.
Around Our Sites
Just a couple of photos for you to enjoy this week – on the left are resident Betty at Vasey RSL Care Brighton with volunteer, Maggie, whose granddaughters sent letters and drawings to residents. The residents wrote back and it looks like a new pen pal group is emerging! On the right is resident Christel from Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe displaying her leprechaun, part of the craft group’s preparation for St Patrick’s Day coming up next week.
We are all very happy to have our volunteers with us again after the difficulties last year – they make a huge difference to all of us – residents and staff.
Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality & Safety
The Royal Commission handed down its final report last Friday and it was tabled in parliament. There has been much in the news about the recommendations and the funding required to bring the whole of the aged care industry up to an acceptable standard. No doubt this discussion will be lengthy and complex.
Our organisation fully supports an aged care industry that is of high quality that provides the support, care and kindness that we would want for our own loved ones and that ensures dignity for all older Australians requiring help.
These last few years have been very difficult for the aged care industry: there has been so much focus on the terrible things that have happened in aged care, and quite rightly so. It is important to remember that there are many many good, kind people working in aged care and we are certainly very fortunate to have such a caring and committed workforces here: we are proud of the services we provide to our community.
However, I know that our organisation can learn from the findings of the Royal Commission and that we can always go on improving. Our senior staff will be attending industry forums over the next few weeks to ensure that we have a thorough understanding of the report and can work to apply the recommendations across our whole organisation.
We are also looking forward to the response of our government to the recommendations and to hearing how they will be implemented, and of course, funded.
Petition – It’s Time to Care about Aged Care
The Australian Aged Care Collaboration has created an online petition to encourage our government to act on the findings of the Royal Commission. It calls on government to support comprehensive reform of the aged care system.
I encourage you to lend your support to this petition: More information/Sign the Petition
COVID-19 Vaccination Program Update
The COVID-19 Vaccination Program for aged care residents and staff is underway in Victoria but we do not yet have dates for any of our aged care homes. We will be in touch as soon as we have that information.
Vaccination Consent Process for Residents
We have now received a large proportion of the Resident Consent Forms and we really appreciate our residents’ support of this program and your support where your loved one is not able to make this decision.
We may have a very short notice period for the vaccinations, so if we do not yet have a Consent Form from your loved one, we would be very grateful for your prompt attention to this.
We understand from the first two weeks of the vaccination rollout that priority is being given to residents and that staff vaccinations will follow on a different day. Again, we will be in touch as soon as we are notified.
More Information on the COVID-19 Vaccination Program
If you have questions about the vaccination, please check out these government pages:
Information on COVID-19 Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine
Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination
What to expect on vaccination day
After your COVID-19 vaccination
Aged Care Visiting
There have been no changes to visiting requirements since last Friday.
Reminders:
- Please remember to check the list of exposure sites before EVERY visit
- Do NOT visit if you have been at any of the exposure sites
- Anyone involved in the hotel quarantine process must NOT visit aged care homes
- Our visitor screening process remains in place and face masks must be worn at all times
- Don’t forget hand hygiene, physical distancing and all other virus-prevention precautions.
Thank you!
Not feeling well?
Get tested. Stay home. Thank you!
Aged Care Visiting Restrictions
From 11.59pm tonight, the restrictions on the number of visitors will be lifed.
Please remember to check the list of exposure sites before EVERY visit as it is updated constantly. Anyone who has been to an exposure site must NOT visit.
Our visitor screening process remains in place and face masks must be worn at all times; don’t forget hand hygiene, physical distancing and all other virus-prevention precautions. Thank you!
COVID-19 Vaccination Program Update
The COVID-19 Vaccination Program for aged care residents and staff has begun this week and will be reaching our sites at some stage during the next five weeks. We will let you know as soon as we have definite dates.
Vaccination Consent Process for Residents
Thank you to all those who have already supported your loved one to return their Consent Form or returned it for them if you are signing on their behalf. If you or your loved one has not yet returned their form, we ask for your assistance to respond as soon as you possibly can, remembering that this decision is for the resident to make where possible.
We will receive only a few days’ notice of the vaccination date and we need to be ready.
Similarly, we are urging all staff to have the COVID-19 vaccination so that our organisation is protected from the virus as well as is currently possible.
More Information on the COVID-19 Vaccination Program
Please use these links for more information about the COVID-19 Vaccination:
- Information on COVID-19 Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine
- Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination
- What to expect on vaccination day
- After your COVID-19 vaccination
- Consent form
Not feeling well?
It is still vital that we all take note of how we are feeling and if we have even the slightest of symptoms, we stay home, organise a test, and help protect our whole community.
Thank you once again.
Victorian Lockdown Ends Midnight Tonight
Premier Daniel Andrews, has announced that the ‘circuit-breaker’ five-day lockdown will finish at midnight tonight. Note, however, some restrictions will remain in place until Friday 26 February so please check the full details before making plans.
Aged Care Visiting Restrictions Partly Lifted
From midnight tonight, visiting is permitted, as follows:
- One household per day is permitted to visit – please organise with other family members so that we don’t have to turn anyone away!
- You must check the exposure sites before every visit – this information is updated constantly
- Visitors who have been to an exposure site must not visit
- The screening process remains in place; face masks must be worn at all times, hand hygiene etc.
If you have a need to visit on compassionate grounds, contact the Residential Manager at your loved one’s residential home to discuss the situation.
COVID-19 Vaccination Program News
Last evening we received an important update about the COVID-19 Vaccination Program for aged care. We have been informed that all residential aged care residents and staff will receive the COVID-19 vaccination in the next six weeks, delivered by Aspen Medical at no cost.
Consent Process for Residents
Each resident will be required to sign a consent form for the COVID-19 vaccination if they are able. If not, their legal decision-maker will be asked to sign it on their behalf. Please remember that this decision is for the resident to make where possible, and we ask that you offer your full support for this program.
If signing for your loved one, please complete and return the form as a matter of urgency.
As soon as we know the dates for our sites, we will be in touch. If you have any concerns regarding the vaccination, please speak to the relevant Residential Manager as soon as possible.
Similarly, we are urging all staff to have the COVID-19 vaccination so that our organisation is protected from the virus as well as is currently possible.
More Information on the COVID-19 Vaccination Program
Please use these links for more information about the COVID-19 Vaccination:
- Information on COVID-19 Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine
- Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination
- What to expect on vaccination day
- After your COVID-19 vaccination
- Consent form
Not feeling well?
Please don’t forget to take note of even the slightest of symptoms – stay home, organise a test, help Victoria get back to COVID-normal!
** New Restrictions **
Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, has announced a 5-day ‘short sharp circuit-breaker’ lockdown for the whole of Victoria for five days, beginning at 11.59pm today.
This is to counter the growing outbreak surrounding the Holiday Inn and to do all we can to avoid a third wave. The current outbreak is the newer UK strain of COVID-19 which is much more infectious and moves much faster than the earlier strain.
Stage 4 Restrictions from 11.59pm Today until 11.5pm Wednesday
The restrictions return us to Stage 4 with just four reasons to leave home:
- Essential shopping
- Caregiving/compassionate reasons
- Work or education that cannot be done from home
- Exercise for up to 2 hours max per day, with other household members or one other person
Visiting Restrictions from 11.59pm Today
Please note that we will return to Stage 4 restrictions from 11.59pm tonight:
- Visits to aged care facilities not permitted except for compassionate/end-of-life care
- Aged care residents not permitted to leave except for medical reasons
If you have a need to visit on compassionate grounds, contact the Residential Manager at your loved one’s residential home to discuss the situation.
Other Restrictions
Summary of other restrictions:
- Must stay within 5km of home
- Masks must be worn at all times except in your own home
- No private gatherings permitted
- No public gatherings permitted
- Schools/higher education shut
- Churches closed
- Funerals limited to 10 people and weddings only allowed on compassionate grounds
- Hairdressers closed
- Takeaway food only
- Libraries, pools, entertainment, non-essential retail all closed
Abundance of Caution
The goal is that a short sharp lockdown will act as a circuit-breaker and restrict the spread of the Holiday Inn cluster and help avoid a third wave.
We ask that you once again put our vulnerable residents first and avoid visiting. This is only five days and if it works, Victoria will be able to get back to ‘new-normal’ next week.
Sick? Even a little bit?
Please remember that every single one of us must take responsibility for staying home and getting tested if we have even the slightest of symptoms. This new variant is much more infectious than the previous one, so take care of yourself, and follow all the restrictions.
Late yesterday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that a new COVID-19 case had occurred in a staff member working in the Hotel Quarantine Program. Testing of close contacts of that worker have so far been negative.
New Regulations: Face Masks Compulsory in Public Indoor Spaces
New state-wide restrictions have been implemented as of 11.59pm yesterday, 3 February. This includes the requirement to wear face masks in all public indoor spaces including offices. Note also that household gatherings have been reduced from 30 to 15 visitors and the planned increase of staff in offices from 50% to 75% due for 8 February has been put on hold.
Visits: Exposure Sites – Check Online
There are no changes relating to visiting regulations. However,
- You MUST check the List of Exposure Sites BEFORE you visit any of our aged care homes.
- If you have visited an exposure site, DO NOT VISIT any of our aged care homes: follow the instructions provided by the Department of Health (DoH).
- Exposures sites currently include North Point Café, North Road, Brighton, as well as sites at Brandon Park, in Clayton South, Heatherton, Keysborough, Noble Park, Springvale, Melbourne, Moorabbin Airport and West Melbourne.
- The list of exposure sites/times is updated continually: you must continue to check it before EVERY visit you make. This is part of the screening process to keep our residents safe.
Continue with Caution
This situation reminds us how important it is to maintain our vigilance. Please remember:
- Follow infection control measures at all times
- If you feel unwell – even slightly – stay home, get tested immediately. Do not visit until you have received a negative test result.
Thank you for your vital assistance in keeping all of our residents safe from COVID-19.
With 21 days of no new community infections, Victoria is continuing to keep the COVID-19 situation under control. There are now just 31 people infected with the virus in our state and they are all travellers in hotel quarantine. The Victorian ‘traffic light’ permit scheme remains in place for anyone entering Victoria.
Reminder – please don’t get complacent!
With things going well, it would be easy for us to drop our guard – so please remember that one of the reasons we are in this strong position is due to ongoing precautions. We are all part of this. So remember…
- Wear a face mask as per government requirements
- Hand hygiene
- Physical distancing – stay 1.5m from others
Around Our Sites – and a very Happy Australia Day
We bring you a fabulous selection of photos thanks to our lifestyle teams:
From left: residents from Ivanhoe are pictured with the beautiful Australia Day kangaroo and joey they made, and can be seen playing that old favourite, ‘thong tennis’ on Australia Day. Next, some Bundoora residents enjoy pet therapy while others are busy cooking and using their artistic talents. Exercise classes at Brighton are back up and running and are clearly a lot of fun! While at Frankston South, residents have their photos taken in the Australia Day Frame. At Brighton East, the Balladeers are seen performing for Australia Day celebrations.
Note: follow us on Facebook – VaseyRSLCareSalutingExcellence – for more photos from around our organisation.
Aged Care Visits – All Are Welcome
- No limit on number or age of visitors, length or purpose of visit
- No booking needed
- Continue to wear masks and follow all hygiene precautions
HOWEVER, DO NOT VISIT IF:
- You have even the mildest symptoms – stay home, get tested
- You are waiting for the results of a virus test
- You have returned from NSW, QLD or NZ – refer to government information
Screening applies to visitors:
Please make sure you ARRIVE for your visit during the following times so that we can assist you with the screening process in a timely fashion:
Please continue to look after yourselves and each other as we continue to battle this terrible pandemic.
Over the weekend, we received updated directions for visitors to aged care, easing restrictions.
Visits to our Aged Care Homes
Family and friends are once again able to visit!
- There is no limit on numbers of visitors
- There are no restrictions on the length or purpose of the visit
- People of any age can visit
- There is no need to book your visit online
Please remember
- Do NOT visit if you are feeling unwell – even if you are have even the slightest symptoms.
- All visitors must wear face masks at all times
- Maintain hand hygiene and 1.5m distance from others at all times
- You MUST check the list of exposure sites before visiting and follow advice given
- If you have recently returned from NSW or Queensland, you must refer to government information and follow the instructions
- Do NOT visit if you are waiting for the results of a virus test
- The screening process remains in place for ALL visitors – please ARRIVE during the following times:
Enjoy your time with your loved ones!
Victoria has had no new virus cases for a week now! However, we still have 38 active cases in our state. Our aged care homes continue to have no infections and we are maintaining our ‘abundance of caution’ approach to do all we can to keep it that way.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
I’m sure you’ll have been keeping up-to-date on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations: it seems likely that the Australian program will begin by March, perhaps earlier, and that aged care residents and staff will be in the first phase of the vaccination roll out. We will keep you informed as soon as we have definite details. We must all be patient a little longer!
Visits to our Aged Care Homes – No change
We greatly appreciate your support in ‘visiting’ by Zoom and phone as far as possible and we ask that you continue to do so. If you feel an in-person visit is essential for the resident’s physical, emotional or psychological wellbeing, the following DHHS guidance continues to apply:
- one visitor
- once per day
- maximum of two hours
- must occur in the resident’s room or outside in the garden
- screening process continues without change
- maintain hand hygiene/face masks/1.5m distance at all times
Important: Check Exposure Sites Before Visiting
It is MANDATORY that anyone planning a visit to our aged care homes checks the current Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) list of exposure sites and follows the advice given. This page is being updated frequently so please check it before every visit.
Returning from NSW and parts of Queensland
If you have recently returned from NSW or Queensland, you must refer to government information and follow the instructions. Please do not put our community at risk.
Appointment Booking System for In-person/Zoom Visits
Thank you for using the online booking system and please continue to do so. Book now.
Recent Activities
Below, we have a few photos from our residential homes as the new year begins. From left, residents at Bundoora enjoy some board games and afternoon tea, while staff member Jo, at Ivanhoe brought her new puppy, Maisy, in for some pet therapy! At Frankston South, the monthly barbecue took place in the Paxino courtyard, complete with Mr Whippy’s ice cream cart! Favourite flavour? Strawberry.
COVID-19 Email Updates
We continue to update our email list to reflect the wishes of residents’ families/representatives. However, if you are continuing to receive these emails and no longer wish to, please reply to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au and request to unsubscribe. Thank you.
Symptoms? Get yourself tested.
Mass testing continues to be an important aspect of COVID-19 spread prevention, and we remind you that if you have any symptoms – even the slightest – you must stay home, get tested, self-quarantine.
Vacancies at Vasey RSL Care – know someone considering aged care?
One of the outcomes of 2020 has been that people thinking about moving to aged care have postponed their decision and this has affected the whole aged care sector, including us.
So if you are confident in the care our organisation provides to your loved one, do please pass on our details! This will be a great help to us as ‘word of mouth’ is always the most trustworthy recommendation.
COVID-19 Update
Thank you for your support for the continuing measures to protect our vulnerable residents, as the number of cases in Victoria community continues to be a concern. We have no virus cases within our community.
Visits to our Aged Care Homes
There are no changes to the current advice: please ‘visit’ by Zoom or phone if you can.
If you feel an in-person visit is essential for the resident’s physical, emotional or psychological wellbeing, the following DHHS guidance applies:
- one visitor
- once per day
- maximum of two hours
- must occur in the resident’s room or outside in the garden
Check Exposure Sites Before Visiting
It is MANDATORY that anyone planning a visit to our aged care homes checks the current Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) list of exposure sites and follows the advice given.
* Those Returning from NSW *
If you have recently returned from NSW, you must refer to government information and follow the instructions.
* Queensland Virus Situation *
We are aware of the evolving situation in Brisbane and are awaiting advice from the Victorian Government. If you have recently returned from Brisbane, please do NOT visit any of our aged care homes until further notice.
In Summary: if in doubt, please do not visit.
Online Appointment Booking System for In-person Visits and Zoom Visits
We request that you book Zoom and In-person visits online: please make the booking yourself and only contact the home if you have difficulties using the system.
Screening Process
Visits continue to be dependent upon screening results: visitors must agree, and sign (via QR code or paper form) to confirm they have read the information on the DHHS website for exposure sites and will comply with staff instructions and infection prevention measures, including wearing a mask and maintaining 1.5m physical distancing at all times and hand hygiene requirements.
‘Partners In Care’
The emotional and physical wellbeing of residents is our highest priority and we are working towards new ways to help maintain their care during ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
A Partner In Care is a person who frequently and regularly visits a resident to provide aspects of regular routine care and companionship to that person.
Together with the resident, wherever possible and after a risk assessment, this support can be included in the care plan and the Partner In Care will then undergo training to understand the expectations of the role and the required infection prevention and control.
This initiative would enable the resident’s partner to attend the facility without pre-booking. The arrangements are subject to Public Health orders and to the changing local COVID-19 situation and risks.
If you would like more information, please contact the relevant aged care home and ask for a case conference to discuss becoming a Partner In Care for your loved one.
Tiered Response
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our organisation has acted in accordance with Victorian government guidance. This includes a ‘tiered response’ whereby our actions correspond with the number of community transmission cases: as the number of cases increases, our level of restrictions and enhanced measures increase and as the number decreases, our level of restrictions and measures reduce accordingly as soon as practicable. This tiered response system will continue throughout the pandemic.
Symptoms – even the slightest…
Please continue to be aware of your own health: if you have even the slightest symptoms, stay home, get tested, self-quarantine. We must all take responsibility for ourselves and for doing our part to minimise the virus spread.
These continue to be difficult times and our organisation continues to do everything possible to protect your loved ones and maintain the safety of our entire community. We greatly value your ongoing cooperation and assistance.
COVID-19 Update
We are maintaining high alert to protect our vulnerable community from the virus.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has advised today that there have been three further positive cases, all linked with known cases. The list of ‘exposure sites’ (places where a person who has tested positive has attended whilst infectious) is constantly being updated. The testing and quarantine requirements for people who have visited a listed exposure site will depend on the specific exposure site. See list of exposure sites.
The DHHS has also provided guidance for people who have recently returned from NSW. Please check the website page for full details.
In-Person Visits to our Aged Care Homes
We ask that you consider ‘visiting’ by Zoom or phone.
However, if you feel your visit is necessary for the physical, emotional or psychological wellbeing of a resident, the following guidance from DHHS applies:
- one visitor
- once per day
- maximum of two hours
- must occur in the resident’s room or outside in the garden
If you have any doubt we ask that you do not visit the facility.
All visits continue to be dependent upon screening results and the person visiting agreeing, and signing (via QR code or paper form), that they have read information on the DHHS website for ‘exposure sites’ and will comply with staff instructions and infection prevention measures, such as one visitor attending, wearing a mask, maintaining 1.5 m physical distancing at all times and hand hygiene requirements.
Online Appointment Booking System for In-person Visits and Zoom Visits
To enable safe visitation, we have reintroduced the online appointment booking system.
The system is simple to use and sends you a confirmation and reminder. It helps us by reducing the work for our administration staff and freeing them up to do other tasks. Please make the booking yourself, and only contact the home if you have difficulties using the system.
Anything else?
Our visiting hairdressers continue to be welcomed (much to the relief of residents) and residents can continue eating together in the main dining rooms. Staff are wearing masks and face shields and we have reintroduced single-site working arrangements.
Thank you
We very much appreciate your continued support and the kind words of encouragement that people have provided to the our staff at the aged care homes – we hope that this will be over quickly and we will be back to COVID-Normal soon. Please stay safe and maintain your guard against the virus.
Welcome to the New Year and we hope you and your loved ones enjoyed the festive season.
We are disappointed to have to notify you of restrictions and enhanced measures that have been introduced for the safety of all in response to COVID-19 cases in Victoria and New South Wales.
COVID-19 Update – Community Transmission
The government has advised that as of yesterday, 31 December 2020, there are 10 active virus cases in the community in Victoria. New South Wales continues to experience clusters of positive cases. Active virus cases have been identified in Mitcham, Hallam and Mentone and a list of ‘exposure sites’ have been published on the DHHS website. The NSW border will close at midnight tonight.
Residential Visiting
- Everyone must read the DHHS website to check for instructions on testing and quarantine.
- Where possible, visits should be held off until further information is known. Residents and families are encouraged to communicate by phone over this long weekend.
- However, if a visitor must attend for an in-person visit (meaning they cannot reasonably visit by phone, Zoom, face time or via window visit), then one visitor may attend, once per day for a maximum of two hours. The visit must occur in the resident’s room or outside in the garden.
If you have any doubt we ask that you do not visit the facility. We will continue to apply our 2020 policy of ‘abundance of caution’ and we ask that you respect this policy.
Routine safety measures remain:
- Face masks are mandatory: they must be kept on while you are with your loved one, for their safety
- Physical distancing of 1.5m: must be maintained at all times whether you are inside or outside
- Hand hygiene: use the hand sanitiser regularly for the protection of your loved one
- Screening remains in place for all visitors: temperature is taken and declaration must be signed – a QR code process is now available.
- It you have to wait to be screened, please keep your distance.
Arrival: if you must visit in-person please try to arrive during hours shown below for screening purposes.
* Bundoora: weekend keypad exit is available from 10am to 4pm. Reception is unattended on weekends so please be patient on arrival.
Resident Leave
The risk for vulnerable older persons is greatest. We ask that you consider not to take your loved one out in the community.
- Please be aware that if a resident leaves the facility, and visits a listed ‘exposure site’ (refer to DHHS website), on return they will be tested, and managed as a suspected COVID-19 case (in isolation) until results are known. On their return they will be asked ‘screening questions’.
- Further, if they spend time with someone that would otherwise have been an excluded person – this includes persons from or who have visited the restricted zones in NSW – they will be tested, and managed as a suspected COVID-19 case (in isolation) until results are known.
Staff
- Will again be wearing face shields as well as masks.
- We will be encouraged to participate in testing.
- Will be allocated to Units and groups of residents.
We hope these will be short term requirements.
Please share this information with others to communicate these important changes.
Thank you for your support.
COVID-19 Update – Risk from NSW
If you have visited Greater Sydney and/or the NSW Central Coast in the last 14 days, you may NOT enter any of our aged care homes. You must self-quarantine at home for a period of 14 days from your return date. Get yourself tested immediately and you will be contacted for follow-up tests.
If you have questions, please call the relevant Residential Manager and they will assist you. We ask that you do not arrive at the facility if you have any doubt.
Residential Visiting
Apart from the above, there are no changes to the current visiting procedure, which is:
- No bookings needed
- No time limits on visits: stay as long as your loved one is comfortable with!
- Visits in residents’ rooms are allowed (with no density limit) however people need to maintain 1.5 metres separation. We encourage you to visit outside and enjoy the time together outdoors
- Children are welcome: babies up to 12 months are not counted in visitor numbers.
- Face masks are mandatory: they must be kept on while you are with your loved one, for their safety
- Physical distancing of 1.5m: must be maintained at all times whether you are inside or outside
- Hand hygiene: must be maintained for the protection of your loved one
- Screening remains in place for all visitors: temperature is taken and declaration must be signed – a QR code process is now available.
- It you have to wait to be screened, please keep your distance.
Arrival: please try to arrive during hours shown below for screening purposes.
* Bundoora: weekend keypad exit is available from 10am to 4pm. Reception is unattended on weekends so please be patient on arrival.
We continue to maintain our defences with our infection control procedures, ongoing staff training and sustained vigilance. As we have done from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we take an ‘abundance of caution’ approach which goes beyond the basic government requirements, referring to experts in our planning and decision-making. This has proved to be the right thing to do and will continue in the coming year. All stakeholders will be kept fully informed of any changes.
Saluting Excellence Award Winners!
Last Tuesday, this year’s Saluting Excellence Staff Awards were presented and these are our 24 winners:
| Ashish Sood – Frankston South | Louise Williamson – Ivanhoe |
| Alanna Singleton – Home Care | Madeline Bianco – Bundoora |
| Arun Nair – Frankston South | Nadia Wilson – Aged Care Services |
| Alphi Francis – Ivanhoe | Neville Lin – Brighton East |
| Chin Lin Foo Souye – Frankston S | Nicole Groves – Bundoora |
| Darren Dreier – Bundoora | Rayphe Collins – Human Resources |
| Emily Cosh – Bundoora | Sanja Essa – ACFI |
| Evalyn Kaaya – Brighton East | Siew Ping Su – Frankston South |
| Jane Faulkner – Home Care | Siobhan Johns – Ivanhoe |
| Julie Bell – Home Care | Susan Douglas – Frankston South |
| Laura Dean – Brighton | Vicki Jarrett – Brighton |
| Leanne Saville – Brighton | Wilhelm Booyse – Brighton East |
Congratulations to these very worthy recipients! We are very proud of them, as well as our 152 nominees, and all our staff! This has been an incredibly hard year and we sincerely appreciate all they have done to support our residents and clients.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the nominations that came from you, our family members this year. The words you write are included (anonymously) on Nomination Certificates for each nominee – reading these comments means a great deal and is rewarding in itself for those staff. Thank you.
Continue reading about the Awards
Annual Report 2019-2020 Available online
If you would like to read the Annual Report, please click here.
The Year of the Nurse – a terrible toll
2020 was the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. This was determined by the World Health Organisation long before the pandemic hit and was meant to be a year celebrating their work and dedication.
It is horrifying to hear that globally, as of 5 November, more than 1,500 nurses had died from COVID-19, as many as died in World War I. This data was from just 44 of the world’s 195 countries, so the actual number will be worse. You may have seen news showing the anguished faces of nurses who lost colleagues in Europe earlier this year.
Over 150 nurses work here at Vasey RSL Care – this year has not been much of a celebration for them, but it has certainly highlighted the value of their work and our reliance on them in times of sickness. We are very lucky to have such a high standard of nursing care here in Australia.
Preparing for 2021
As we approach the New Year, it is important that we start to think about the future of our organisation. It has been a difficult year for aged care and there are more vacancies in residential care than would usually be the case. This applies to our homes as well and we do have a number of vacancies at each of our five locations.
Can you help? If you are aware of someone who is considering moving into aged care, we would be very pleased if you would pass on our details to them, or suggest they give us a call. The restrictions that were in place during lockdown are mostly lifted and facility tours are available – and they are all looking very festive with their Christmas decorations up – a lovely time to visit!
Christmas & New Year Holidays
Our residential homes do not – of course – shut down over Christmas and the New Year! It is generally a busy time with lots of visitors and I know our residents will be very happy to see you all!
However, please note that central office staff, most of whom are continuing to work remotely, (normally available Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm) will not be available on the three public holidays – 25 December, 28 December and 1 January.
Christmas Greetings
We all need some Christmas cheer! I would like to pass on best wishes for a peaceful and happy Christmas from all of us here at Vasey RSL Care to you and your loved ones. I hope the New Year will bring better times to everyone and that during 2021, we will see a worldwide end to this terrible pandemic.
Happy Christmas!
COVID-19 Update
As of yesterday, Victoria has no remaining active cases! What a great result. And with these improvements, our state government has made some major changes to relax visiting restrictions for residential aged care.
Residential Aged Care Visits – Major Easing!
We are delighted to inform you that Care Facilities Directions No 17 have lifted limits on the number of visitors, the time limits for visits and reasons for visits!
From tomorrow, Thursday 26 November, the following will be in place.
NEW Relaxed Visiting Procedure
- No bookings needed
- Increased number of visitors permitted – visits must be:
- In Resident’s Room: max 2 visitors at a time
- Outdoors in Gardens: max 5 visitors at a time
- No other locations permitted
- No time limits on visits: stay as long as your loved one is comfortable with!
- Children are welcome again! Babies up to 12 months are not counted in visitor numbers.
- Face masks are mandatory: they must be kept on while you are with your loved one, for their safety
- Physical distancing of 1.5m: must be maintained at all times whether you are inside or outside
- Hand hygiene: must be maintained for the protection of your loved one
- Screening remains in place: all visitors must be screened on arrival – see below
Screening Process and Hours
Please make sure you arrive during these hours so staff can carry out the screening process.
You are still required to have your temperature taken and sign a declaration: adults will need to sign on behalf of children. Be aware you may need to wait, keeping your distance, if you arrive at a busy time.
Notes: We appreciate your patience during this period and arriving during these screening times wherever possible.
Bundoora: weekend keypad exit is available from 10am to 4pm. Reception is unattended on weekends so please be patient on arrival.
Please coordinate visits with family/friends. After missing you for so long, it may be overwhelming for residents to have large numbers of visitors for lengthy periods of time on the same day.
Residents Permitted to Go Out
Residents are once again able to go out and about. They are required to follow the same requirements as everyone else – wearing face masks in indoor public places (eg shops) and outdoors if 1.5m distancing is not possible, maintaining physical distancing, hand hygiene etc.
Volunteers are Back!
We are thrilled to finally welcome back our volunteers: we have missed them greatly – residents and staff alike. During this time, they have continued to support us with messages, gifts and window appearances and we are very grateful to them. We welcome them back with open arms – at 1.5m distance of course and with face masks…
Please Continue with Caution
We must each take responsibility for continuing to play our part in ongoing COVID-19 prevention.
If you have any symptoms – even slight – stay home, isolate, get tested. We are still at the mercy of this virus!
Having said that, do enjoy being with your loved ones once again.
COVID-19 Update
Victoria has now reached 19 consecutive days with no new virus cases and just 3 remaining active cases!
However, as we are seeing in South Australia, this virus needs very little opportunity to gain ground – many of us have friends and family overseas and it is a grave concern to hear of the infections and deaths continuing to climb.
I just want to remind everyone that we must enjoy the new freedoms with our new-found sense of appreciation and ongoing caution, particularly when it comes to all those over 70.
Communications – change in frequency
I have enjoyed talking to you over these last nine months and I hope you’ve found these updates helpful.
We will now move to fortnightly updates unless there is a need to be in touch more frequently.
Visiting Restrictions
There are no changes since last week: two members of the same household can visit together in the resident’s room for a maximum of two hours. Another household may visit on a different day, again up to two people maximum from one household for up to two hours maximum.
- You must still wear face masks – and they must stay on while you are with the resident
- Physical distancing of 1.5m must still be maintained – at all times
- The screening process remains in place
- All visits must be booked online (please do not just arrive)
* Please remind relatives to book visits online *
As most of you receiving this email are the primary contact for your loved one, we are asking for your help!
Please forward this email to your family members and emphasise that all visits must be booked online. We have a lot more times available and they should have no difficulty booking a spot. Book Your Visit Now.
Our online booking system helps ensure that staff are available to look after residents: if they are kept busy taking phone calls, it takes them away from providing care. We really appreciate your understanding and support on this. Thank you.
Special Circumstances Only
Only if you have no access to the Internet or you have special circumstances and need to speak to the Residential Manager, should you phone regarding your visit. Visits on compassionate grounds, for end-of-life care, continue unchanged.
Our Ex-Service Accommodation
You may already be aware that we have seven locations across Metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong with units for members of the ex-service community. In total there are 265 units and around 300 residents. This is an important part of our organisation, and in fact, providing units for veterans after WWI and war widows after WWII was the original mission of our founding organisations.
There has been an increasing need for affordable accommodation from younger veterans in recent times – ie those 65 or under. One in five of our unit residents is now in the 65 and under age group and this proportion has been increasing year on year.
As a result and to more accurately describe our units, their name is changing from ‘Independent Living Unit’s to ‘Ex-Service Accommodation’ or ESA.
To find out more about our ESA, please click here.
Around Our Sites
This week we bring you more photos thanks to our lifestyle staff members, from left:
Residents at Bundoora enjoy the sun as well as a visit from RM Nicole’s puppy, Bonnie; Residents at Brighton East mark Remembrance Day with a service broadcast from the entrance; Residents at Frankston South received messages from the students at Mount Erin, looking forward to visiting again and thanking them for risking their lives for this country; residents at Ivanhoe took part in their outdoor Remembrance Day Service and are putting their green thumbs to good use.
We will be in touch again in two weeks – around 2 December – and yes, it is getting near to Christmas!
COVID-19 Update
We are now at 12 consecutive days with no new cases here in Victoria and just 4 active cases in our state.
While things are improving here in Victoria, other parts of the world are not doing as well. After levelling off during August and September, infections began to get climb again in October. There have now been 1.269 million deaths from COVID-19 worldwide and there are currently between 6,000 and 9,000 deaths every day. It is important that we keep this in mind as restrictions here begin to ease.
Remembrance Day Commemorations
Today we remember all those who have served in the armed forces, current and past. We think of all those who have fought for our freedom and continue to do so. And we remember those who gave their lives.
Lest we forget.
Services of remembrance have taken place at each of our aged care homes, sadly without the presence of friends and family. Many of our residents have either served or are widows of those who served, and today we stop to remember their sacrifices and those of their comrades.
Today marks 100 years since The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in the UK and ‘La tombe du soldat inconnu’ in France were created as a way of honouring all those whose final resting place is unknown.
This beautiful concept, giving comfort to those whose loved ones have no known burial place, has been emulated in countries around the world. In Australia, although our own Tomb of the Unknown Soldier had been planned for a long time, it was not until 1993 that the body of an unknown Australian soldier was brought home from France and interred at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on this day 27 years ago.
The words on the tomb say “He is all of them and he is one of us.”
[Photo: By Nick-D – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75457976]
A Gift from Ironside
During the outbreaks at our Ivanhoe and Frankston South aged care homes earlier in the year, our residents and staff at each site were supported by young veterans and a veteran’s partner. We are very grateful to them for all they did to help us during that very difficult time.
These people came to us via Ironside Recruitment, a veteran-specific recruitment organisation headed by Glen Ferrarotto. In commemoration of Remembrance Day, Glen purchased poppy badges from RSL Victoria and the young veterans presented the badges to every resident at Ivanhoe and Frankston South yesterday.
Top row: At Ivanhoe, Glen, Will and Chad present poppy badges to residents Athol, Merv and Gino, with CEO Janna and Residential Manager Ruth.
Bottom row: At Frankston South, Glen, Margaret and Callum present badges to residents Margaret, Ted and Paul, with CEO Janna and Residential Manager Jane.
Visiting Restrictions: Update
It is wonderful for our residents to finally be able to see you again!
The new ‘Care Facilities Directions No 16’ have now been released. Members of the same household are now permitted to visit together within the allowable density quotient (the maximum number of people in a room to allow for 1.5 metre distancing) according to the location of the visit.
As visits will take place in the resident’s room, this allows for up to two visitors from the same household to visit the resident at one time on one day, for a maximum of two hours. Another household may visit on another day, again up to two people maximum from one household for up to two hours maximum.
Note:
- Face masks must be worn at all times and must not be removed once you are with the resident.
- Physical distancing of 1.5m must be maintained at all times.
- The screening process continues.
- Visits can still take place outdoors if you prefer.
- Booking is required – please do not just arrive.
Visits on compassionate grounds, for end-of-life care, continue unchanged.
Book Your Visit
From Monday 16 November, there will be a big increase to the number of time slots available, with visiting times overlapping each other to avoid visitors crossing paths.
Continue to use our online system: Click here.
Only if you have no Internet, or you have special circumstances and wish to speak to the Residential Manager to discuss additional visits, should you phone regarding your visit.
Staff Saluting Excellence Awards – nominations close tomorrow
If you have not yet done so but plan to nominate a staff member who has displayed exceptional qualities in their role, time is running out! Nominate Now
We ask you to continue to show caution as Victoria begins to open up again: it is important that we observe the eased restrictions about making visits to family and friends and keep the safety of our most vulnerable people – those over 70 – in our minds at all times. Please go forward with caution.
COVID-19 Update
There is more good news this week with no virus outbreaks at any of our aged care facilities, or ex-service accommodation or home care – and no active cases in aged care in Victoria. There are just 30 active cases in total and no lives have been lost this week – and we are all starting to enjoy our newfound freedom.
Stay Vigilant!
As restrictions ease, contact with other people increases and with it, the chance of COVID-19 being transmitted.
We must all remain vigilant for any symptoms of the virus – no matter how slight! Stay home. Get tested.
* Hand hygiene * Physical distancing * Face masks * Cough/sneeze etiquette *
Remembrance Day Commemorations
As with ANZAC Day this year, our aged care facilities will be organising commemorations as follows:
Brighton: a full service with readings and hymns will take place in the main dining room, looking out towards the flag pole. Wreaths will be laid and the flag will be raised. Family members cannot attend indoors, but can stand outside the window, up to a maximum of 10 people. Physical distancing must be maintained and masks worn.
Brighton East: on Wednesday 11 November at 10.45, the service will be conducted for residents over the PA system from reception and it will include the laying of wreaths and a commemorative address.
