Year: 2022

19 January 2022

Since our last update to you, pleasingly, no further employees have tested positive to COVID-19. We have not had any residents at Whiddon Grafton test positive to date, or who are currently experiencing any symptoms of the virus.

We continue to focus on keeping residents and employees safe, as this is our highest priority. As a precaution, and on the advice of the local public health unit, visitation remains restricted for now. Only visits for essential caring or on compassionate grounds will be permitted, and residents are strongly encouraged not to leave the care home for now, again as a precaution.

Our employees continue to complete a rapid antigen test before commencing their shift and our robust COVID-19 management plan means that we have strict protocols in place to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care homes.

If you would like to book a window visit in, or arrange a phone or video call with your loved one, please contact our team.

We understand that this remains a challenging time, but we want to reassure you that we are doing everything possible to keep our residents safe, well and connected with loves ones at this time.

19 January 2022

We are pleased to advise you that we are in the position to welcome back visitors to Whiddon Hornsby, upon the advice of the local Public Health Unit.

Visits must be pre-booked and we are asking visitors to wear an N95 mask and face shield and take a rapid antigen test on arrival.

Employees must continue to wear appropriate PPE, complete a rapid antigen test, and social distancing must be observed at all times, including the staff room and nurses station.

We ask that if you have any concerns to please speak to your manager in the first instance. Please also remember our confidential EAP service contactable 24/7 on 1800 818 728.

We encourage you to have your Booster shot and send evidence of your vaccination to payroll@whiddon.com.au at your earliest convenience. Eligibility for booster shots are for those that have had their second dose at least 4 months ago.

We thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to Whiddon Hornsby. We know it has been a challenging time and we genuinely appreciate your efforts in keeping everyone safe.

19 January 2022

We are very pleased to advise you that we are now in the position to once again welcome visitors to Whiddon Hornsby. This is based on advice from the local Public Health Unit and is welcome news.

Please note that while we are able to welcome visitors back, we do ask that you follow our guidelines and stay vigilant at this time, as the number of cases of COVID-19 in our local community remains high. Please also note that all visits must be pre-booked. 

Please be aware of following guidelines when visiting:

• Residents are permitted to have one fully vaccinated visitor aged 12 years and over, per day
• Visitors must have received a second dose of a COVID vaccination at least 14 days prior to their visit
• Visits must not take place in communal areas
• All visitors must wear a N95 mask and face shield when visiting
• Visitors will be asked to complete a rapid antigen test as a condition of entry
• Unvaccinated visitors are only permitted to visit a resident who is at the end of life. Please speak to your loved one’s Care Manager directly to gain the necessary approval to visit

Please ensure that you:

• pre-book your visits. Please note that the number of visitors allowed into a home at any one time may be restricted to enable management of capacity limits
• refrain from visiting if you have COVID-19 symptoms
• refrain from visiting you are a close or casual contact of a person with confirmed COVID-19, unless they have completed their isolation and testing requirement. Close contacts should not enter high risk settings for at least 14 days since their exposure to a COVID-positive person
• do not visit if you have been overseas in the previous 14 days, unless you are fully vaccinated and have received a negative PCR test 7 days or later after arrival in NSW
• refrain from visiting if you are waiting for a COVID-19 test result
• practice good hand hygiene and socially distance
• check in to the Service NSW app AND Whiddon’s check-in system when you visit

We thank you for your ongoing support and understanding, and look forward to seeing you soon.

18 January 2022

We are pleased to advise you that we are in the position to welcome back visitors to Whiddon Kelso from tomorrow, upon the advice of the local Public Health Unit.

Visits must be pre-booked and we are asking visitors to wear an N95 mask and face shield, and arrive earlier to take a rapid antigen test on arrival.

Employees must continue to wear appropriate PPE, complete a rapid antigen test, and social distancing must be observed at all times, including the staff room and nurses station.

We ask that if you have any concerns to please speak to your manager in the first instance. Please also remember our confidential EAP service contactable 24/7 on 1800 818 728.

