Year: 2021

28 June 2021

Zoom meeting for aged care residents and families in Greater Sydney

We want to share information with you about a free Zoom meeting to be hosted by Seniors Rights Service and the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) on Tuesday 29 June. If you have questions about how the COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Sydney affects you or your older family members living in residential aged care, you may wish to join this online event.

Seniors Rights Service and the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) are inviting older people living in residential aged care in Greater Sydney and their families to the Zoom meeting. At the meeting, you will be able to ask any questions you may have about the outbreak and how it affects you and your older family members.

Date: Tuesday 29 June 2021
Time: 3.00pm – 4.30pm

How do I register for this event?

You can register for the event by clicking here. This event has a limited capacity so you are encouraged to register to secure your participation. Once you have registered, you will be sent the link that you need to attend the meeting, along with an opportunity to submit your questions. You can submit a question ahead of the meeting that you’d like answered during the meeting. A recording of the event will be made available on the Older Persons Advocacy Network website and social media platforms following the event.

27 June 2021

Additional restrictions have been announced in NSW due to growing concerns around the COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region. Click here to read these restrictions.

Restrictions relating to our homes in regional NSW 

NSW Health has provided the following advice for residential aged care homes in NSW (outside of the identified stay-at-home order locations):

• All staff and visitors must wear a surgical mask.
• Only two visitors should be allowed each day
• Visits should be in the resident’s room
• No visitors are permitted from Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour)

You will need to book your visit in prior to visiting. Please ensure that you wear a mask and do not visit if you have been to any locations or venues of concern. 

We thank you for your understanding.

Saturday 26 June 2021 

In light of the additional restrictions announced this afternoon in NSW, we are awaiting further advice of what the restrictions will mean for Whiddon Easton Park.

We are expecting that visitation will be restricted in line with the stay-at-home orders that have been announced.

Once we receive information from NSW Health, we will share this with you in a further update.

Please note that we are experiencing high call volumes at the moment and you to limit phone calls to essential calls only. Please be reassured that we will provide this information to you as soon as it comes to hand.

We thank you for your understanding.

26 June 2021

The Chief Health Officer has today advised additional restrictions in NSW due to growing concerns around the COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region.

Restrictions relating to Greater Sydney (relevant to Whiddon Easton Park and Whiddon Hornsby)

Stay-at-home orders now apply to all people in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour) from 6pm this evening until 9 July.  Find out more by clicking here.

However, as an aged care employee, your role is considered essential work, so you are still required to work your allocated shifts. The orders restrict visitors to Easton Park and Hornsby during this period.

Please ensure you wear a mask and do not attend work if you have been to any locations or venues of concern. Please advise your Manager if this is the case.

All other NSW Whiddon care homes (except Easton Park and Hornsby) 

Masks are now required for all visitors and staff.

If you live in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour) but work in another Whiddon location outside of Greater Sydney, please contact your manager to discuss whether you can attend work.

Additional restrictions have been applied in NSW – to see what these are click here.

Please ensure that you wear a mask and do not attend work if you have been to any locations or venues of concern. Please advise your Manager if this is the case.

27 June 2021

We received further advice from NSW Health late yesterday evening in relation to the additional restrictions announced yesterday due to growing concerns around the COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region. Click here to read these restrictions.

Exclusion of visitors to aged care homes in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour)

Until further notice, the Chief Health Officer advises that residential aged care homes in Greater Sydney must exclude visitors. This applies to our homes in Easton Park and Hornsby.

This means that for now, visitors cannot attend our care homes at Easton Park and Hornsby, unless under exceptional circumstances with approval on a case-by-case basis.

We understand that this is a difficult time. Our teams will be working hard to keep you connected to your loved ones through phone and video calls wherever possible.

We thank you for your understanding as this important step is taken to help keep everyone safe.

25 June 2021

COVID-19 update

The COVID-19 situation in Sydney is evolving and growing rapidly. We ask that you please stay vigilant, to help protect your loved ones and our employees and visitors against COVID-19. As a reminder, NSW Health has provided the following advice around visitation, which is relevant to Whiddon Easton Park and Whiddon Hornsby:

• All staff and visitors must wear a surgical mask
• Only two visitors are permitted each day
• Visits should take place in the resident’s room
• Residents are discouraged from leaving the facility to attend large gatherings in Greater Sydney
• Residents must wear a surgical mask if they are leaving the care home

We have seen advice from NSW Health asking the public to avoid non-essential visits to aged care facilities (Greater Sydney), but if you do need to visit, please ensure you follow the advice above. You will also need to book in prior to visiting and ensure that you have registered your visit. Please do not visit if you are unwell or have been around anyone who is unwell.

Please check regularly for any locations on concern (click here) that you may have been to, and for the latest advice around restrictions in Greater Sydney (click here). 

Please also note that additional restrictions were announced today for people living or working in Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and City of Sydney Council areas. If you are living or working in these areas, you should not visit our care homes for now. Read more about these restrictions by clicking here.

Please feel free to share this message with family and friends who may wish to visit.

We thank you for your understanding and will provide a further update next week.

Have you had your COVID-19 vaccine?

We are strongly encouraging all Whiddon employees to have a COVID-19 vaccine. It really is our best shot at helping to keep everyone safe – our loved ones, ourselves and the most vulnerable people entrusted in our care, our residents and clients.

Vaccination is the most effective way to protect against infectious diseases. When you get vaccinated, you are protecting yourself and helping to protect the whole community.

The current COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region is incredibly concerning and shows just how quickly a COVID-19 outbreak can occur, at any time or any place. Higher vaccination rates make outbreaks less likely, so this is an important reminder to have the vaccine as soon as you can.

Together, we have come so far in helping to keep everyone in the Whiddon family safe since the pandemic began. However, our fight is not over yet as this latest outbreak shows. Don’t delay your jab – find out how you can access yours by clicking here

Please remember to tell us if you’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine as we are now required to report the number of staff who have been vaccinated to the Australian Government (this does not include any personal details).

In light of the current COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region, please also remember to stay vigilant and check for any locations on concern that you may have been to, and for the latest restrictions, including additional restrictions announced today.

23 June 2021

Important update on the COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Sydney region is growing quickly and there are new close and casual contact locations in Greater Sydney, including in Castle Hill, Glenhaven, Macquarie Park, North Ryde and West Pennant Hills.

It is very important to regularly check for any updates on close and casual contact locations listed by NSW Health. Their website is updated regularly and can be accessed HERE. If you have been to any of these locations, please follow NSW Health advice and let our Director Care Services know if you visited Whiddon since attending any locations of concern.

NSW Health Advice on visitation 

NSW Health has provided the following advice around visitation, which is relevant to Whiddon Hornsby.

23 June 2021

Important update on the COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Sydney region is growing quickly and there are new close and casual contact locations in Greater Sydney, including in Campbelltown and Spring Farm.

It is very important to regularly check for any updates on close and casual contact locations listed by NSW Health. Their website is updated regularly and can be accessed HERE. If you have been to any of these locations, please follow NSW Health advice and let our Care Manager know if you visited Whiddon since attending any locations of concern.

NSW Health Advice on visitation 

NSW Health has provided the following advice around visitation, which is relevant to Whiddon Easton Park.

23 June 2021

With the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the Sydney region, it is important that we all stay vigilant and regularly check NSW Health’s website for any venues of concern. There have now been a number of local venues in the Macarthur region added to the list.

If you have attended any venues of concern, please notify your Manager and follow the relevant advice from NSW Health. You can find these venues HERE. They are being updated regularly, so please ensure that you are checking them often, including before you attend work, to check for any updates.

Please ensure that you are wearing a mask and follow all relevant protocols. We need to all stay vigilant to help protect everyone in our family.