Bundoora: a memorial service will be held at 10.45 with a bugler and a member of the ADF, and a singer for the anthem. Residents who served will attend in person, socially distanced, and the bell will be sounded for residents who have passed away over the last year.
Frankston South: a service of commemoration will be held at 10.30am on Wednesday 11 November and broadcast over the loud-speaker system so that all residents can hear it. Wreaths will be laid and the flag raised.
Ivanhoe: a service for residents will take place outdoors, weather permitting, in view of the flag pole, at 10.45am on Wednesday.
Royal Commission
The final hearing of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety took place from 22-23 October and submissions were presented on behalf of the Counsel Assisting team. Counsel submitted recommendations for the Commissioners and for any response by interested parties. The submission included 124 recommendations and an annexure on the timing of implementation of the proposed recommendations. Any interested person can provide a response to the final submission – find out more. The final report is scheduled for 26 February 2021.
Fun at our Facilities!
There has been a great deal happening recently with Halloween and Cup Day being celebrated – among other things.
At Brighton East, to complete their Month of Kindness, residents were nominated for their acts of kindness to each other and staff. Pictured are Bill and Thais, just two of the many residents recognised for their kindness, with RM Anna presenting certificates and chocolates.
Also at Brighton East, the staff in Castlefield dressed in their finest Cup outfits for yesterday’s big event, while at Brighton, Pat was the lucky winner of their sweep.
At Frankston South, Vince’s garden bed is already looking green and more seedlings are going in, while other residents took the chance to have a good walk in the sun.
At Bundoora, Halloween preparations have been big this year, and staff took their costumes to a whole new level (no residents were harmed, despite appearances to the contrary), while some of the men at Ivanhoe got dressed up for the occasion.
Reminder: Visiting Restrictions
A number of changes are expected this coming weekend and we will be in contact with details as soon as possible after any announcement is made. Please be aware that as well as the general community update, the state government also releases the ‘Care Facilities Directions’ which we must adhere to. These give details of the specific regulations for aged care, and the current Directions (No 15) are current until 11.59pm on Sunday 8 November. We anticipate No 16 being available soon after the general update is made.
Essential In-Person Visits
If you are anxious that your loved-one’s wellbeing is being impacted, an in-person visit may fit within the government criteria: ‘providing essential care and support necessary for the resident’s emotional, cultural, spiritual, or social wellbeing (including mental health supports) that optimises the care and support delivered by workers at the facility and cannot reasonably be provided by that person via electronic means’. If so, you can now book through our Online Visitor booking system, noting that:
* This is offered in good faith and you are asked to respect the reasons required for an in-person visit.
* Only one person can attend for one visit per resident per week.
* Visit can be up to two (2) hours (if your booking confirmation states 45 mins, this is a glitch and you can stay for up to 2 hours).
* Face masks must be worn at all times and must not be removed once you are with the resident.
* We recommend outdoor visits (weather permitting) for increased safety for all; the alternative is the resident’s room.
* Physical distancing of 1.5m must be maintained at all times.
Note that visits on compassionate grounds, for end-of-life care, continue unchanged.
Booking Your Visits
Essential In-Person, Zoom and Window Visits
We request that everyone who can book with our new system does so: Click here.
Only if you have no Internet, or you have special circumstances and wish to speak to the Residential Manager to discuss additional visits, should you phone.
Staff Awards – nominations close on 12 November
Thank you to all those who have nominated a staff member for a Saluting Excellence Award this year. If you have not yet done so, but have had an experience where you felt that a staff member has displayed exceptional qualities in their role please take a few minutes to make a nomination.
COVID-19 Update
We are pleased to report that we have no virus outbreaks at any of our aged care facilities, or ex-service accommodation or home care.
In fact, there are just three active cases in aged care across the whole of Victoria, and there have been no deaths in aged care since this time last week. What welcome news!
Visiting Restrictions
There are still no changes to residential aged care facility visiting restrictions and this is disheartening to us all. The next announcement from our Premier is just 11 days away.
Essential In-Person Visits
If you are anxious that your loved-one’s wellbeing is being impacted, an in-person visit may fit within the government criteria: ‘providing essential care and support necessary for the resident’s emotional, cultural, spiritual, or social wellbeing (including mental health supports) that optimises the care and support delivered by workers at the facility and cannot reasonably be provided by that person via electronic means’. If so, you can now book through our Online Visitor booking system, noting that:
* This is offered in good faith and you are asked to respect the reasons required for an in-person visit.
* Only one person can attend for one visit per resident per week.
* Visit can be up to two (2) hours (if your booking confirmation states 45 mins, this is a glitch and you can stay for up to 2 hours).
* Face masks must be worn at all times and must not be removed once you are with the resident.
* We recommend outdoor visits (weather permitting) for increased safety for all; the alternative is the resident’s room.
* Physical distancing of 1.5m must be maintained at all times.
Note that visits on compassionate grounds, for end-of-life care, continue unchanged.
Booking Your Visits
Essential In-Person, Zoom and Window Visits
We request that everyone who can book with our new system does so: Click here.
Only if you have no Internet, or you have special circumstances and wish to speak to the Residential Manager to discuss additional visits, should you phone.
Ongoing Virus Precautions
The Quality Agency continues to make regular visits to aged care facilities to check on infection control procedures and COVID-19 prevention and preparedness. Our Frankston South facility received a visit this week and I am pleased to report that the outcome was very positive. The additional burden on facility staff is considerable and their commitment to our residents is commendable.
Our Bundoora and Brighton East facilities have also had visits from Aspen Medical as part of the government’s regime of regular staff testing. While this is voluntary, we have a very high take-up and this is an important part of the strategy to find and isolate any new cases.
Your Vigilance is Needed
As restrictions ease, Victorians will be wanting to get out and see loved ones, and this comes with a risk. The more contact we all have with each other, the greater the chance of COVID-19 once again getting away from us. The last thing we all need is a third lockdown! But we are seeing other countries increasing restrictions again, and numbers going up.
So please remember…
* Hand hygiene * Physical distancing * Face masks * Stay home * Get tested if you have any symptoms *
This is not over yet.
Grand Final Fever!
This week has been full of footy. From the left, Betty at our Brighton home, a 95-year supporter of Richmond, was extremely happy with the outcome, while hats and roses are being prepared for Tuesday. At Frankston South, their unique mobile Hilux led the Grand Final parade playing club songs as it went; and ‘Wish upon a Star Friday’ granted two residents their wishes. At Ivanhoe, Audrey took out the footy tipping competition and Kath saw her team win. Looking pleased with their certificates, footy tipping winners at Brighton East, John and Emily, were two of the six people who all drew for first place! And finally, at Bundoora, they had the Sherrin out for some games, and a visit from a sensibly-masked Geelong player.
Nominate a Staff Member
Thank you to all those who have nominated a staff member for a Saluting Excellence Award this year. If you have not yet done so, but have had an experience where you felt that a staff member has displayed exceptional qualities in their role please take a few minutes to make a nomination.
COVID-19 Update
We continue to have no virus outbreaks at any of our aged care facilities, or ex-service accommodation or home care.
Visiting Regulations
I know you’ll be disappointed that Sunday’s announcement by our Premier has made little change to residential aged care facility visiting regulations.
We are surprised that our hairdressers are not yet permitted to return. Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) is taking this up with government on behalf of the aged care industry and we will notify you if it changes.
Please refer to Care Facilities Directions (No 14) for full details. As noted in paragraph 7, there are very limited acceptable reasons for a person’s presence at an aged care facility. In section (f), visits are permitted for ‘providing essential care and support necessary for the resident’s emotional, cultural, spiritual, or social wellbeing (including mental health supports) that optimises the care and support delivered by workers at the facility and cannot reasonably be provided by that person via electronic means’. In section (g), visits are permitted for ‘the purposes of acting as an interpreter or providing informal language support to enable the delivery of care by workers’, and in section (i) for the purposes of providing end of life support.
Essential In-Person Visits
If you are anxious that your loved-one’s emotional wellbeing is being impacted by this very long lockdown and you feel that in-person support is now important to their wellbeing, and that a visit meets the grounds above, we have made available our Online Visitor booking system to enable you to book a visit.
This opportunity is being offered in good faith and we ask that you respect the reasons required for an in-person visit. There are other conditions:
- Only one person can attend
- The visit can be up to two (2) hours (if your SMS/email booking conversation says 45 minutes, this is an IT glitch and you are welcome to stay for the 2 hours)
- One visit per resident per week
- Face masks must be worn, physical distancing of 1.5m must be maintained and visits will take place in the resident’s room or outdoors in our gardens/courtyards.
Please speak to the Residential Manager if you are not sure or if you have an exceptional situation and feel that more than one visit per week is required.
Booking an Essential In-Person Visit (and Zoom or Window visits)
Visiting times for each type of visit vary according to site. When you arrive at the booking page, available times will be shown on the screen.
If you do not have internet access, please phone the relevant facility; they will make the booking for you.
Click here to use the online system.
Nominate a Staff Member for the Saluting Excellence Awards
In this difficult year, it is more important than ever to recognise our staff: the commitment, care, resolve, loyalty and dedication they have shown to our community has been a source of pride to all. We ask that you, as family members, put in a nomination if you have had an experience where you felt that a staff member showed exceptional qualities in their role.
Please Continue to be Careful
Victorians have coped with one of the longest lockdowns in the world. There has been one death since our last email and new cases have finally reduced to a handful each day. Let us hope this continues.
As things here slowly begin to open up – and we wait for what 1 November brings – please remember that the virus remains just as deadly for our older population. Unless we all maintain our precautions, it can take off again, as it has done all around the world. So…
* Hand hygiene * Physical distancing * Face masks * Stay home * Get tested if you have any symptoms *
Thank you for your ongoing encouragement and your support of our virus-prevention measures: the health of your loved ones relies on our combined efforts to keep them safe.
COVID-19 Update
We continue to have no virus outbreaks at any of our aged care facilities.
It is pleasing to see the number of new cases in Victoria continuing to fall, although not as quickly as we would all like. The number of deaths from COVID-19 in aged care in Victoria have now reached 648, 4 more than a week ago and account for 80% of Victorian deaths.
Our frail elderly are at great risk and we continue to put their health and wellbeing first.
Visiting Regulations
There are no changes to in-person visiting restrictions at this point.
In-person visits on compassionate grounds are permitted for the purpose of providing physical, emotional or psychological support to a resident which cannot reasonably be provided by staff or through electronic or other means. If you feel your loved-one’s wellbeing is being impacted and your in-person support is now vital, please contact the facility during business hours to discuss options with the Residential Manager. (Please be aware that if an in-person visits is supported, only one person can attend and this visit needs to be pre-booked with the facility.)
We are awaiting this Sunday’s announcement from our Premier and will be in touch as soon as practicable with details of any changes regarding visiting regulations. Please be aware that changes cannot always be implemented instantly as they often require a lot of behind-the-scenes work, so we ask for your patience as we do what is required.
Visitor Appointment Booking System (Zoom & Window Visits)
The system has been running at all locations for more than a week and is working well.
If you have not yet used it, we encourage you to try this very user-friendly system. Click on the square green button on our home page or click here.
Staff Saluting Excellence Awards – Now Open for Nominations
We cannot hold our annual staff Saluting Excellence Conference where we present our staff awards, but we can go ahead with the awards themselves: in fact, it is more important than ever that we acknowledge our staff this year. Their commitment, care, resolve, loyalty and dedication to our community has been exceptional throughout this pandemic.
It isn’t easy to choose just a few people to recognise out of 550 staff members who each provide a unique and important contribution to our organisation.
However, the nomination process asks why you are nominating the person, and the wording of the nomination is included on a certificate presented to each nominee. In this way, all nominees receive acknowledgement, so I do encourage you to make a nomination if you have felt that a particular staff member has shown exceptional qualities.
Life under Lockdown
It is lovely to see that our residents are being remembered by the local community! Care packs and messages were delivered to three of our five aged care homes this week.
From left: at Ivanhoe, Athol reaches 102 years old; residents enjoyed watching a video of themselves and their recent activities. At Brighton and Brighton East, Bayside Community Relief organised comfort care packs for all residents! At Brighton, Judy was happy to be outside gardening. At Bundoora, residents enjoyed Bonnie’s visits, having cuddles and taking her for walks; and children from the local primary school delivered colourful and kind cards, bookmarks and letters. At Frankston South, Beryl & Louise sat out in the sun to knit poppies for Remembrance Day, while Edna reached 100 and received a letter from the Queen!
Please Keep Vigilant
I hope you are continuing to stay safe and look after yourselves. It is essential that we do not become complacent and remember how incredibly contagious this virus is. It only needs a tiny opportunity to spread, so please don’t give it that opportunity. Hand hygiene. Physical distancing. Cough and sneeze etiquette. Stay home.
COVID-19 Update
We are pleased to report we have no virus outbreaks at any of our aged care facilities. As of today, the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in aged care in Victoria has reached 644; that’s 11 more since this time last week. Our sympathy goes to bereaved families and friends.
The Aspen Medical Team attended our Bundoora home yesterday for another round of voluntary virus testing. This testing is part of the government’s approach to identifying community transmission. The results are expected tomorrow.
Visiting Regulations
There is still no change to in-person visiting restrictions. In-person visits on compassionate grounds are permitted for the purpose of providing physical, emotional or psychological support to a resident which cannot reasonably be provided by staff or through electronic or other means. Please bear with us as we wait for changes to government directions on visitation: we know that this is extremely hard on our residents, and you, their families, and we ask for your continued patience and understanding. If you consider that your loved-one’s wellbeing is being impacted and that your support is vital, with window and zoom not sufficient after this lengthy period, please contact the facility during business hours to discuss options with the Residential Manager. Please note that if in-person visits are supported, only one person can attend and this visit needs to be pre-booked with the facility.
Visitor Appointment Booking System (Zoom & Window Visits) – Running for all Sites
The system is now up and running for all five residential sites. For those with internet access, click on the square green button on our website home page, or click here. (If you do not have internet access, please call the relevant facility to make your booking.)
Note that this same system will be extended to in-person visits once those are again permitted and I encourage you to become familiar with this very user-friendly system.
Federal Budget adds Home Care Packages
We were very pleased to see that an additional 23,000 home care packages will be provided over the next four years, to support those who have been waiting.
If you know of someone who receives their home care package approval – and you feel comfortable to do so – we would be delighted if you would pass our details on to them. Our Home Care team, headed by Mishelle Ansems, already provides care and support for around 150 people living in their own homes. Mishelle and her team can be contacted on 03 9810 5500. Click here for more information about our Home Care.
Life under COVID-19
This week we bring you more of the shenanigans taking place around our homes. Far left at Ivanhoe is Poppy the chook – a gift from a local artist who turns old chook pen fences into chooks, and making sure our residents work for their keep. At Bundoora, residents had a lot of fun getting ready for Halloween, while at Frankston South, everyone joined in crazy hair day.
Online White Paper Briefing Sessions – Reminder
We are finalising details for our online briefing sessions. Thank you to those who have already notified us that they would like to attend. If you would like notification of sessions, please email communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Our next email will be next week, unless there is something urgent we need to let you know about before then.
COVID-19 Update
We are pleased to report that no further virus outbreaks have occurred at any of our aged care facilities. We are maintaining high alert to protect our vulnerable community from the virus.
As of today, there have now been 633 deaths from COVID-19 in aged care in Victoria, a further 26 since this time last week: our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones during this horrible pandemic. Protecting your loved ones remains our priority.
Happenings around the Sites
At Frankston South, Trudy checked out the harvest of potatoes in the Paxino garden, while Geoff can be seen with a new steam engine (“Good German-made tech”). At Brighton, Lifestyle Coordinator Vicki has become a hair stylist –
“When our ladies miss the hairdresser, someone has to step in!” she says. At Bundoora, residents had some infection control activities – putting on and taking off PPE with red paint on their hands as a stand-in for the virus: and Janet, from the laundry, demonstrates how not to wear PPE. At Brighton East, residents each made a jigsaw piece to show we are still connected. And at Ivanhoe, in aid of the budgie naming, it was crazy hair day at the salon – budgie colours of course.
In-Person Visits to our Aged Care Homes
Last Sunday, our Premier, Mr Andrews, announced that visits complying with the Care Facility Directions No. 12 (‘the Directions’) can now occur for 2 hours. There were no changes to any other requirement and visits can only occur where the Directions are met.
The purpose of the Directions is to make provision for restricted access to aged care home to limit the spread of COVID-19 within this particularly vulnerable population, while balancing this need with the broader responsibilities of aged care facilities for the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing of residents.
Please note that any in-person visit must be for the purpose of providing physical, emotional or psychological support to a resident, which cannot reasonably be provided by staff or through electronic or other means.
Where a family, friend or resident requests an in-person visit, a Risk Assessment must be completed: if the visit meets the requirements of the Directions, a plan to control risk is developed. This includes assessing the situation at the home of the visitor, exposure risks for the virus in the relevant Local Government Area, and the benefit for the resident.
Additionally, all visits continue to be dependent upon screening results and the person visiting agreeing, and signing, that they will comply with staff instructions and infection prevention measures, such as one visitor attending, wearing a mask, maintaining 1.5 metres physical distancing, flu vaccination and hand hygiene.
The Directions are next due for review on 11 October.
I know we are all looking forward to that day when we will be able to physically see our loved ones once again, but I ask each of you to remember what the risks are and to please continue to be patient.
Online Appointment Booking System for Zoom and Window Visits
As we have mentioned previously, our tech staff have been setting up a new online system for booking visits to our aged care homes. We are excited to announce that Frankston South is now fully functional, and all other sites will be running by next Wednesday 7 October.
The system is very simple to use. It also sends you a confirmation and a reminder. It will help us by reducing the work for our admin staff and freeing them up to do other tasks. As it is new to us, if you have any feedback on it, please feel free to let us know.
To use the system, go to our home page and click on the square green ‘Book Your Residential Visit’ button on the left.
Roadmap to Reopening
As metropolitan Melbourne restrictions begin to ease, at Vasey RSL Care we are currently developing our own ‘roadmap’ to look at the steps to eventually reopening our aged care homes, in a way that continues to provide protection for our residents.
We will be considering all those areas that have been affected by the pandemic, such as our volunteers, visiting hairdressers, eating together in the main dining rooms, the zones within the homes, and of course, visitor restrictions.
Our Roadmap will be aligned with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) roadmap and will follow Victorian and Commonwealth Guidelines.
As you know, the risk to older people is very high, and the last thing we want to do is to come this far only to let the virus in now. We are aware that there are still 55 aged care homes with outbreaks and 182 aged care residents with the virus.
Online White Paper Briefing Sessions – Reminder
We will be holding briefing sessions in October, where you can hear and ask questions about the contents of our white paper. Thank you to those who have already notified us that they would to attend. If you would like notification of sessions, please email communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Reminder: COVID-19 Guide for Families
Our ‘COVID-19 Guide for Families’ answers some of the questions that family members ask regarding our actions in the case of a COVID-19 outbreak affecting a resident in our care.
Our next email will be next week, unless there is something urgent we need to let you know about.
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement – I hope you too are feeling encouraged as things begin to look better. Please stay safe and maintain your guard against the virus.
Outbreak Update
We are pleased to confirm that no further virus outbreaks have occurred at any of our aged care facilities. However, all staff remain on high alert as we work to maintain our defences against the virus and protect our vulnerable community.
As of today, there have been 607 deaths from COVID-19 in aged care in Victoria out of a total of 766 deaths in our state, with a further 33 deaths in aged care over the last week. This virus is having a terrible toll on our older community, and the care and protection of your loved ones remains our top priority.
Our Future – Continuing the Mission
I realise it’s difficult, right now, to think about what will be happening in six or even three months’ time: however, we do know that our services are needed now and will continue to be needed, no matter what the future holds.
Therefore, we have developed a white paper, ‘Continuing the Mission’, to use government and industry research, data from the ex-service community, and the lived experience of the ex-service community, to present our vision for supporting veterans, war widows and dependants in the coming decade, and beyond.
We are excited to present our white paper to you.
Online White Paper Briefing Sessions
We ask that you take the time to read this and note down your comments or questions. Online briefing sessions will be held in October, where you can join us, hear more about it and ask questions.
If you would like to be notified of the details for these sessions, please email us at communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au.
Online Visitor Booking System Update
We are close to having our online visitor booking system ready. We believe this will be helpful, both to you – as you can see what dates and times are available and will receive automated confirmations and reminders – and to us, as it will help decrease the work for our admin staff and free them up to do other tasks. We will be in touch with you over the next week to two weeks with details.
Reminder: New COVID-19 Guide for Families
If you have not already checked it out, please take a moment to look at our ‘COVID-19 Guide for Families’. It provides answers to some of the questions that family members ask regarding our actions in the case of a COVID-19 outbreak affecting a resident in our care.
Our next email will be next week, unless there is something urgent we need to let you know about.
Please continue to stay safe: it is at this stage that it might be easy for us to let down our guard. We must remember that the virus is not letting down its guard, and will get past us if we become complacent.
So please maintain good anti-virus practices.
Outbreak Update
We are pleased to confirm that both our Ivanhoe and Frankston South facilities have ended their periods of Active Surveillance and have returned to the standard Stage 4 Restrictions, in line with our other facilities.
In both cases, the situation was kept under control without any spread of the virus to other staff members or residents. Knowing how contagious this virus is, we are very pleased – and relieved – that this has been achieved, and we now continue our approach of an abundance of caution across our whole community.
No Change to Restrictions
The new virus infections are at last starting to fall, and for the first time, today our rolling 14-day average fell just below 50. Yesterday was our first day with no deaths for a long time. Sadly, today there were a further eight deaths, all people in their 80’s and 90’s and all linked to aged care. Since last Wednesday, a further 37 aged care residents have died from the virus in Victoria, significantly lower than last week’s 112, but still 37 families grieving the loss of their loved one.
There are currently no changes to our visitor restrictions, and we continue to encourage you to make the most of the online options. Many residents have become highly proficient in their use of phones and iPads and I know that our staff have been continuing to encourage and support residents to maintain their independence with their family contact.
It is important to retain our optimism, and our new online visitor booking system is almost ready to go live, so when we are able to being to ease visitor restrictions in due course, you will be able to book appointments online if you wish. There are many advantages, as you can see what dates and times are available, and you will receive automated confirmations and reminders! It helps us by decreasing the work for our admin staff and freeing them up to do other tasks.
New COVID-19 Guide for Families – download
We are grateful to all who sent us questions they would like answered: the information has been turned into a ‘COVID-19 Guide for Families’ which we hope will be helpful to you.
If you think of other questions that you would like answers to, please send your question to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au and we will continue to add to this guide.
Our next email will be next week, unless there is something urgent we need to let you know about. Please keep safe, stay home, maintain your hand hygiene and physical distancing, and look out for each other.
Outbreak Update
Our Ivanhoe facility has got to day 14 of Active Surveillance and is waiting to hear if they can return to standard Stage 4 restrictions, while at Frankston South we have one more week of Active Surveillance: during this week, we continue to have extra staff and our two veteran support assistants with us to provide additional support.
Thank you for your Responses
Thank you for responding to our call for input regarding the information you would want if a resident tested positive for COVID-19. The responses will form the basis for an FAQ document that we will make available to all families: we plan to have this ready within the next week or so.
No Change to Restrictions
It is disappointing that the numbers of new COVID-19 cases in Victoria is remaining stubbornly high and that our lockdown has been extended. Since last Wednesday, a further 112 aged care residents have died from the virus in Victoria, bringing the total number of aged care deaths in our state to 537. This is heartbreaking.
Let us hope that new cases decrease over the next few weeks so we can look forward to visiting restrictions being eased. Our staff are working on a new booking system in expectation of that day: it will allow family members to book appointments online and will provide confirmations and reminders. It will be important to remember that the virus can take off very quickly, and we will maintain our ‘abundance of caution’ approach and minimise the number of people accessing our sites.
Spare iPads or Tablets?
Over these past six months, residents have come a long way with technology. Tablets, in particular, iPads, have proved the most popular item among residents and they are being used for more than just zoom meetings – for example, activities run across multiple units.
We have purchased extra tablets for all sites, and we have also received some donations – thank you very much for these! If you have a tablet/iPad that you no longer use or need, please consider donating it to our lifestyle teams so they can increase the activities for all.
The Year Goes On – Staying Positive
I’m sure we’ve all experienced ups and downs throughout this year: maintaining our mental health and working to stay positive is an important goal for us all and I just want to mention a few of the activities that our lifestyle teams have been organising:
* Outdoor Happy Hour – residents at Frankston South can be seen soaking up Vitamin D during happy hour.
* Residents in the Memory Support Unit at Bundoora have been doing a whole range of activities – painting, stamping, flower arranging and preparing vegetables for their evening meal – although these vegetables are not actually used in their dinner, this activity works to help focus on the coming meal and mentally prepares them for it.
* Kindness Month at Brighton East – September is the month to ‘Concentrate on Kindness’ and there will be lots happening. Pictured below are Mary and Margaret, helping launch this with kindness confetti – the message is ‘Throw kindness around like confetti!’
* Ivanhoe’s Happy Hour travelled round the facility providing room service to all residents bringing fun and laughter.
* Brighton residents have had the beautiful Kamesburgh gardens to enjoy and have made the most of daily walks in the spring sunshine.
I hope you are all looking after your own physical and mental health during this extended time of enforced isolation: thank you again for your messages of encouragement and appreciation which are shared with our very loyal and caring staff.
Outbreak Update
Our Brighton facility has returned to Stage 4 restrictions, while at Ivanhoe we are half way through the period of Active Surveillance and progressing well. At Frankston South we received approval to move out of ‘outbreak’ at midnight Monday and are now in 14 days of Active Surveillance.
It is a relief to have avoided further spread of the virus during these three outbreaks and we are very grateful to everyone for their role in this outcome.
‘Abundance of Caution’
This has been a terrible time for aged care in Victoria and our hearts go out to all those families who have lost loved ones before their time: 424 aged care residents in Victoria have died from COVID-19.
We are all waiting to hear from our Premier, Mr Andrews, on Sunday and while we hope to see some lifting of restrictions, we will maintain an ‘abundance of caution’. This has been our policy approach throughout the pandemic and has been effective to date. With a community as vulnerable as ours, it is the only sensible option.
We Seek Your Input and We Need Your Help
While we have a comprehensive outbreak management plan, it is not until there is an outbreak that this is tested. With each of the three outbreaks, we have added to our knowledge, and this is part of our continuous improvement process which covers every aspect of the organisation.
If we had another outbreak, one that included a resident or residents testing positive, (and we will do everything in our power to avoid this), we must be ready to keep you informed.
If the facility where your loved one lives had a resident testing positive, as a family member, what questions would you ask us? Please tell us what information you would want, the way/ways you would like to receive it, and the frequency you would need.
Please send your views and the questions you would have to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au.
Thank You
The support we have experienced from our community has been greatly appreciated. We know this situation is distressing and you are missing your loved ones. I hope the regular communications have helped you feel connected and if you have Facebook, you have been able to enjoy our regular posts showing the ways that residents have been maintaining their health and wellbeing.
Outbreak Update
Brighton: the 14-day Active Surveillance period has now been completed and our Brighton facility is returning to Stage 4 restrictions (as prior to the outbreak).
Ivanhoe: the 14-day outbreak period has finished and we have received approval from the Public Health Unit (PHU) to move into 14 days of Active Surveillance.
Frankston South: the 14-day outbreak period is half way through and we continue to have just one staff member positive for COVID-19. First round testing of all staff and residents was carried out last weekend. All resident tests returned negative results. All results received so far have returned negative results and the remaining three results for staff are pending.
Ongoing Caution
We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation with the restrictions in place at all our facilities. We understand that this is an anxious time for everyone, and I’d like to again reassure you that our infection control procedures and practices are in place and have been regularly checked by the authorities.
Minimising people on site is an important part of our protection strategy and we greatly appreciate you continuing to stay away, as difficult as that is for you and your loved ones. Minimising risk to our vulnerable community is a necessary measure, and only essential compassionate visits (with approval from the Residential Manager) are permitted.
Authorities
We had an unannounced spot check at our Brighton East facility yesterday and a phone follow-up with our Bundoora facility, also yesterday by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. We continue to be in regular touch with the federal Department of Health, the state Department of Health and Human Services and the various industry bodies. We have learned much through these past few weeks and we continue to improve our practice and maintain our approach of an ‘abundance of caution’.
Our Staff
I would like to publicly acknowledge all our staff for the work they have been doing and continue to do to care for and protect our residents. It is not easy in stage 4 restrictions and becomes even more demanding during outbreaks. With three sites having gone through or still going through outbreaks, the effort required has been enormous, from everyone.
For those looking after residents, putting on, working with and taking off personal protective equipment (PPE) numerous times per day is tiring in itself. There are many extra tasks to perform – waste management, cleaning and disinfecting items touched, following procedures on arrival and departure, and more. While staff on the ground are doing this, some of their usual tasks have been taken over by admin staff at site and remotely and all departments have been affected by the additional workload.
Our staff have done whatever has been needed, they have not shirked their responsibility, they have made us proud.
I have always known that we have great staff here at Vasey RSL Care, but it is not until a situation like this that you experience what it really means to have the quality of staff we have here. I am grateful to every one of them.
The Battle Goes On
Of course, we are still in the middle of this battle and there is a long way to go. Since last week, the daily new infections in Victoria have fallen, but they are still in the hundreds each day, and we cannot relax. We must all continue to remember our hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, physical distancing, staying home and reducing the ways that the virus can spread.
We will be changing to weekly general emails from now on, unless there is something urgent we need to let you know about.
Please keep yourselves safe!
Outbreak Update
Today we bring another mixed bag of news on our outbreak situation.
Brighton – active surveillance: we are pleased to report that at our Brighton home, residents have been enjoying seeing one another again. This facility is still in ‘active surveillance’ for a further week and no residents and staff are showing any symptoms.
Ivanhoe – lockdown: all staff and residents were tested again yesterday and we are awaiting the results. Although not enjoying being restricted to their rooms, residents are being well looked after and our staff are ensuring they have something to keep them occupied, and when possible, they are able to get outdoors for some welcome fresh air.
Frankston South – lockdown: yesterday afternoon, a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 at Vasey RSL Care Frankston South and it is now in lockdown. Authorities have been notified, testing is underway, zoning set up and staffing increased. Residents and primary contacts are receiving daily updates.
This situation is stressful for all concerned: as family members, it is very worrying to hear of ‘outbreaks’ and to think of loved ones isolated in their rooms, surrounded by people wearing protective outfits. I would like to reassure you that everyone here at Vasey RSL Care is doing all they can to protect your loved ones and maintain their overall wellbeing, despite these circumstances and all that is required.
Visits from Authorities
The testing of residents and staff at Bundoora by Aspen took place on Monday and all tested returned negative results for COVID-19. We are also arranging to have Aspen visit our Brighton East facility at some stage in the next couple of weeks.
On Sunday we will be half way though the current 6-week Stage 4 restriction period with the night time curfew. Let us hope that by the end of this time, we see some improvement in our numbers.
Look After Yourselves
I hope you are keeping well and looking after your own health and wellbeing – it is important that we are conscious of how we are reacting to the situation and take action if needed. We have seen a big spike in mental health problems right around the world – do please look out for yourself and those around you.
Outbreak Update
Last week we reported that a staff member at our Ivanhoe facility had tested positive for COVID-19. All residents and staff were tested on Friday and all results are negative. The next full testing will take place on Thursday. Our Ivanhoe facility is in full lockdown and we continue to work with the Public Health Unit (PHU) to manage the outbreak.
We are also pleased to have two younger veterans working with our staff at Ivanhoe, taking turns to be there for the duration of the outbreak. Chad and Will are supporting residents – helping them get outdoors for fresh air and a walk, offering emotional and social support through one-on-ones and assisting them with Zoom calls to families.
Vietnam Veterans’ Day – 18 August
Today is Vietnam Veterans’ Day, a day to remember all those who fought in the Vietnam War, those who returned, and those who did not.
Around 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1972. From 1965 to 1972, a total of 15,381 national servicemen – 20-year-old males – were conscripted to fight in Vietnam alongside regular ADF members. The War claimed the lives of 521 Australians and more than 3,000 were wounded.
The photos above show a group of National servicemen from 6RAR about to leave for Vietnam (Australian War Memorial photo), and resident from Frankston South, Geoff, a Vietnam Veteran and steam engine enthusiast, with one of his collection of steam engines.
Today we remember all Vietnam Veterans and their families: we express our sincere gratitude to them for their service and sacrifice.
Resident Wellbeing
The weather continues to be fine and although chilly, many residents are making the most of the chance to rug up and get outdoors.
Our Lifestyle Team are making sure that important dates are not allowed to go by without celebration, such as this double zero birthday at our Ivanhoe facility:
Congratulations and Happy 100th Birthday to Stephen – complete with giant bow tie and floating crown J
At Brighton, residents are enjoying being able to get out of their rooms again, and yesterday, a group who haven’t been able to play Bingo for weeks, finally had a game thoroughly enjoyed it. There were also some newcomers, and one of them won the final game – beginner’s luck strikes again!
More on COVID-19
Visits from Authorities
The Aged Care Response Centre (ACRC) visited Brighton East yesterday to evaluate usage of Personal Protective Equipment and correct any problems. The outcome was very positive with assessors pleased with what they saw. We still await notification of their visit to Frankston South.
Unannounced spot checks by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission are expected at Brighton East and Frankston South.
Aspen attended Bundoora yesterday to carry out general testing on all residents as part of the government’s overall testing program to try to eradicate the virus and identify asymptomatic cases. Results are expected within 48 hours.
High Alert
While it is a relief to see that the daily number of new virus cases in Victoria is trending downwards, it is heart-breaking to see the daily death toll, especially in older Australians and those in aged care. All our facilities remain on high alert, ensuring that we do all we can to keep the virus out and protect our vulnerable community.
Thank you for your continued support of our whole community and for showing understanding regarding the ongoing restrictions.
Outbreak Update
We have mixed news today.
Brighton: We are pleased to report that our Brighton facility has now been given the ‘all clear’ from the Public Health Unit (PHU).
We can begin to reduce our high level precautionary measures and move into two weeks of ‘enhanced surveillance’. The staff member who originally confirmed positive has also been given the all clear and no other staff or residents tested positive at any time. (Brighton Primary Contacts will receive an update today.)
Ivanhoe: We are sorry to report that at our Ivanhoe facility, a staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member is in isolation and we would like to wish them well.
Residents, primary contacts and staff have all been notified and informed about the processes being implemented. We have informed the relevant authorities and will be working with them closely to manage our response. All Ivanhoe residents and staff are being tested today. (Ivanhoe Primary Contacts will receive further information later today.)
These are very difficult times and we are very fortunate to have reliable and dedicated staff. As we thank our Brighton team for the care they have provided over these last two very difficult weeks, our thoughts are with our Ivanhoe team as they enter a very challenging time.
75th Anniversary of the Victory in the Pacific
Saturday 15 August marks 75 years since World War II came to an end with the signing of the surrender by the Japanese.
When Prime Minister, Ben Chifley announced the end of World War II – despite the terrible loss of life, the hundreds of thousands injured and hardship endured by everyone – scenes of elation spontaneously erupted throughout the country.
The photo below is from Bourke Street Melbourne, outside the post office, with the road littered with confetti and streamers. After six long years of death and destruction, it is a moment of pure joy.
Over the last few days, our residents have been thinking about this important anniversary, many able to remember that day – some with happy memories, others remembering the loss and grief. So many in our community were touched by the effects of WWII and its impact has lasted a lifetime.
At Vasey RSL Care, we have a special connection through our residents, ex-service accommodation residents and home care clients, and a duty to remember their service and sacrifice.
Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific – 10am ABC, Saturday
The ABC is televising the commemorative service from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, at 10am tomorrow.
We can all come together, even as we are in lockdown, and share this important commemoration.
Visits from Authorities
The Aged Care Response Centre (ACRC) will be visiting Brighton East on Monday and we are still waiting to find out dates for Frankston South. These visits are to evaluate our correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Worksafe made a phone assessment of our Frankston South facility today to check on outbreak preparedness: they highlighted our strong action plan and preparation and were highly congratulatory of our approach.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will be visiting Brighton East and Frankston South facilities – these spot checks are unannounced.
Aspen will be attending our Bundoora site on Monday to carry out general testing on all residents. This is part of the government’s overall testing program to try to eradicate the virus and identify asymptomatic cases. We do not currently have any suspected or confirmed cases at Bundoora.
Meal Changes Update
The initial issues with the changed meal service were addressed quickly by our catering contractors and we are hearing better reports from residents about the quality and presentation of meals.
Remaining on High Alert
We are on high alert and we will be staying on high alert. You may have read in today’s news that there are 125 active outbreaks in aged care homes with 2,018 active cases linked to aged care.
Thank You
Thank you to you, family members, for your amazing understanding of this situation.
Thank you for not visiting your dear loved ones, even though you want to.
Thank you for staying home and helping reduce the spread.
Thank you for thinking of others – those around you, all our vulnerable residents, each other, and our staff.
It only takes one person to bring the virus in and I know every one of you would be dismayed to be that one person.
This is not a time to relax our guard or be complacent. This situation is ongoing and requires our continued resolve. Thank you for supporting us in this mission.
Outbreak Status
We continue to have only one positive case of COVID-19 in a staff member at our Brighton (Downes Avenue) facility. Further to the full testing last week and negative results, testing of all residents and staff took place again yesterday and results for all residents are again negative: some staff results have been received and are all negative and the remainder are still pending.
Visits from Authorities
The Aged Care Response Centre (ACRC) are organising visits to all aged care facilities that do not have outbreaks: they will visit Bundoora today and Brighton East on Monday. We are waiting to be notified when our Frankston South and Ivanhoe facilities will be visited. The aim of these visits is to check our use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and to help us correct any incorrect usage.
Worksafe are making a phone assessment of our Frankston South site on Friday to check on our outbreak plans and processes and we anticipate these assessments will also be made at our other facilities.
At our Brighton site, we have had regular contact from commonwealth and Victorian government departments and are continuing to work with them to ensure adequate supplies of equipment, sufficient staffing and conformity to procedures.
As reported previously, the Aged Care Quality Commission has already visited our Bundoora facility and we expect them to carry out similar spot checks at our other facilities.
As you can see, there is a substantial amount of checking taking place to ensure that we, and the whole aged care sector, are following all the regulations and procedures put in place to protect our vulnerable residents. Let us hope the Stage 4 Restrictions result in a reduction in new infections.
Meal Changes Update
The change to the new meal service has not been as smooth as we had hoped. However, Medirest have been very responsive to the feedback received and we are working with them to resolve the issues. We understand the disappointment for residents and we hope we can overcome this soon.
Remaining on High Alert
We are maintaining our guard against this highly contagious virus. We are on high alert, following procedures closely and frequently reminding our community to be attentive.
We trust that you too are mindful of your own health and safety.
Vasey RSL Care Bundoora on ‘Today Show’ Friday morning
This week, the TV cameras Zoomed into Vasey RSL Care Bundoora to find out about the effect of the virus on our community and speak to some of our veterans about how the virus is affecting their lives. It will be going to air on the ‘Today Show’ tomorrow morning!
Outbreak Status
We continue to have only one positive case of COVID-19 in a staff member at our Brighton facility. The staff member continues to be in isolation. Much of our time and resources have been focussed on this situation and our outbreak response, systems, policies and practices have been put into practice.
Initial virus testing of close contacts returned negative results. Full testing of Brighton residents on Monday also returned negative results. Full testing of Brighton staff has so far returned negative results with four results still pending. Full testing of all Brighton residents and staff will be carried out again in accordance with DHHS instructions.
The Public Health Unit’s Outbreak Squad was on site at Brighton and reported that they were pleased with the systems and practices that had been implemented.
Spot Checks
Our Bundoora facility received an unannounced visit from the Aged Care Quality Commission on Thursday for a spot check on our COVID-19 prevention practices. We are pleased with the outcome of this visit and we thank the team at Bundoora for following procedures correctly. We anticipate these same spot checks at our other facilities at any time.
Regulation Changes
With the state government’s workplace changes from 11.59pm on Wednesday, many workplaces have now been required to close down. As Vasey RSL Care is an essential service, this does not include any of our sites. However, our staff must now have letters which state their essential worker status in case they are stopped by the authorities on their way to or from work.
Changes to Residents’ Meals
We are aware how important food is to our residents and this is why our food is prepared fresh daily on site by our kitchen team, through food specialists Medirest.
However, due to the pandemic, Medirest are enacting their plans to ensure continuity of service in the event of an outbreak. From today, meals will be prepared at their aged-care-specific site and delivered to our aged care homes. While this is not our preferred option, we understand that Medirest are being proactive in managing the potential risk to their production, to ensure our residents are looked after. The new system will be in place for the next 4-6 weeks: during this time, the menu will be the same across all our aged care facilities, and special diets will be provided as usual.
Medirest have generously offered to provide a higher level of meal service to compensate for the changes and we feel confident that the meals will be of an excellent standard.
Hair Salons Closed Again
We are disappointed to confirm that once again, our hair salons have had to close, in line with the requirements for Metropolitan Melbourne.
Aged Care Employee Day
Tomorrow is Aged Care Employee Day and I cannot imagine a more apt time to be recognising and commending our staff for the dedication, care and strength they are showing in these truly inconceivable circumstances.
Words cannot sufficiently express the gratitude of our managers, our Board members and our residents themselves. You may be aware that my mum is a resident at one of our aged care homes and every day, I am grateful for the care she is receiving.
Thank you to all of you who have so kindly sent messages of support – these mean a great deal to all our staff.
Ongoing Support for Your Loved Ones
I would like to reassure you that the care of your loved one remains foremost in our minds, their mental and physical health and their protection from the virus. It has been a very tough time for many residents, and while our staff are doing a terrific job, we know that they are no substitute for you – so please continue to call and Zoom your loved ones, write them a card or a letter, send a photo or a book, or ask the youngsters in your family to make a drawing or paint a picture.
Contact from you lights up their faces and their lives.
Please continue to stay safe – wash your hands, cough/sneeze etiquette, stay home, shop online!
Victoria needs us all to do our bit to get this under control.
A case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in a Vasey RSL Care Brighton staff member. We wish this staff member a speedy recovery. Nine residents were identified as close contacts: all have been tested and all results were negative. A staff member was identified as a close contact and has been tested and is in quarantine awaiting results.
As this comes within the definition of an ‘outbreak’, we have activated our Outbreak Management Action Plan and informed the relevant authorities.
Our thoughts are with the residents, families and staff members of all at Brighton.
Notification and Testing
All residents have been tested today. All other staff and contractors at Vasey RSL Care Brighton have been tested today or have arrangements for testing tomorrow and results are expected in the next two days.
We have notified all residents at Brighton and are in touch with their Primary Contacts to keep them informed of the situation.
A Concerted Effort
Our approach throughout this Pandemic has been an abundance of caution and I can assure you that management, our suppliers, contractors and our dedicated team are working proactively and cooperatively together. We have deployed appropriate senior leadership and additional resources and staff to assist during this time.
We understand this news will be distressing and I would like to reassure everyone that we are working together and following strict protocols to ensure the wellbeing of all and to successfully navigate this current situation.
Please be assured that we will do all we can to protect your loved ones. Your ongoing support and understanding are very much appreciated.
We continue to have no positive cases but the number of new COVID-19 cases in Victoria this week has been extremely concerning. There are now 87 aged care facilities in Victoria that have had an ‘outbreak’.
Note that an outbreak is defined as one (or more) positive test(s) in a resident and/or a staff member. Around 10% of the aged care facilities in the Melbourne region have had an official outbreak. However, in the majority of these just one person is involved.
Sadly, there are around 15 aged care facilities where the number of residents and staff infected has rapidly increased, with many residents and some staff hospitalised and surge staff employed to take the place of the infected and quarantined staff. Around 900 residents and staff of aged care facilities have now tested positive for COVID-19.
Staff Member’s Partner Tests Positive
We have experienced the situation where a staff member’s partner has received a positive test for COVID-19. In this situation, any residents who had close contact with the staff member are placed in quarantine as a precautionary measure. The residents and staff member have been tested and will remain in quarantine until the results are known.
We notify the Primary Contact of the resident(s) affected and provide them with regular updates on the situation. This is a precautionary measure to reduce the possibility of the virus spreading.
Please be assured that if the Primary Contact for your loved one has not been contacted, your loved one is not affected.
With the increasing community transmission of the virus, it is highly likely that this situation will recur. As and when it does, the resident and Primary Contact will be contacted without delay and kept updated on the situation.
Update on Other Measures
Our senior staff are participating in regular briefings from our industry bodies and learning from those in the sector experiencing outbreaks, so we are as well-informed as possible to fight COVID-19. Every precaution we can take to prevent this highly infectious virus breaching our defences is being taken.
In accordance with the recent government directives, our staff are restricted to working only at one location. Additionally, we have minimised internal movement within the facility wherever possible. In the event of a virus outbreak, our staff will be ‘cohorted’ into separate COVID-19 and standard teams, further reducing movement.
The federal Department of Health has announced that staff must wear face shields in addition to face masks. The commonwealth government is supplying these from their national stockpile and we expect to receive delivery over next few days.
It has also been announced by the federal Department of Aged Care and Senior Australians that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will undertake spot checks to confirm that face masks and face shields are being worn correctly in aged care.
Our Outbreak Action Management Plan has been reviewed by our Infection Control Consultant and each facility has been contacted by either their local hospital or the Public Health Unit, to assess our preparations for an outbreak and our precautionary measures. This is an important external overview that ensures we are as well prepared as possible.
Outbreak Preparation
In the event of an outbreak, we will notify the Primary Contacts as soon as possible and keep them updated on the situation.
Please be aware that to contain the virus, we may need to ‘cohort’ residents by moving them from their rooms to other rooms/locations. Again, please be assured that the resident and Primary Contact will be kept informed at all times. We know that this will be distressing for residents and for families and we will be sensitive to their needs at all times. We will ensure that the resident’s belongings are carefully looked after, and the resident returned to their own room when the situation is over.
This will be a temporary measures; we ask for your understanding and cooperation should this be needed, as it will happen quickly in order to provide maximum protection.
Keep In Touch@Vasey RSL Care
I know that many residents and families are now familiar with Zoom, which is proving to be a great benefit to many – not all – of our residents. As mentioned previously, we encourage you to consider purchasing a tablet for your loved one so that they do not have to rely on the shared ones, especially if isolation prevents their use.
Also, don’t forget the dying art of letter-writing: this is still a great way to keep in touch and your loved ones get a real boost from receiving an envelope in the mail. It does not have to be a long letter – simply knowing that their loved ones are thinking of them is well worthwhile.
Join Our FaceBook Page Community
If you are on Facebook (although this is one-way communication only) please consider following our page, if you don’t already.
VaseyRSLCareSalutingExcellence.
Our lifestyle team members are finding ingenious ways to support the mental health and wellbeing of residents and here you can see a selection of the events and activities across our five aged care homes.
Aged Care Employee Day (7 August)
Thank you very much to all those who have already sent messages of support for our staff for this special day next Friday. There is still plenty of time – please send to communications@vaseyrslcae.org.au if you would like to.
And any other way you would like to show support for our staff will be very welcome.
Please continue to look after yourselves and those around you, and we will continue to do everything we can to look after your loved ones.
Like us, you are no doubt keeping a close watch on the daily announcements on COVID-19 infections in Victoria and the alarming numbers of residents infected in aged care homes. Today, we hear that there are 683 people with COVID-19 across 61 aged care facilities in Victoria, and our hearts go out to all of those affected.
Aged Care Virus Testing
A company called Aspen Medical has been contracted by the federal Department of Health to carry out extensive testing for COVID-19 in aged care facilities. They have set up five mobile testing clinics to test staff and residents, at the facility, in order to help identify where community transmission is occurring before there are outbreaks. The testing is voluntary.
Vasey RSL Care Bundoora – Friday 31 July
We have been notified that the mobile testing clinic will visit Bundoora this Friday. We will notify you about other locations as soon as we find out.
If your loved one is unable to give consent, our staff will contact the Primary Contact to ask for consent for this test.
Face Masks
Most Victorians are getting used to wearing face masks, and this is another ‘tool’ in our virus prevention toolkit. However, it is important to continue using our other preventative tools as well: face masks do not alter the fundamental necessity for hand hygiene, physical distancing and staying home as much as possible.
It has now been shown that face masks do two things:
They protect the health of a person who is well, and
They prevent the spread of infection from someone who is sick.
COVID-19 is spread in four main ways:
Contact with droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze, or when they are talking
Touching objects that have cough or sneeze droplets from an infected person on them
Close contact with an infected person
Touching your face or mouth
Remember that a face mask must be worn and used correctly to provide protection.
If a resident leaves the facility for any reason, they too will be required to wear a face covering or face mask for their protection.
Worrying about Loved Ones
This is a worrying time, especially for those who have loved ones in aged care.
If you are worried about your loved one, please contact the facility during business hours and ask for an update. We may have to call you back, but we understand the importance of ensuring you know how things are going, even the simple things like ‘she enjoyed her breakfast today’, or ‘he liked the Armchair Leisure program this week’.
Staffing Changes
Further to our last message, the staff rosters have undergone significant changes to accommodate the government requirement for those staff previously working at more than one aged care employer to choose which one they will work at for the next eight weeks, beginning yesterday.
From the residents’ point of view, we are confident that these changes will not impact the level or quality of care received, although we are aware that many residents build close relationships with particular staff, and they may find that a little readjusting is needed.
Please be assured that all our staff go through a rigorous recruitment process that tests every aspect of their suitability to the role.
Aged Care Employee Day – Friday 7 August
This year, the theme of Aged Care Employee Day is ‘Thank you for caring’. What an apt theme for this year!
Throughout the last few months, we have received many messages of support, thanking our staff for the work they do. These are all passed on via the relevant managers and I know this acknowledgement means a lot to those who are ‘at the coalface’.
For Aged Care Employee Day, if you feel like sending a message of support, it would be very much appreciated. Please send your message to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au and we will ensure it is included as part of our recognition of our staff on that day. We will not include any names of those sending the emails, unless you specifically note that we may.
We are pleased to confirm that we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at any of our aged care homes. However, there are now 213 active cases at aged care homes in Victoria, and we are extremely concerned about the continued spread. We are closely monitoring the situation and learning from what is happening around us in the aged care sector. We are continuing to step up our cleaning and disinfection schedules and remain on high alert, ready to respond to an outbreak.
Internet-Enabled Devices for Your Loved Ones
In the event of an outbreak, use of communal tablets and phones for calls and Zoom meetings will be restricted to avoid infection.
We strongly encourage you to consider purchasing a phone or an internet-enabled tablet (such as an iPad) for your loved one to use, if they do not already have one.
Visiting Restrictions
There are no changes to our current visiting restrictions and we appreciate the support you are showing, which eases the load on our staff, who are continuing to do an outstanding job in most difficult circumstances.
As previously, we ask that you get in touch with the relevant Residential Manager during normal business hours (9am to 5m Monday to Friday) if you need to talk about essential visits for compassionate reasons.
Staffing Changes
As mentioned previously, we have already made changes to minimise staff working at more than one of our locations.
Some 20-30% of aged care staff have multiple part-time jobs and work with multiple providers. This is typical for our sector and we are no different to other aged care organisations.
The government has directed that from Monday 27 July, all aged care staff who work for more than one aged care employer must choose which employer they will work for over the next 8 weeks. Their chosen employer must ensure that they are not disadvantaged provide additional shifts to make up for any shifts they lose at their other workplace(s). This is not an easy decision for staff to make and they have very little time to make it.
With a staff of 550 at Vasey RSL Care, this has been a colossal task for our team to organise in a very short space of time and has required a number of dedicated staff focusing on it full time.
For our residents, this will mean some changes to the staff they are used to seeing: we are doing all we can to provide continuity wherever possible, and we do not anticipate issues with staff shortages.
Residents Who Leave and Return
Please be aware that if a resident leaves one of our aged care homes to go to hospital or for any other reason, they will go into isolation for 14 days on their return. During this time they will be restricted to their room and all staff supporting them will wear full personal protective equipment.
Stay Home and Stay Healthy
The best thing that all of us can do is to reduce our contact with others to the absolute minimum. Can we do our shopping online? Will our pharmacy deliver? Do we really need takeaway? The more each one of us can do to avoid contact with others, the better off the whole community is.
Please continue to look after your own physical and mental health during this prolonged, discouraging and testing time.
New Measures
New virus cases in Victoria remain high and our state government has announced two new measures to try and curb the spread.
Face Masks
We are all now required to wear face masks at all times when we are outside our homes. This comes into effect at 11.59pm tomorrow (Wed) and applies to everyone who lives in Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire.
We recommend a surgical mask: these are readily available at most chemists and are not expensive.
Staff with Multiple Work Locations
The government is working on a system to minimise aged care staff working at more than one workplace. We are waiting to hear the details of this system.
It is common practice for health and aged care staff to have more than one part-time job at multiple locations. We have a register of all staff and details of other workplaces where they are employed. Our staff are fully aware of their responsibilities and what is required of them if they come in contact with a suspected case of the virus.
We have reorganised staff rosters to minimise staff working at multiple sites. However, there are times when this is necessary and preferable to relying on bringing in agency staff which would increase the risk to our organisation.
Additional Cleaning
To increase our protection, we have instigated a higher level of regular cleaning: we will now have daily ongoing additional cleaning and disinfection at all our aged care facilities.
Reminders:
Compassionate Visits
Visitor restrictions remain in place. Please contact the Residential Manager or Facility Care Coordinator during business hours to discuss visiting for compassionate reasons. Note that screening remains in place.
Passing on Information
If you are the Primary Contact, please ensure you pass on any information coming directly from the aged care facility where your loved one is living.
Keeping In Contact
In the event of an outbreak, the use of devices for Zoom meetings will be restricted to avoid the chance of infection. We strongly encourage you to consider purchasing an internet-enabled tablet or phone for your loved one so that you can maintain contact with them should this situation arise.
We continue to be in a state of high alert, conscious of how highly infectious this virus is. We are guided by industry bodies and government on best practice and evidence-based solutions: we continue to update our practices and procedures as necessary and as new information is made available.
We will keep you informed on any further changes that we make in order to protect your loved ones.Thank you once again for your understanding and support during this worrying time.
Regular Email Communication for Family Members
We are sending an email to family members of residents when we have important information to share. If you are not currently receiving this and would like to, please send an email to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au and indicate which home your loved one is living at.
I am sure you all share our deep concern regarding the COVID-19 statistics in Victoria and in particular, the number of outbreak in aged care homes. As of this morning, there are more than 39 homes affected, and more than 100 cases, of which 65 are residents.
Vasey RSL Care has no cases at this point. However, we are on high alert, and while we are doing everything in our power to keep the virus out, we are only too aware how infectious this virus is and how easily it spreads.
Please be assured that while we are working hard to prevent an infection, we are also prepared and ready to deal with an outbreak, should it occur.
What will happen in the Case of an Outbreak
In Residential Aged Care an Outbreak is one (or more) resident(s) and/or staff who have a positive test for COVID-19.
Preparedness
Our staff are trained and our systems are in place. We have a comprehensive Outbreak Management Action Plan which commences as soon as we are informed of a positive test for COVID-19 in either a resident or a staff member.
Communication
General communication regarding the situation will continue to come from Chief Executive Officer.
Communication will come directly from the relevant facility regarding individual residents.
The person the resident nominated as their Primary Contact will be notified if their loved one is unwell or tested for the virus and the outcome of any test.
Health Monitoring and Testing
We continually monitor the health of our residents, but this has been stepped up and all residents are having their temperature taken daily, are being observed for any signs or symptoms and asked how they are feeling. We are also asking that residents themselves let us know if they have any concerns about their health, even the most minor.
Any resident who is tested for COVID-19 is isolated until the results of the test are received. Whilst the resident is in isolation, staff wear full personal protective equipment (PPE).
In the Case of a Positive Test Result
If there is a positive result, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services will be notified and they will work with us throughout the outbreak, as will the Commonwealth Department of Health and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Older people who contract COVID-19 can deteriorate rapidly and may go from feeling ‘not themselves’ to being extremely unwell in a matter of hours. Therefore, a resident who test positive for COVID-19, may be transferred to hospital.
If hospital transfer does not occur, we may rearrange room allocations so that those unaffected are separated from those who are positive, those waiting for test results (suspected case) and those that have no signs and/or have tested negative. If this is required, discussions will occur with the resident and the primary contact.
Staff and residents will be tested regularly during any outbreak and test results will be communicated to the primary contact.
Staff Quarantine and Extra Staff
The Department of Health and Human Services may require that we quarantine staff for 14 days. To avoid staff shortages, we will work with the government and others to obtain staff (known as surge staff).
What we are asking of you
We ask for your cooperation: please continue to be patient and understanding.
Communicating with Primary Contact
At the facility, communication relating to residents will be with the Primary Contact only. We ask that this person become the central point of contact for the family/friends and pass on any communications. Our staff will be busier than ever, and having one point of contact will help avoid duplicating calls or emails and will enable staff to focus on their priorities of caring for residents.
Different Staffing
Be aware that in the case of an outbreak and staff quarantine, unfamiliar staff may be caring for your loved one.
Keeping in Contact with Loved Ones in Quarantine
In the case of an outbreak, the availability of tablets for Zoom meetings with family will be restricted to avoid the chance of infection. Please consider purchasing an internet enabled tablet or phone that belongs to the resident; this will enable you to have ongoing connection with your loved one; staff will be asked to support this.
This second wave of the virus in Melbourne is substantially worse than the first. I imagine we are all feeling the stress of this ongoing threat to our loved ones. While we cannot assure you that the virus will not infiltrate our defences, I want you to know that we are doing everything possible to protect your loved ones, and we are prepared for an outbreak.
We will continue to update you with any changes to the situation.
Armchair Leisure Program Continues
This program has provided a varied and engaging range of viewing over the past few months and has been greatly appreciated by many residents. These are free programs that can be viewed on Youtube and you may like to view them as well.
Regular Email Communication for Family Members
We are sending an email to family members of residents when we have important information to share. If you are not currently receiving this and would like to, please send an email to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au and indicate which home your loved one is living at.
With increasing COVID-19 infections due to community transmission in Victoria, both Federal and State Health Departments have issued recommendations that aged care facilities in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire increase protective measures against the virus.
We are very concerned at the daily new infection statistics and we share our government’s views on stepping up our prevention measures. We will implement the following policies:
Staff Face Masks
All staff will now wear face masks when interacting with residents, and additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if required, according to the situation and requirements.
Visitor Face Masks
As directed by the DHHS, any family member permitted to visit on compassionate grounds must wear a face mask (surgical mask) and must provide their own. If the visitor does not have a face mask, they will not be allowed entry. Note: if you are unable to get hold of a mask, our staff can provide one at a cost of $3. However, it is essential that we maintain stocks for staff and ask for your cooperation in this matter. Staff will assist with fitting your face mask correctly.
Increased Resident Protection Measures
We will introduce daily COVID-19 screening for ALL residents, including observations such as temperature.A key change is the requirement for newly admitted residents, or those readmitted from hospital, to quarantine in their room for 14 days. Our lifestyle team are working to establish wellbeing programs for each individual resident who will be impacted by this required change.
We will be deferring routine appointments and encouraging use of telehealth consultations with doctors wherever possible.
Our staff at each aged care home are assessing other aspects of our care and services, such as dining arrangements and wellbeing (pain) clinics, and a decision will be made on these over the next couple of days.
Changes to Staffing
We are ready, if needed, to make changes to our staffing rosters, so that any staff members working at multiple facilities are restricted to one facility only. We have also limited staff leave from now until 20 August to exceptional circumstances only.
Additional Measures
There are many other measures being taken behind the scenes to reduce the risk of infection exposure, such as increased cleaning, ensuring stocks of Personal Protective Equipment, support for staff and continued work from home for all roles where this is possible.
Visitor Restrictions and Requirements
There are no further changes to the visitor restrictions introduced last week. Visits for compassionate reasons are to be discussed with the Residential Manager during business hours with a risk assessment conducted over the phone. It is essential that we minimise visitors. (Please refer to the DHHS guidelines for details – https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/aged-care-sector-coronavirus-disease-covid-19 – click on ‘Resources for Residential Care’ and choose second item in list.)
Visitors are asked to follow the directions of staff at all times: ie hand hygiene, physical distancing and cough/sneeze etiquette.
Window Visits and Keep-In-Touch – Zoom Visits
Our Lifestyle Teams are once again gearing up to support window and Zoom visits with your loved one. As previously, please help us make these available to as many residents as possible by keeping to your allotted times.
Zoom visit bookings are available for a 10 minute call during the times 10am to 12 noon and 1 to 3pm Monday to Friday. Please indicate your preferred time and date when you email us.
Brighton keepintouchbrighton@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Brighton East keepintouchbe@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Bundoora keepintouchbundoora@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Frankston S. keepintouchfs@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Ivanhoe keepintouchivanhoe@vaseyrslcare.org.au
If you don’t have email, please call the relevant Lifestyle Coordinator to arrange your Zoom.
This is not yet over
This is a reminder for us all that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from being over. We must all do everything we can to help protect ourselves and anyone we come in contact with – and especially the most vulnerable in our community.
Thank you for your continued understanding and support – it is very much appreciated.
Advice for families and friends
We regretfully inform you that due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Melbourne, Vasey RSL Care is reintroducing visitor restrictions at all our aged care homes from 9pm today, Wed 8 July. Visitors are only permitted when required for care-giving/compassionate reasons, and after arrangements have been made with facility management.
These restrictions are in place to protect our residents and staff. Thank you for your understanding
As you are no doubt aware, the Victorian Premier, Mr Daniel Andrews, announced yesterday afternoon that metropolitan Melbourne and the Shire of Mitchell are returning to Stage 3 Stay at Home Restrictions from 11.59pm today.
Once again, we are all required to stay at home and are only permitted to leave for four reasons – essential shopping, medical, work/education and exercise. Just as we are required to stay at home, so residents are too, and unfortunately, community excursions are not permitted. However, medical appointments are permitted where necessary and after a risk assessment and infection prevention strategy is carried out.
We realise this is a difficult message for everyone to hear: please be assured that your loved ones come first. Their safety continues to be our number one priority.
Compassionate Visit Arrangements
While it is necessary to restrict visitors to an absolute minimum, management will give consideration based on compassionate reasons. The number of visitors and the duration of the visit should, however, be kept to a minimum. Screening will be required and you will be asked to sign a declaration that you agree to comply with infection prevention and control requirements, and your visit will be supervised.
Please contact the Residential Manager or Facility Care Coordinator (during business hours) to discuss your personal situation.
Zoom Visits
We will be providing Zoom visits and will be in touch with you again to provide you with details.
Share this Information
Please pass this information on to any other family members who may need to be aware of the changes.
Thank you for your Cooperation
We are all in this together, fighting a global and deadly pandemic, and I thank you for your support and commitment to protecting vulnerable residents and the broader community. I am asking for your continued support and understanding as we all work together in the expectation that Victoria can slow the spread of the virus.
* 1 July 2020 * Updated info – please see above.
IMPORTANT
The Victorian Government has announced that as of 11.59pm today, Wed 1 July, ‘Stage 3 Stay at Home’ restrictions have been reintroduced for everyone living in the the following ‘Hotzones’:
| 3038 | Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens |
| 3021 | Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans |
| 3012 | Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham, West Footscray |
| 3042 | Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie, Niddrie North |
| 3064 | Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park, Kalkallo |
| 3047 | Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana |
| 3060 | Fawkner |
| 3032 | Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore |
| 3046 | Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park |
| 3055 | Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West |
If you live in any of these suburbs, please DO NOT VISIT any of our aged care homes.
Your cooperation is appreciated. We must ensure the safety of our residents.
Thank you
Visit DHHS Site for information
* 26 June 2020 * Updated info – please see above.
NOTE: the DHHS has updated its advice to identify 10 suburbs that are virus ‘hotspots’.
If you live or work in any of the following, please DO NOT VISIT any of our aged care homes:
* Keilor Downs * Broadmeadows * Maidstone * Albanvale * Sunshine West * Hallam * Brunswick West * Fawkner * Reservoir * Pakenham *
Your cooperation is appreciated. We must ensure the safety of our residents.
Please contact the Residential Manager if you have any concerns.
IF UNWELL with symptoms of Coronavirus – however mild:
- Get tested
- Do not go to work
- Do not visit family/friends
Please share this info with friends/family who may be thinking of visiting.
Thank you
* 24 June 2020 * Updated info – please see top of page
With the recent increases in COVID-19 cases in Victoria, it is a difficult time for everyone. The clusters or ‘hotspots’ of virus infections show that we are not yet past the danger stage and the risk is still very real, so please note the following.
Central Office Remains Closed
In line with the Victorian government directives, our central office remains closed with most staff working from home. This will be reviewed on 12 July.
Visiting Restrictions
NEW rules are now in place regarding the virus hotspots
- We are asking that family and friends of residents who live or work in the local government areas of Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Hume and Moreland not to visit any of our aged care homes at this time.
- For more details on this and for updates on the areas affected by this requirement, please check the Department of Health website. Our restrictions follow the state and federal government guidelines.
The following restrictions remain in place:
- Flu vaccination is required for all visitors.
- Visiting hours continue as before.
- Each resident may have up to two visitors per day across a maximum of two visits.
- Visitors can come separately or together for a single visit or for two separate visits.
- Total visiting time is maximum two hours per day. (Note that those supporting their loved ones in end-of-life care, or in compassionate circumstances, should speak with the Residential Manager.)
- Children under 16 are still not permitted (except for circumstances as above – please speak to the Residential Manager).
- Visits will take place in the resident’s room, or outdoors, or in the specially designated area.
- Physical distancing and hygiene practices must be observed.
Continued Visitor Screening
We must continue to protect our vulnerable community, so for those who are permitted to visit, the screening process for all people entering any of our aged care homes continues.
We cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of not bringing any infection into our aged care homes.
If you are unwell, do not visit.
If you have even the slightest symptoms, please stay away.
Residents’ Outings
While group outings are still not permitted, residents from those of our aged care homes not located in the hotspots, may be able to go out to visit their GP or family. If your loved one is considering an outing, they should speak to our Residential Manager will will organise a risk assessment for them, taking into account the individual circumstances, health and other factors.
We strongly advise that residents avoid visits to the hotspots (Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Hume and Moreland). As our Bundoora home is located in one of the areas of concern, outings are not permitted.
Please be aware that there is a screening process for returning residents with a questionnaire and observations. Staff will monitor residents closely for any signs or symptoms, and if an exposure risk is discovered, the resident may need to have a quarantine period of 14 days.
Zoom and Window Visits Still Operating
Don’t forget that we are continuing to offer Zoom and window visits and even though it is colder weather now: perhaps you can rug up on a cold and sunny day for a short window visit, or choose a Zoom meeting instead. Book with our lifestyle staff as usual.
Armchair Leisure Program Continues
This program has provided a varied and engaging range of viewing over the past few months and has been greatly appreciated by many residents. These are free programs that can be viewed on Youtube and you may like to view them as well.
* 5 June 2020 * Updated info – please see top of page
Each week brings us something new! This week, I would like to let you know about two positive changes for our residential care homes – hairdressers are returning and Visiting Hours will replace booked appointments from Tuesday 9 June.
Hairdressers returning
One thing that caused consternation among residents during visitor restrictions was the closing of the hair salons. We are therefore very happy to be able to announce that they are on their way back. Each facility has a different schedule, so details are available from our administration staff at the facility.
Visiting Hours to replace Appointments from Tuesday 9 June
Restrictions still remain on numbers of visitors and length of visits. The Care Facility Directions (No. 4) permit a resident of a care facility to have up to two visits each day, with the total duration of such visits to be no longer than two hours and no more than two persons in total each day. These Directions are in place until 21 June 2020: however, we expect that visiting hours will be in place for several months yet.
From Tuesday 9 June, we will be changing from our appointment system to ‘Visiting Hours’ as shown below:
- Vasey RSL Care Brighton: 11am to 3pm every day
- Vasey RSL Care Brighton East: 11am to 3pm every day
- Vasey RSL Care Bundoora: Mon-Fri 10am to 3pm, Sat/Sun 11am to 2pm
- Vasey RSL Care Frankston South: 11am to 3pm every day
- Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe: Mon-Fri 11.30am to 4pm, Sat/Sun 11am to 1pm
We ask for your assistance and support.
- We reserve the right to ask visitors to wait if we are experiencing very high visitor numbers.
- You may also have to wait outside the door, until the screening process has been completed with other visitors.
- Each visitor will continue to be asked screening questions and visitors’ temperatures will be taken.
- We ask that you continue to use strict hand hygiene making use of the Alcohol Hand Sanitiser we provide at the entrance and in each resident’s room, follow physical distancing remaining 1.5 metres away from the resident and any other visitor or staff member and practice cough/sneeze etiquette.
- You must stay away if you have even the slightest hint of any sickness and you will not be allowed to enter the home if you are unwell.
- The rules around travelling overseas in the last 14 days, being exposed to anyone with COVID-19 (suspected or confirmed), restrictions on people under 16 years and having this year’s flu vaccination all remain unchanged.
- It is the responsibility of the family to determine who the one or two visitors are; our staff will not get involved in adjudicating in family matters.
Finally, please note that visits cannot take place in communal areas (such as dining or lounge rooms). Visitors are not able to make tea or coffee in kitchenettes. For those who like to have lunch with their loved one, this can be arranged in the resident’s room and if you require lunch, please give a day’s notice and there is a small fee payable. We encourage you to take your loved one out into the gardens or courtyard areas, and make use of outdoor areas.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation with the ongoing visiting restrictions and further changes.
Compassionate Visits & Exceptional Circumstances
Compassionate visits will continue as previously for anyone whose loved one is at end-of-life, noting that visitors must still meet screening requirements. If there are other exceptional circumstances, please contact the relevant Residential Manager.
It would be easy at this stage to let down our guard
Please work with us to maintain vigilance. Government testing has shown that the virus is still out there in the community and there are ‘asymptomatic’ people (those who have the virus but have no symptoms) here in Melbourne. We are still ‘treading on eggshells’ with this virus.
New Entry Management Systems Coming Soon
Our recent visitor screening and associated administration processes have been time consuming for visitors and staff. To streamline this process, we are implementing a new security system for everyone entering our aged care homes. We will provide more detail on this over the next couple of weeks.
Keep In Touch
We are continuing to offer Zoom chats and Window visits, which have become very popular with some residents! One of the wonderful things about Zoom is that the resident can chat with a whole group of people in any location, and we have experienced some wonderful ‘online reunions’ which has been very special for the resident and their family.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding as each week brings something new to get used to.
Armchair Leisure Program This Week
* 22 May 2020 * Updated info – please see top of page
Easing of Visiting Restrictions
Visiting restrictions for our five residential homes were eased on Wednesday 13 May. It has been a long time for our residents to be isolated from their loved ones. It has been an emotional time and has brought a great sense of comfort to residents and visitors, and staff too!
The initial visits have been complicated by our new legal responsibilities for confirming the flu vaccination status of all visitors. We appreciate your patience as we manage this new process. Subsequent visits will be simpler as you can show your ‘pass’.
Please note that our Window visits and Zoom online visits are still available and that we are continuing to run our Armchair Leisure Program.
No Room for Complacency
You may be aware that four residential aged care homes in the Melbourne area have had to go into lockdown this week in response to suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 following. Our thoughts are with them as they work to support and protect their communities.
Protecting our community from COVID-19 continues to be our top priority and our community is still at risk from this virus. We need your continued help and support.
If you have even the slightest symptoms or have been with anyone who is displaying any, please, please, please stay home.
Thank you for your ‘thank you’s!
We are very appreciative of the cards, letters, emails, and words of encouragement we have received from you, the family members and loved ones of residents. The appreciation that you have shown to our staff has been a tremendous support to us all and we thank you for taking the time to do this.
What’s Next?
As has been the case all through the pandemic, it is difficult to know what is coming next and we are continually adjusting to new requirements. The next State government announcement is due at the end of May and we will respond as quickly as we can. Please be aware that changes require significant work from our quality and risk team to support safe implementation, and we will continue to act on them as fast as we can. It took us less 36 hours to implement the major changes last week and we will work to maintain this level of productivity as the pandemic continues.
Please continue to look after yourselves and maintain your vigilance, hand hygiene, physical distancing and general health practices. We must maintain strong defences against COVID-19.
* 12 May 2020 * Updated info – please see top of page
Visitation Restrictions Update
We continue to have no cases of COVID-19 at any of our aged care homes. Having said that, Victoria continues to experience local transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community. While all types of respiratory viruses can cause sickness in the elderly, COVID-19 is a particularly contagious infection that can cause severe illness and death for vulnerable people.
