Fresh Hope Care have received updated advice for Residential Aged Care Facilities from the Chief Health Officer, NSW Health, dated 30 July 2020. This expands the previous advice received and areas of restriction for visitors. A copy of the advice received can be viewed here.

As updates are received and requirements are changing at short notice, it is important for anyone planning to visit a Fresh Hope Care Residential Care Service to check the latest information or call ahead to a site before visiting.

As advised last Thursday (23^rd July), we can all expect to receive regular updates on requirements relating to COVID-19 from the NSW Health Chief Health Officer.  To that end, it is appropriate that we share the latest information issued to us that we are all required to comply with.

Please refer to this link to review the detail.  We also encourage all families of residential care residents to continue to monitor NSW Health information for families – which can be accessed at this link.

NSW government are working to contain the current outbreak of COVID-19 through issuing advice about hotspot areas where there are associated cases and making strong recommendations for people who have been in those areas. As part of this, NSW Health have issued special advice for Aged Care Facilities and Fresh Hope Care have now updated their restrictions to visitors. This includes restricting people from entering who have been to any of the list of venues or local government areas identified. As the guidelines and restrictions are being reviewed frequently, please refer directly to the NSW Health website for the latest requirements – click here to access the “COVID-19 – Information for families of residential care facility residents”. We will also continue to provide updates on our Fresh Hope Care website.

If planning a visit, please help us keep residents and staff safe by keeping up to date with areas that have associated cases and do not attend if you have been in these areas or if you are at all unwell. We also ask that you defer any non-essential outings for residents as the community risk in NSW continues to increase. In identified high risk areas visitor access and resident will be further restricted from time to time. Ringing the site before you travel is a great way to ensure you know the latest requirements on that site before you head off. 

Our residents love seeing family and friends and sometimes receiving gifts or items. As part of the risk management process at Fresh Hope Care, all items brought into a residential care facility are cleaned. Should you wish to bring in an item to give to a loved one, please ensure you provide this to staff for cleaning prior to passing it onto the resident.

We appreciate the cooperation and collaboration between staff, families and residents to keep doing our best in these everchanging times.

An updated Public Health Order for Aged Care Facilities was issued by the NSW Government on Monday 22 June 2020. With further advice received from the Chief Health Officer, NSW Health on Friday 10 July 2020.

Fresh Hope Care considers the personal welfare and mental health of residents of great importance and have continued to accept support visits while working within the restrictions. We will continue to operate within the latest guidelines issued by Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) to balance the importance of support visits against the significant risks of COVID-19 outbreaks.

Below is an outline of the updated restrictions for all Fresh Hope Care Residential Care facilities. 

The following people will not be permitted entry to a residential aged care facility:

• People who have returned from overseas in the last 14 days.
• People who have been in Victoria in the last 14 days.
• People who have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
• People with a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees or with symptoms of an acute respiratory illness (eg cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath).
• People who have not been vaccinated against influenza (unless exempt on medical grounds).

To ensure compliance with these restrictions, Fresh Hope Care require that visitors only enter through the main entrance and report to staff at the concierge/reception desk to confirm their details, reason for the visit, state of their health, present documentation about flu vaccination (unless already on file) and submit to a temperature check.

If waiting for attendance, please maintain a distance of 1.5 metres from other visitors or staff. 

Subsequent to the entrance process, we ask that visitors who are provided access follow the direction of a Fresh Hope Care staff member and abide by the below restrictions.

Visitor restrictions

• Two visitors to a resident are permitted each day, either two at one time or concurrently, unless an exception has been granted by the Site Manager.
• Visits should be conducted in resident’s room, outdoors or in designated areas only (not a communal space where the risk of transmission to residents is greater).
• Social distancing practices are encouraged where possible, such as maintaining a distance of 1.5 metres.
• Upon entry to and exit from a Fresh Hope Care Residential Care facility visitors are to use the sanitiser provided.

Time of the visit is not limited and children are permitted to enter, but must be supervised and comply with visiting restrictions and adhere to the same guidelines around hygiene, visitor numbers and social distancing.

Fresh Hope Care request any visitors avoid unnecessary interaction with other residents or staff and exercise standard infection prevention practices such as washing hands regularly, using sanitiser provided, covering coughs or sneezes and not attending any of the Fresh Hope Care facilities if unwell.

These are important measures to keep residents and staff safe. Anyone who does not comply with these restrictions will not be allowed to enter or may be asked to leave.

Residents leaving the facility

Residents may leave the facility to attend small family gatherings. The size of a family gathering should be in line with current Government advice and physical distancing and hygiene measures must be adhered to during the visit.

To make arrangements for a resident to attend a family gathering please contact the Site Manager/Director of Nursing. The details of the visit will be required and records kept about the location, number of people and the date of the visit.

Group excursions are not permitted. 

Other support and contact options

As an alternative to a visit, we encourage phone and video calls to residents. Fresh Hope Care can offer video calling devices to residents and encourage you to take advantage of this option to maintain relationships while visit restrictions are in place. To arrange this and book a time, please contact the Site Manager/Director of Nursing.

Further information

Any changes to restrictions will be posted to our website or, for specific queries, please contact the facility.

Thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation.