Message from: Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer Update July 2022
Dear Residents, Families, Friends and Carers
As the COVID-19 situation evolves we continue to remain vigilant and monitor the changing environment and guidelines in an effort to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our residents, consumers and staff. Rapid Antigen Testing for staff continues, with all staff being tested prior to the commencement of their shift. Our staff also continue to wear appropriate PPE as required in this continually evolving environment.
In the event of an outbreak at our Residential Aged Care Homes, visitor and outing restrictions are enacted and we will correspond directly with Residents and Persons Responsible in this instance.
Visitation is as follows (in non Outbreak conditions):
- All visitors to our residential aged care facilities, when not in lockdown, must be fully vaccinated (there may be some exceptional circumstances where this is able to be reviewed by the Residential Care Manager on a case by case basis).
- All visitors must use our Zipline system to sign in when entering our facilities.
- As a precautionary measure and due to the surge of the highly infectious variants of the virus, all visitors will undertake a Rapid Antigen Test prior to entering the facility and show a negative result. The Rapid Antigen Test will be provided at the entry of the facility.
- All visitors are required to wear the appropriate face mask whilst in the facility, including in the resident’s room.
- Each resident is allowed two (2) adult visitors and two (2) children over the age of five (5) per day in the resident’s room, practising all hand hygiene and maintaining the required social distancing.
- If any visitor is not feeling well or presenting flu symptoms please ensure you do not visit until you are fully recovered.
Visiting will be:
Monday to Sunday
9.30am – 11.30am or
1.00pm – 2.30pm or
2.30pm – 4.00pm
All visits must be pre-booked by calling the facility: Harbourside Haven 4984 1811, Bill King 4981 1611. Alternatively, you can email your appointment request to response2020@harboursidehaven.com.au.
Considerations for visiting outside of these times will need to be approved by the Acting Executive Manager Residential Care. Please contact the Service Manager in the first instance.
Visitors must not enter a residential aged care facility at all if they:
- Have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Are a household or close contact. These people must comply with the directions in the NSW Health Household and Close Contact Guidelines and must not visit a RACF for at least 7 days after the last person in their house had a positive COVID-19 test. They should continue to avoid RACFs for an additional 7 days where positive. If there are extenuating compassionate reasons for visiting a RACF and the visitor does not have symptoms of COVID-19, the facility may risk assess to determine whether a visit can safely occur.
- Are waiting for a COVID-19 test result.
- Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
The guidelines with regard to resident outings will remain as per the following guidelines:
- If you take our resident, your loved one, out (for example to a doctor’s appointment or family gathering), please ensure your loved one remains safe.
- Outings must be approved by the Residential Care Manager or Executive Manager Residential Care with family members required to complete the COVID-19 Omicron Variant, Resident
- Outing Risk Assessment form. We ask that this form be completed with as much notice as possible prior to a scheduled outing.
- Our residents will be screened and tested on their return from outings and hospital admissions as per current Public Health advice, to protect them and other residents.
- Residents should not leave the facility if they have COVID-19 symptoms until they have had a RAT or PCR test and have received a negative result.
- Facilities must ensure that residents are provided with a mask and appropriate mask wearing advice if they leave the facility.
I would like to take this opportunity, to thank our residents and their families for their patience during this time as we all work together to keep our residential community members safe.
If you require assistance for:
- Community Service Clients hotline call 1800 620 356.
- Emails directly to the Executive Management Team including the General Manager can be forwarded to email@harboursidehaven.com.au
Information can also be found on the following websites:
Department of Health www.health.gov.au
NSW Department of Health www.health.nsw.gov.au
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission www.agedcarequality.gov.au