As our Premier, Daniel Andrews reported yesterday, the extensive testing over the weekend of 161,000 Victorians discovered 30 people who tested positive out of the 141,000 checked. While this is a small proportion, it demonstrates that there is still a risk with instances of the virus in the community and we must continue to be vigilant.
Furthermore, residential aged care homes are particularly susceptible to COVID-19 outbreaks. While we are actively working to prevent an outbreak occurring, illness in the wider community may lead to staff or residents contracting COVID-19 and to an outbreak occurring at our homes. As we have seen in West Sydney, this virus is highly dangerous to older people, and we must minimise the chance of it entering any of our aged care homes.
Visiting Restrictions – a Gradual Easing
We continue to be guided by state and federal regulations and directives. Premier Andrews announced yesterday that there will be a gradual relaxing of rules, using a “cautious, safe and appropriate approach”. As the Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton stated, vulnerable people with chronic illnesses must be precautionary when engaging with others.
The aged care sector has been keen to avoid confusion with a consistent approach to aged care visitation across Australia. Late yesterday, the ‘Industry Code for Visiting Residential Aged Care Homes During COVID-19’ (‘the Visiting Code’) was published and our Visitation Protocol reflects its contents. To read the entire Visiting Code, click here. Our response has been developed in consultation with residents, representatives, staff and management, noting that the majority have been fully supportive of the measures we have taken to protect our community.
We are here to care for your loved ones and in opening up to visitors, we are conscious of the fact that this increases the risk of an outbreak occurring. We will be cautious, use common sense and take this new approach step by step, with continuous evaluation and adjustment. Therefore we are asking for your continued patience and understanding as we put in place our new Visitation Protocol, starting tomorrow, Wednesday 13 May.
New Visitation Protocol: from Wednesday 13 May
Easing of visiting restrictions to our aged care homes will be gradual, fair and equitable to all residents, and within our ability to manage.
What is the Visitation Protocol?
- One in person visit per week per resident is available
- A maximum of two people may attend
- Visits are by appointment only, and run for 30 minutes (see below)
- Visiting times will be staggered to support physical distancing
- Visitors will undergo a screening process (see below)
- Visits will take place in a designated area of the home or in the grounds, or in the resident’s room if this is the resident’s preference or they are unwell (non-infectious) or bed-bound; the location will be agreed at time of booking. Note: it cannot be a communal area, and unfortunately, the kitchenettes are not open to visitors
- Visitors will be accompanied by a member of staff to and from their loved one
- Visitors must follow hygiene processes (hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes etc) and physical distancing at all times, that is 1.5m between the resident and each visitor
- Visitors may bring items that are needed or will benefit the resident, and will be asked to wipe down hard surfaces
- No visitors aged 16 or under are permitted, in accordance with current Victorian government legislation, other than for compassionate end of life visits
Appointments
Our staff will contact the person that the resident has nominated as their primary contact to organise their in person visit. It will help us greatly if you could please be patient and wait for a call.
Note: it is the responsibility of the family to determine who the one or two visitors are; our staff will not get involved in adjudicating in family matters.
- During the call, screening questions will be asked (see below)
- This person will be offered a date and time for a visit, and if the offered visit is not suitable, (eg due to work commitments) the information and reasons will be provided to the Residential Manager who will work with the family member to set up an alternative date/time
- Details of the visitor(s), date, time and location will be recorded in the site’s online calendar
The Screening Process
The screening process is the best way we have of ensuring that the virus is kept out of our aged care homes. We ask for your patience as this process is carried out both at time of booking the appointment, and on entry to the home, as during the intervening time circumstances may have changed.
Screening Questions
- Have you been vaccinated against influenza? Have you provided us with evidence?
- Have you returned from overseas or travelled on a cruise ship in the last 14 days?
- Have you been in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days? (A contact is defined as anyone who has been in contact with a known case, including the 24 hours before they became symptomatic)
- Have you currently or within the last 7 days been unwell or been aware of any of the following symptoms: fever (37.5 degrees or greater), night seats or chills, cough, sore or scratchy throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, changes to taste or smell?
Visiting Process
- Visitors should arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointment to undergo the screening process
- The screening questions will be asked
- Each visitor will be required to complete a ‘Visitor Entry form’
- Each visitor will have their temperature taken
- On your first visit (after 1 May 2020), evidence of each visitor’s current flu vaccination will be requested, a copy made and you will be asked to complete the ‘flu vaccination receipt register’. A receipt will be provided as a ‘pass’ for future visits so that entry screening is faster next time. It is recommended you take a photograph of the pass on your mobile phone for future reference or in case you lose the pass.
- You will be required to complete hand hygiene and reminded about physical distancing
- You will be escorted to the agreed area
- On arrival, you will again be required to complete hand hygiene
- If visiting in the resident’s room, you will press the call bell when you wish to leave and you will be escorted back to the entry
- A staff member will ask how the visit went and if there is anything else that we can help you with
- You will again be required to complete hand hygiene
- We ask that you exit promptly
Please Support Us
We understand that these requirements are still restrictive, and they will be reviewed again at the end of May when the Victorian State Government reviews their responses.
We ask that everyone is respectful of what our staff are able to achieve: there is a significant extra burden on us in running this visiting protocol and I would like to thank you in anticipation for showing courtesy and patience at all times.
Compassionate Visits & Exceptional Circumstances
Please note compassionate visits will continue as previously for all those whose loved one enters end-of-life care, noting that visitors must still meet screening requirements. If there are other exceptional circumstances, please contact the relevant Residential Manager for assistance.
Face Masks
Most people will not benefit from wearing a surgical face mask. Masks are of benefit to people who are sick so they don’t cough on others, and health care workers who have frequent, close contact with sick people.
However, many people feel that a mask may be helpful. If you do wish to wear a mask, it must be a ‘surgical mask’. Bring the mask with you and we will provide you with a guide on fitting. It is very important that you wash your hands or use alcohol-based hand rub before fitting the mask, that you do not touch the mask whilst wearing it, that you remove carefully and complete hand hygiene after disposal.
Window Visits and Zoom Meetings
We will continue to offer both these options in the short term and we will consider the possibility of continuing Zoom meetings in the longer term. These have proved valuable, especially to many family members who live further away, and have brought a great deal of pleasure to our residents.
Keeping Everyone Safe
Families play an important role in protecting their relatives from community viruses. Practical steps you can take to prevent COVID-19 from your loved ones aged care facilities include:
- Avoid spreading illnesses: washing your hands well with liquid soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub before and after visiting and after coughing or sneezing will help reduce the spread of disease. Cover your mouth with a tissue or your elbow (not your bare hand) when coughing or sneezing and dispose of used tissues immediately and wash your hands
- Follow the infection control guidelines as directed by the facility staff. This may include wearing a disposable face mask and/or other protective equipment (gloves, gowns) as instructed. Social distancing, that is 1.5 metres between each visitor and the resident is also important
- Stay away if you’re unwell: if you have recently been unwell, been in contact with someone who is unwell or you have symptoms of respiratory illness (eg fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, or tiredness/exhaustion) please do not visit the facility until your symptoms have disappeared
- If you have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 you must stay away until you are released from self-isolation
- Limit your visit and do not spend time in communal areas of the facility, to reduce the risk of spreading infection
- For further information regarding COVID-19, please refer to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website
Please be assured that all residents will receive this information so that they are aware of the changes. Thank you for your assistance in adhering to this protocol: these measures will greatly assist us to continue to protect the health of your loved ones.
* 8 May 2020 * Updated info – please see top of page
Visiting Restrictions Update
Flu Vaccination
If you have not already done so, we strongly encourage you to have your flu vaccination as it is now mandatory for anyone visiting an aged care home.
Please send evidence of your flu vaccination to the relevant home for their records. You can send it by email, fax or post. Click here for contact details.
Once visiting restrictions are eased and you arrive for your first visit, as part of screening questions you will be asked about your flu vaccination. A staff member will ask you to complete some details and will then provide you with a receipt that is your ‘pass’ to keep for future reference.
We have been advised that the outside grounds and buildings comprise the ‘Aged Care Facility’ and therefore this requirement is applicable even when courtyard or garden visits occur.
Note: all visitors must use the main entrance at all times.
National Visitor Access Code
As you may be aware, a draft National Visitor Access Code is under development so that there is a nationally consistent visitation policy to resident aged care homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Once it is finalised, this Code and any Victorian Government changes/amendments to the State of Emergency and Directions will inform our strategy for easing visitor restrictions.
Our managers are working to prepare for this and you will be informed as soon as possible.
Whilst it is expected that there will be some easing of restrictions, visits will still be strictly controlled to minimise the risk of COVID-19.
Mothers’ Day – Sunday 10 May
We know how important Mothers’ day is to everyone and I appreciate how difficult it is to be physically apart from our mothers who are an important part in all of our lives.
You may have received an SMS explaining how we have made arrangement so we can accept deliveries of flowers and other gifts. The homes have said they have already received some beautiful displays of flowers which bring such joy to everyone.
As a reminder, if you wish to send flowers or other items for your mum, please deliver flowers already arranged in boxes or vases.
Deliver to the trolley outside the home on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 3pm. Staff will pick up your deliveries from this trolley every 30 minutes, and therefore there is no need to wait or press the doorbell /intercom.
Staff are aware of this important day and will support residents with phone calls so that you can maintain contact with your mum. It will be a busy time so we thank you for your patience.
To all of our staff who are mothers and will be working, we hope you enjoy this special day.
Vasey RSL Care COVID-19 Pandemic Survey – Reminder
Thank you to the 198 people who have already completed our survey!
Your feedback is important and if you have not already done so I encourage you to complete the survey by the deadline of 14 May.
Note: COVID Survey Now Closed. Thank you for your responses.
Armchair Leisure Program
Our Lifestyle Team continues to offer the weekly ‘Armchair Leisure Program’ and you can download a copy if you would like to check it out.
The Victorian Government will be reviewing the State of Emergency on Monday 11 May and whatever the outcome from this is, we will be in touch to let you know about any resulting changes.
Thank you once again for helping to keep our community safe. Unfortunately, this pandemic is still not over and we must all continue to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our residents.
Flu Vaccination
Today is the first day that aged care across Australia must uphold the new law that prohibits anyone entering an aged care home (buildings and grounds) without demonstrating they have had their flu vaccination.
I am very pleased to report all staff working at our five aged care homes have now had their vaccinations, and there are just a few staff who are on extended leave or have been caught overseas, who will have to show proof before they return to work. I am grateful to our staff for to getting this done during difficult and busy times.
Our residents too are vaccinated, and any providers who visit our sites (maintenance, clinical care, health practitioners etc) are also providing proof of vaccination.
The flu vaccination rates across Australia are up this year, and the cases are down, largely due to our current isolation practices.
If you have not already done so, I strongly encourage you to have your flu vaccination as soon as you can so there is no further delay once we are able to admit visitors again. Please send evidence of your flu vaccination to the relevant home for their records. You can send it by email, fax or post. Please see our website for contact details.
Mother’s Day – Sunday 10 May
This will be a very different Mother’s Day and we will do all we can to ensure our residents are appreciated on this day.
If you have your mum at one of our homes, you might like to take advantage of a Mother’s Day Hamper, which will be delivered on your behalf direct to your mum, by our catering contractor, Medirest.
If your loved one is not a mum but you’d like to send them something, they also have a ‘Happiness Hamper’ available.
Click here to find out more or order your gift.
Vasey RSL Care COVID-19 Pandemic Survey – Reminder
An email was sent to you yesterday to respond to our survey about the preventative steps and measures we have put in place in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Sharing your thoughts, feelings and comments will help us shape future plans and we encourage you to complete it by the deadline of 14 May.
The current Victorian State of Emergency will be reviewed on Monday 11 May and we will be in touch with an update, and any changes or other implications this has for our community.
Thank you for your messages of support and your feedback: we value all input and will always do everything possible to support and care for your loved ones.
We have no cases of COVID-19 and in order to maximise our chances of keeping the virus out, we are continuing visiting restrictions, while planning how to ease those restrictions when it is safe to do so. The wellbeing of your loved ones continues to be our primary focus and we greatly appreciate your ongoing support and patience as we together strive to keep our community safe. Please be assured that it brings us no joy at all to have to enforce this separation of our residents from those who are dear to them.
Response to Prime Minister
I would like to respond to the recent comments made by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, which have caused grave concern in the aged care industry and some confusion among family members. Last week, the Prime Minister said:
“National Cabinet agreed there needs to be a strong reminder that [the] decision was to not shut people off or to lock them away in their rooms.”
He stressed the importance of in-person visits:
“I just want to remind people that this is still an interaction that we think is positive.”
We are an organisation that went a step further than the AHPPC recommendations the Prime Minister referred to and we did implement strict restricted visiting, as did a significant number of Australian aged care organisations. We made our assessment of risk based on international, national and local evidence as well as our own knowledge of the vulnerability of residents in our care. We were also influenced by residents’ requests for ‘precautionary lockdown’. We believe residents are at the lowest risk of contracting the virus if we minimise the number of people coming into the home, which is the message that is also reinforced by the Victorian Government; to stay at home and avoid visiting hospitals and aged care facilities.
For Vasey RSL Care, the action taken was not to ‘lock poor residents away from their family’ but to find alternative ways for family and friends to be in touch without risking bringing the virus into the home.
Avoiding Lost Lives
Australia is faring better than most other countries both in terms of the number of COVID-19 infections and the number of deaths. The USA has now reached almost 1 million infections and more than 55,000 deaths, Spain, Italy, France and Great Britain have each suffered hundreds of thousands of infections and more than 20,000 deaths each. Australia has reached 6,711 infections and 83 deaths. We have a relatively small population so if we look at the per capita numbers, the USA has suffered 167 deaths per million, Spain 496, Italy 441, France 350 and the UK 305. Australia has suffered 3 deaths per million.
The effects of COVID-19 on the residents in an aged care home is catastrophic. Reports from all parts of the world have seen aged care homes decimated. Even here in Australia, just two aged care homes (both in NSW) account for 14% of all Australian COVID-19 deaths.
According to the ABC, ‘Prof Murphy said that the Government’s moves to ramp up its response to outbreaks in aged care facilities should provide confidence that any future outbreak would be managed effectively.’
We don’t want to wait for an outbreak and manage it. We want to prevent it happening.
We are not alone in this. Aged care industry bodies, Leading Aged Services Australia (LASA) and Aged and Community Services (ACSA) have responded to the comments of both Mr Morrison and Prof Murphy, with both bodies promoting the importance of continuing to restrict visiting to minimise risk to residents.
Obeying State Law
It is important to note also that recommendations provided by the Prime Minister and National Cabinet are just that: these recommendations become law through state or territory legislation and it is Victorian state law that our organisation must obey.
As indicated by our Premier Daniel Andrews when extending the State of Emergency in Victoria on 12 April:
“There are positive signs our efforts are working – but if we relax now, our hard-won gains will evaporate and people will die.”
Victoria continues in a State of Emergency until 11 May. While we are all hoping that the State of Emergency and the directions imposed under this will be eased, this is not a certainty. I have been working with our managers to determine how our visiting restrictions will be relaxed, whether it is on this date, or later, depending on state government decisions, the situation in our facility and our own risk assessment.
I would note, however, that we will not be returning to pre-COVID-19 visiting
I know that we all long to see and be with our loved ones in aged care once again. As you may know, many of our managers (including me) have loved ones in aged care, so this situation is difficult for us on a personal level as we try to make the right decisions for all. Whatever we do, it will be according to evidence and with the safety, health and wellbeing of our residents as our first priority. We all know that COVID-19 has the worst possible outcomes for people over 70. We must act with their best interests at heart.
I am very grateful to our residents for their acceptance of these measures: they have demonstrated all those qualities that we admire them for – patience, resilience, cheer and humour. It has been harder for some than others, but it has not been easy for anyone. Our staff have provided an extra level of comfort and care and I am grateful to them for the way they are dealing with the hardships that this virus is creating both at work and at home.
For now, we continue to offer window visits and zoom calls, and to encourage letter-writing and phone calls.
Exceptional Circumstances
For residents who enter end-of-life, close family will continue to be supported to be with their loved one, as long as visitors meet the screening requirements.
If you consider there are other exceptional circumstances, where a face-to-face visit is essential for their emotional wellbeing, please speak to the relevant Residential Manager.
I know this is a difficult situation for us all and perhaps especially so for those whose loved ones are living with dementia. I fully sympathise with you and I too am looking forward to the day when restrictions are no longer needed. However, we are not at that point yet.
Flu Vaccination
I am very pleased to report that 94% of our staff had had their flu vaccination as of last Friday and the remaining staff are booked for this week. We anticipate that all staff will be fully vaccinated against flu before the deadline of Friday 1 May.
I strongly encourage you to get your flu vaccination as soon as you can, and get proof of your vaccination ready, so that there will not be any further delay when we are able to welcome visitors again.
Another thing you can do to help trace anyone you have been in contact with who develops COVID-19 is to install the new COVIDSafe app to your smartphone. A million Australians have already downloaded it.
Our community has shown great consideration and extraordinary control over these past six weeks. On behalf of all our managers, thank you for the support and patience you have shown, for the many messages of support you have sent and for helping us to keep your loved ones safe.
Please continue to look after yourselves, your families and your loved ones in aged care, and to repeat what I heard recently, this is not about what you or I want, it’s about what our community needs.
Despite comments from the Prime Minister and the (Commonwealth) Chief Medical Officer on 21 April, Vasey RSL Care continues to have a precautionary approach to visitor restrictions.
The Commonwealth restrictions and State Directions are still in place and must be complied with. In Victoria, the Chief Health Office has established Care Facility Directions and is restricting access to facilities, such as ours, where vulnerable people live and receive care.
The current Victorian Directions are in place until 11 May 2020.
We have had to make difficult decisions and we remain dedicated to keeping residents safe and well, as opposed to many of the horrific stories we are seeing coming from other countries and even within Australia. It is a tragedy for those homes who do have an outbreak as for example Newmarch House in NSW where 3 residents who tested positive have died and in total 41 residents and staff have the virus.
With the great support of our residents, families and staff it is truly a great relief to be in the position where we have no positive cases in any of our five homes. As you know there is currently no vaccination to prevent COVID-19; avoidance of exposure is the single most important measure for preventing COVID-19. We have been vigilant in implementing measures to prevent introduction of COVID-19 into our homes.
We know this has been a difficult and challenging time for all.
Please be assured we are making preparations to relax visitor restrictions, which hopefully we will be able to commence after 11 May 2020, if the Care Facility Directions are amended.
