CEO Update – COVID-19, proposed sale, recent news

* 2 June 2020 *

Message from our CEO

COVID-19

Since our last newsletter, life has been turned on its head, and after suffering the worst bushfire season on record, we moved straight into the global virus pandemic.

This pandemic – with such devastating consequences for those over 70 – continues to occupy much of our time and resources. Each new development or government directive has far-reaching consequences and expectations on our staff have been significant.

Continuing to protect our community from COVID-19 has been our top priority for the last few months, and will continue to be our top priority for the foreseeable future.

Proposed Sale of Vasey RSL Care

Adding to the difficult times we are all experiencing is the directive from the War Widows Guild Victoria and RSL Victoria that Vasey RSL Care should be sold.

This is not easy news to receive at any time, but launching our Advocacy Campaign was our only option to ensure that the community was informed before it was too late to do anything about it – we felt that the timing was less important than the need for the community to be aware of the situation.

We are very grateful to all of you who have written letters supporting a strong future for our organisation to Dr Webster, President of RSL Victoria and Mrs Charlton, President of the War Widows Guild Victoria.

We know that the 850+ people we support and care for are appreciative of your support and we continue to work to try to resolve this situation to the benefit of current and future war widows and veterans.

Find out more about our Advocacy Campaign

Commemorations and Celebrations

Our usual services for ANZAC Day involving residents, family members and often with the support of currently serving members of the ADF from HMAS Cerberus and Simpson Barracks, were severely curtailed this year. Despite this, all our aged care homes held services for residents and staff, to honour and remember all those who fought and died for their country.

Lest we forget.

Easter and Mothers’ Day are also important dates on our calendar and times when family come together, so this was particularly hard on our residents and their loved ones. Our staff have done all they can to provide physical and emotional support to your loved ones during this time.
As restrictions begin to ease, I would like to thank you all for your patience and support during this intense period. And I ask for your continued understanding as the threat of infection is still with us.

Compulsory Flu Vaccination

New government legislation brought in on 1 May now requires that every person entering an aged care home must have the current flu vaccination.

We were very pleased that our staff acted on this and despite some vaccine shortages, all were vaccinated by the deadline and thankfully, we did not need to stand anyone down.

This adds an additional layer of complication for visitors and staff as we are required to take responsibility for confirming the vaccination status of all visitors. We appreciate your patience in this matter.

Sadly, our annual Senior MasterChef Challenge has had to be cancelled this year, and our new Poppy Playgroup had barely begun before it was put on hold.

This is a particularly stressful and difficult time for everyone, and I encourage you to be kind to yourself, and we must all be especially considerate of those around us as we continue to make our way through unknown territory.

Janna Voloshin

Chief Executive Officer