We encourage you to have your Booster shot and send evidence of your vaccination to payroll@whiddon.com.au at your earliest convenience. Eligibility for booster shots are for those that have had their second dose at least 4 months ago.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

18 January 2022

We are pleased to advise you that we are in the position to welcome back visitors to Whiddon Kelso from tomorrow, upon the advice of the local Public Health Unit. While this is welcome news, we do ask that you stay vigilant at this time and take steps to help keep everyone safe, as the number of COVID-19 cases remain high in our communities.

Visits must be pre-booked and we ask that when you visit, you wear an N95 mask and face shield, and arrive earlier to take a rapid antigen test on arrival. 

Please see our guidelines for visiting at this time:

• Residents are permitted to have two fully vaccinated visitors aged 12 years and over only, per day
• Visitors must have received a second dose of a COVID vaccination at least 14 days prior to their visit
• Visits must not take place in communal areas and wherever possible, visits should occur in an outdoor area
• All visitors must wear a N95 mask and face shield when visiting
• Visitors will be asked to complete a rapid antigen test as a condition of entry
• Unvaccinated visitors are only permitted to visit a resident who is at the end of life. Please speak to your loved one’s Care Manager directly to gain the necessary approval to visit

Please ensure that you:

• pre-book your visits. Please note that the number of visitors allowed at any one time may be restricted to enable management of capacity limits
• refrain from visiting if you have COVID-19 symptoms
• refrain from visiting if you are a close or casual contact of a person with confirmed COVID-19, unless they have completed their isolation and testing requirements. Close contacts should not enter high risk settings for at least 14 days since their exposure to a COVID-positive person
• do not visit if you have been overseas in the previous 14 days, unless you are fully vaccinated and have received a negative PCR test 7 days or later after arrival in NSW
• refrain from visiting if you are waiting for a COVID-19 test result
• practice good hand hygiene and socially distance
• check in to the Service NSW app AND Whiddon’s check-in system when you visit

We thank you for your understanding and support at this time and we look forward to seeing you soon.

18 January 2022

Since our last update to you, we have had two employees test positive to COVID-19. As per the advice of the local Public Health Unit (PHU), visitation remains restricted for now. Only visits for essential caring or on compassionate grounds will be permitted, and residents are strongly encouraged not to leave the care home for now, again as a precaution.

We continue with our COVID-19 outbreak management plan to ensure all necessary precautionary measures are implemented. Strict protocols remain in place to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care homes.  For now, residents will be requested to stay in their rooms as per the advice of the local PHU.

Employees must continue to wear full PPE (N95 masks, face shields, gown and gloves), complete a rapid antigen test, and social distancing must be observed at all times, including the staff room and nurses station.

We ask that if you have any concerns to please speak to your manager in the first instance. Please also remember our confidential EAP service contactable 24/7 on 1800 818 728.

We encourage you to have your Booster shot and send evidence of your vaccination to payroll@whiddon.com.au at your earliest convenience. Eligibility for booster shots are for those that have had their second dose at least 4 months ago.

Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to Whiddon Moree.

18 January 2022

Since our last update to you, we have had two employees test positive to COVID-19. Employees continue to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE), and as per the advice of the local Public Health Unit (PHU), visitation remains restricted for now. Only visits for essential caring or on compassionate grounds will be permitted, and residents are strongly encouraged not to leave the care home for now, again as a precaution.

We continue with our COVID-19 outbreak management plan to ensure all necessary precautionary measures are implemented. Strict protocols remain in place to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care homes.  For now, residents will be requested to stay in their rooms as per the advice of the local PHU. Our teams will be working hard to keep you connected with your loved ones via phone and video calls wherever possible. Residents are able to enjoy walks and we are offering one-on one-activities during this time.

We understand that this is a challenging time for everyone, but we want you to know that it is our highest priority to keep everyone in our family safe and well, and we are doing everything we can to achieve this.

We thank you for your understanding and support.

We will provide another update to you later in the week.

18 January 2022

We are pleased to advise you that we are now in the position to once again welcome visitors to Whiddon Moree. This is based on advice from the local Public Health Unit and is welcome news.

Please note that while we are able to welcome visitors back, we do ask that you follow our guidelines and stay vigilant at this time, as the number of cases of COVID-19 in our local community remains high. Please also note that all visits must be pre-booked. Weekend visits must be booked in by 4pm on the Friday before that weekend.

Please be aware of following guidelines when visiting:

• Residents are permitted to have two fully vaccinated visitors aged 12 years and over only, per day
• Visitors must have received a second dose of a COVID vaccination at least 14 days prior to their visit
• Visits must not take place in communal areas and wherever possible, visits should occur in an outdoor area
• All visitors must wear a N95 mask and face shield when visiting
• Visitors may be asked to complete a rapid antigen test as a condition of entry
• Unvaccinated visitors are only permitted to visit a resident who is at the end of life. Please speak to your loved one’s Care Manager directly to gain the necessary approval to visit

Please ensure that you:

• pre-book your visits. Please note that the number of visitors allowed into a home at any one time may be restricted to enable management of capacity limits
• refrain from visiting if you have COVID-19 symptoms
• refrain from visiting you are a close or casual contact of a person with confirmed COVID-19, unless they have completed their isolation and testing requirement. Close contacts should not enter high risk settings for at least 14 days since their exposure to a COVID-positive person
• do not visit if you have been overseas in the previous 14 days, unless you are fully vaccinated and have received a negative PCR test 7 days or later after arrival in NSW
• refrain from visiting if you are waiting for a COVID-19 test result
• practice good hand hygiene and socially distance
• check in to the Service NSW app AND Whiddon’s check-in system when you visit

We thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

18 January 2022

If you’ve had your second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least four months ago, you’re now eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccination.

All aged care employees are strongly encouraged to receive a booster dose when eligible, to protect themselves and the people they care for. 

Why should I have my COVID-19 booster shot?

• A booster shot works very well at preventing severe illness and hospitalisation, and helps to reduce the severity of COVID-19
• A booster dose will boost your immune response and provide an additional, and important, layer of protection to further reduce the risk of infection
• Evidence suggests that a booster vaccine increases antibody levels that will likely offer protections against new variants of COVID-19
• A booster dose helps keep you, your co-workers, residents and clients, safe whilst being at work

Read more about COVID-19 booster vaccinations here: https://bit.ly/31TcDa8

Is the COVID-19 booster shot mandatory for aged care employees?

At this stage, it is not mandatory for aged care employees to have their booster shot, however it is strongly encouraged and it is quite possible that it will be mandated in the future. In coming weeks, it will be mandatory for aged care providers to report on employee booster doses through the My Aged Care portal. This will be relevant for both residential and community care employees – please note that the information provided is de-identified. The reporting is currently mandated for resident booster shots.

Once you have received your COVID-19 booster shot, please send evidence of your vaccination as soon as possible to payroll@whiddon.com.au

Where can I get my COVID-19 booster shot?

Use the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder to book an appointment through a local provider close to you.

We thank you for your support and ongoing efforts and dedication to keeping residents, clients and each other, safe.

17 January 2022

Further to our update to you last week, an additional employee has tested positive to COVID-19 at Greenstone Lodge.

While the risk of potential exposure is considered low, as a precaution, we ask that you consider delaying your visit this week if you can. If you do need to visit, you will be asked to wear an N95 mask, face shield and gown, which will be supplied to you. We also ask that you complete a rapid antigen test when you arrive. This does not impact Narraburra Lodge.

Residents are strongly encouraged to not leave the care home for now, again as a precautionary measure. Our employees are wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) and our robust COVID-19 management plan means that we have strict protocols in place to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care home. We continue to work closely with the local Public Health Unit and follow their advice.

We thank you for your understanding and patience during this time. We will provide a further update to you soon.