We will continue to communicate with you and let you know our preparations and requirements. This will include booking visit times and undergoing screening.
Flu Vaccination
The most important thing you can do now, if you have not already done so, is have your flu vaccination and have proof of this that you can show us. Please let your family and friends know too. When restrictions are relaxed we do not want to have any reason to delay visits with loved ones.
We continue to have no cases of COVID-19 and we are grateful for your support and cooperation in staying away from our aged care homes as a precautionary measure.
As Easter is almost here, we have a few requests of you.
Easter Gifts – Food
We request that you do NOT deliver or have delivered any food items, (including home-cooked food) for your loved one at any of our aged care homes. This is in line with the Victorian government’s Aged Care Directions and is in the best interest of all our residents.
We have organised hot cross buns and Easter Eggs to be delivered for all residents and we will make sure that your loved ones are able to celebrate Easter, even if it is not up to our usual expectations.
Easter Gifts – Flowers
Unfortunately, we are not able to accept flowers because of quarantine restrictions.
Easter Gifts – All Other Items
If you wish to deliver other gifts for your loved one, please make sure that you follow these instructions:
- Place item in a disposable clear plastic bag, clearly labelled with the name of the resident and room number.
- Place item on the trolley which is located in the airlock OR just outside the front entrance.
- Be aware that a quarantine period of 24 hours applies to all deliveries.
Please note that we cannot take responsibility for any items delivered and we do not recommend that you deliver items of value.
We encourage you to deliver your items between 9am and 5pm, if possible by COB today (as more staff are available), so that they can be delivered from Friday onwards. We apologise for the short notice.
Precautionary Isolation Measures
With changes to the testing procedures for Coronavirus, any person over the age of 65 who has a cough, a sore throat or other respiratory symptoms is now tested for COVID-19.
If your loved one displays any of these symptoms, they will be tested, and to ensure there is no chance of spreading infection to others, they will go into precautionary isolation pending the test results.
Please be aware that during this time, staff caring for the resident must wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, gown, mask and eye goggles in line with government directives. This protection is essential in case of a positive test result.
Armchair Leisure Program
We have put together a special program for the Easter weekend with items to suit the season. This and next week’s programs are attached for your interest.
Armchair Leisure Program – April 2020 – Easter weekend
Armchair Leisure Program – April 2020 – wc Mon 13 April
Keeping In Touch
Please continue to stay in touch with us via our website and social media, and with your loved one through our ‘Keep-in-touch’ @ Vasey RSL Care options, or just by giving your loved one a phone call.
Please be assured that we continue to do all we can to protect our vulnerable community from Coronavirus and to try to make this time as agreeable and ‘normal’ for residents, as it can be, given the circumstances.
Thank you for your continued goodwill and understanding, for your messages of support, and for helping us do all we can to protect those entrusted to our care.
We send you warm greetings for Easter and the long weekend.
Regular Email Communication for Family Members
We are sending an email to family members of residents when we have important information to share. If you are not currently receiving this and would like to, please send an email to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au and indicate which home your loved one is living at.
Please note that we currently have no confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Our aged care homes have been in lockdown for two weeks and despite the disappointment and inconvenience, residents have taken it with good grace and families have been very supportive of these measures: thank you.
I hope that you have found these weekly communications helpful. From today, we plan to move to fortnightly communications as things settle into a pattern. However, if there is something we need to communicate, we will of course be in touch.
Influenza (Flu) Vaccinations
The government has now mandated that everyone entering an aged care facility on or after 1 May must have the current flu vaccination. This will apply to everyone, including our suppliers, allied health care providers, and our residents’ families and friends.
We will be expected to substantiate that visitors have been vaccinated by sighting their statement or record from their health care practitioner or their immunisation history on the Express Plus Medicare mobile app (this app is free and can be downloaded to your phone).
Our staff flu vaccination program is going well and our programs for resident vaccinations are in hand.
I urge you to book your own flu vaccination as soon as you can. The vaccination is free of charge for anyone 65 or over, those aged 6 months to 5 years, and people with certain health conditions.
Flu is a serious condition and can be fatal, especially in older people: we must all do everything we can to keep ourselves healthy and keep our hospital beds available for those with Coronavirus. So please book your flu vaccination TODAY.
Visiting Restrictions
Thank you for your support and understanding as our residential lockdown continues.
Visiting a resident who enters end-of-life care is still permitted as long as those visiting meet the screening requirements as set by government. Our staff will be in touch with you if this applies to your loved one. They will make arrangements so that you and your loved one are supported and cared for in the best possible way in these difficult circumstances.
We may also able to accommodate special occasions such as residents’ milestone birthdays: please contact the Residential Manager if this applies to your loved one.
If there is some other reason a physical visit is unavoidable, call the relevant Residential Manager about your situation: strict protocols must be observed, including appointments, ‘concierging’ of visits, limited duration, physical distancing, hand-washing and meeting in specific locations, in addition to the government-established health-related access conditions. Note also that your temperature may be taken on arrival and your ID and contact details requested to enable us to comply with our legal obligations.
Please bear in mind that every person who enters any of our aged care homes adds an unknown risk to everyone here.
Communications Options
Our Lifestyle and IT staff have been busy setting up new ways for residents to keep in touch with their families and friends, and we’ve had dozens of people take up these options already!
‘Keep In Touch’ at Vasey RSL Care *
Many residents have experienced an iPhone or a tablet for the first time this week!
We have had a few teething troubles as we get this new system running but we are getting better at it and we’ve had great feedback on the system. Please see note below regarding systems offered.
You can book a 10 minute call during the times 10am to 12 noon and 1 to 3pm Monday to Friday (when we have more staff available to assist our residents) – at this stage, a weekly call is the most we can accommodate using this system (please consider purchasing a phone or iPad for your loved one – see more details below).
Book a call by email, indicating your preferred time/date.
Brighton keepintouchbrighton@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Brighton East keepintouchbe@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Bundoora keepintouchbundoora@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Frankston S. keepintouchfs@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Ivanhoe keepintouchivanhoe@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Note: if you don’t have email, please call the relevant Lifestyle Coordinator to arrange your video call.
Window Visits
All five residential homes have got this in place and many of you have had a window visit with your loved one already.
It doesn’t matter where the resident’s room is – we have locations that we can bring them to so that they can enjoy this option.
Contact the Lifestyle Staff at your residential home to organise a visit.
‘Pen Pals!’
We have letter boxes at all residential homes where your letters can be posted. These are emptied regularly and items quarantined for 24 hours before delivery to your loved one. (Note: testing has shown that no traces of the Coronavirus existed on paper after 24 hours.)
With schoolchildren now on holiday, great/grandchildren who are looking for meaningful activities might like to send a message, drawing or painting to their loved one or a more general one to all the residents.
‘Keep In Touch’ at Vasey RSL Care – Systems
* Our preferred option is Zoom. This is FREE of charge for you. All you need to do is to download it to your phone/tablet/PC.
How safe is Zoom? In response to questions about security, our IT providers have confirmed that this is a secure product that works well and is user-friendly. They tell us there is no chance of personal details being lost or shared for marketing purposes or any other risk to computer security. The good thing about Zoom is that the call recipient (the family member) does not even have to sign up to take part in a video call.
Our second preference is Facetime: however, we can only provide this on phones and the size of screen and quality of call is not as good for residents.
Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate other systems.
More Technology!
Residents with their own Mobile/Tablet/PC
If your loved one already has a smart phone, tablet or PC but is not able to set up a video call, please let us know and we will check to see if this is possible.
Providing New Technology for your Loved Ones
Please consider helping your loved one get ‘online’ if they are not already. Tablets (eg iPads or similar) are the easiest option for residents as they give a good screen size and are more straightforward than laptops.
Please be aware that if you provide a phone or tablet, it must have its own sim card and phone plan, and laptop PCs must have an Internet dongle to provide connectivity.
(Unfortunately, residents cannot use our Wi-Fi as many of our GPs/clinical practitioners have moved to online services and our Wi-Fi is close to capacity.)
Contact us to arrange a time to drop the item off, between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (when we have more staff on duty): make sure it is clearly labelled with the resident’s name and we will contact you once your loved one is up and running with their new technology.
Note: bear in mind that if there were an outbreak, we would no longer be able to share common equipment and therefore, having a personal phone or tablet would enable continued communication if your loved one were in isolation.
Lifestyle and Leisure Program
Our Lifestyle and Leisure Program has been practicing social distancing! Our residents are graciously accepting the changes and we are continuing to provide a range of activities to suit all tastes.
Armchair Leisure
Our new program is up and running! We have a wide choice of viewing and this will be changing each week. We are fortunate to live in an era when so much is available online. Our Armchair Leisure program is available in all TV rooms with multiple screenings of each item, giving all residents a chance to enjoy it, while observing social distancing requirements.
Armchair Leisure Program – April 2020
Easter Preparations
Easter will be very different this year and our lifestyle teams have had their thinking caps on! I would like to thank them for their creativity and the way they are continuing to support our residents during these trying circumstances.
Thank you once again for your understanding and support of the Vasey RSL Care community – thank you for continuing to stay away and giving our residents the best possible chance of avoiding Coronavirus.
Regular Email Communication for Family Members
We are sending an email to family members of residents when we have important information to share. If you are not currently receiving this and would like to, please send an email to communications@vaseyrslcare.org.au and indicate which home your loved one is living at.
Please be aware that we currently have no confirmed cases of COVID-19. Our five residential aged care homes have been in Temporary Precautionary Lockdown for one week now. We are grateful to everyone associated with our organisation for their acceptance and support of this measure.
Ongoing Lockdown
In accordance with state and federal government directives to minimise the risk of COVID-19 entering our community, we plan to maintain lockdown at our residential homes for as long as necessary.
As hard as it is, we have to look at what is happening in other countries where there isn’t enough medical equipment or hospital beds to treat all those infected and where some patients get treatment while others go without. Medical professionals are having to make these dreadful choices every day. We don’t want to put anyone in our community into that terrible situation. Moreover, those who get COVID-19 are isolated from their family and loved ones and cannot have them close to them.
We are asking everyone to continue to stay away from our residential homes to give our residents the best possible chance of avoiding Coronavirus. Please don’t put your loved one or anyone else’s loved one at any unnecessary risk.
Special Circumstances – End of Life Care (Residential homes)
We have made provisions for anyone whose loved one enters end-of-life care at any of our aged care homes. Our staff will contact family members to make arrangements for them to spend time with their loved one. We have emailed all families to let them know about these arrangements.
We now also have strict protocols for UNAVOIDABLE visits: the protocols relate to appointments, ‘concierging’ of visits, limited duration, physical distancing, hand-washing and specific locations, in addition to the government-established health-related access conditions. Temperatures will be taken on arrival and ID and contact details requested to enable us to comply with the stringent legal requirements imposed. Family members have been updated on these requirements
Please bear in mind that every person who enters any of our aged care homes adds an unknown risk to everyone here.
‘Keep In Touch’ at Vasey RSL Care: Connecting with Your Loved Ones
As days turn into weeks, separation is increasingly difficult for people isolated from their loved ones.
While making it a priority to keep up with frequent changes in state and federal directives, we have also been working on ways for our aged care residents and their loved ones to communicate. These include:
‘Keep In touch’ at Vasey RSL Care
At each of our residential homes, we have a number of ‘tablets’ (eg iPads) which are being set up for residents to use for video calls to family. To make this available to as many residents as possible, family members can book a 10 minute call during the times 10am to 12 noon and 1 to 3pm Monday to Friday – which is when we have more staff available to assist.
Starting on Monday 30 March, book a call by emailing our new ‘Keep In Touch’ email address for your loved one’s home. Please ensure you indicate your time and date preference in your email.
Brighton keepintouchbrighton@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Brighton East keepintouchbe@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Bundoora keepintouchbundoora@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Frankston S. keepintouchfs@vaseyrslcare.org.au
Ivanhoe keepintouchivanhoe@vaseyrslcare.org.au
If you don’t have email, please call the relevant Lifestyle Coordinator to arrange your video call.
Please note that our preferred video conferencing app/software is Zoom. This is a free app available for smart phones/tablets. If you are not able to use it, please let us know what you are able to use and we will try to accommodate your preference.
Does your loved one have their own Mobile phone, tablet or computer?
If a resident has a smart phone, or tablet or a computer but is not currently able to make a video call, let a staff member know and we will assist them to set it up.
Providing New Devices for your Loved Ones
You may wish to provide a smart phone, tablet or computer for your loved one. Note that residents will not be able to use our Wi-Fi system: many of our GPs and other clinical practitioners have moved to online services and the Wi-Fi system is already taking a greater load than previously and is close to capacity. Therefore you will need to provide a phone or tablet with its own sim card and phone plan, or a PC with an Internet dongle.
Please contact us to arrange a time to drop the equipment off at the relevant home between. It must be between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (when we have more staff on duty): please make sure it is clearly labelled with the name of the resident. We will contact you as soon as your loved one is up and running with their new device.
‘Window Visits’
You may have seen on our Facebook page that one of our residents received a ‘window visit’ from his daughter. This is something that we can facilitate for you – and of course, not everyone has a conveniently-situated ground-floor window, so we are identifying suitable locations where the resident can sit and the family member can see them through the window, while speaking to them on the phone.
While we understand that all these options are not the same as a normal visit, they will at least enable you to see and hear one other.
‘Pen Pals!’
Despite being in the digital age, pens and paper do still exist! So why not write an old-fashioned letter to your loved one? Indeed, this is something very familiar to our residents who grew up in a time when this was the main way to keep in touch – especially if the person was a long way away – phone calls were expensive!
And what a good activity for great grandchildren who are at home and looking for something to do! The younger ones might like to do a drawing or painting, while the older ones can learn about how their grandparents would have kept in touch.
You can either put your letters into the post, or you can drop them off in a special box outside reception. Our staff will put them into quarantine for 24 hours and deliver them to your loved one. (Note: testing has shown that no traces of the Coronavirus existed on paper after 24 hours.)
Lifestyle and Leisure Program
Our lifestyle team is continuing to provide as varied a program of activities as possible under the circumstances. They are currently investigating a range of online services that provide virtual tours of famous places, virtual museum visits, online concerts and other engaging activities for residents. A weekly program of ‘online events’ is in the pipeline!
Temporary Precautionary Lockdown: Commences 5pm, Thursday 19 March
Over the past week, there has been a major escalation in the worldwide and Australian responses to the Coronavirus pandemic, with a state of emergency declared here in Victoria.
Data so far indicates that older people and those with other health conditions have less resistance to Coronavirus and the worst outcomes from an infection. Our responsibility to our community is to do everything we can to ensure their protection from the Coronavirus: we take our responsibility very seriously
For our five residential aged care homes, we have therefore taken the decision to implement a temporary precautionary lockdown as a pre-emptive measure to protect our vulnerable community.
This action will immediately reduce the risk to our community and allow us to plan and prepare sustainable measures for the effective management of this potentially lengthy situation, measures that are practical, workable and provide the best balance between protection and access.
Please note that we do not currently have any suspected or confirmed cases of Coronavirus.
The lockdown will have a number of impacts.
1. Visitors Not Permitted
As of 5pm , Thursday 19 March, no family members/friends of residents are permitted entry to any of our residential aged care homes.
2. End of Life and Special Circumstances
We encourage you to contact the Residential Manager or Facility Care Coordinator during business hours, or the After Hours Supervisor at all other times, to arrange discuss entry to the aged care home.
Please be aware that:
- You will be screened in relation to overseas travel, contact with sick people and your symptoms
- We may also check your temperature at the entrance to the facility
- You will be given special instructions for visiting
We understand that visiting your loved one at this time can already be a very confronting and painful experience and we apologise in advance for any added distress that these precautions may cause.
3. Screening Process
A rigorous screening process is in place for anyone who enters our aged care homes to provide essential services, ie staff, GPs, allied health professionals and service providers. Non-essential services are discontinued until further notice.
Many GPs will be able to provide phone or online appointments, and where not practicable, essential face-to-face visits will be permitted.
Staff – permanent and casual – are subject to the same screening process prior to every shift. Note that is is not possible to test staff for Coronavirus as tests are restricted to people referred by a GP and showing the required symptoms. Despite this, we are doing all we can to ensure that no staff member brings any infection into the organisation.
For more details on our staff precautions click here.
4. Lifestyle Activities Adjusted or Suspended
Lifestyle activities involving people coming into the home from outside are postponed indefinitely. This includes visits from schools and kindergartens, external entertainers or group leaders or any other lifestyle providers.
Bus trips and outings are also indefinitely postponed in order to minimise the chance of residents coming into contact with the virus outside of the home.
We will continue to provide lifestyle activities that reduce potential exposure to the virus, with residents remaining in their own unit for all activities.
5. Social Leave
We urge residents in the strongest possible terms to reconsider any planned or intended social leave.
Please be aware that if your loved one goes ahead with social leave, they will undergo a full screening process on return before re-entry is permitted.
Any resident who has been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for Coronavirus or who has been overseas will face a 14-day exclusion and/or isolation period.
6. Short Walks Outdoors
We strongly discourage family members or friends from taking their loved ones out for any reason.
However, residents may still like to take a short walk in the grounds where contact with others is minimal.
7. Coffee Shops Closed
The coffee shops at Brighton East and Frankston South are closed until further notice.
8. Hair Salons Closed
The hair salons at all locations are closed until further notice.
How Can I Help My Loved One?
We understand that being unable to visit your loved one will be difficult and upsetting for you as it will be for the residents, and that restrictions to the lifestyle program may hit some residents very hard.
Some residents already have smart phones, tablets or PCs. These will become an essential way to remain connected with family.
If your loved one does not already have one of these items, you may like to consider organising one for them. We will provide more information on this within the next week to 10 days: please check back here for more details.
We are aware of an increasing number of ‘virtual’ events, tours, art installations, museums and concerts and our staff will be exploring these options and providing more information as soon as we can.
How We Can All Help
Social Distancing
This is a new concept that encourages us all to keep our distance from other people by:
- Avoiding shaking hands, hugging, kissing or other physical contact
- If unwell, stay 1.5m from other people
Self-isolation
- If you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Coronavirus, you must self-isolate for 14 days
- If you have returned from overseas (any location) you must self-isolate for 14 days
Hygiene Practices
- Cough or sneeze into your elbow, or into a tissue and dispose of it immediately
- Wash your hands with soap and water or with alcohol rub before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth