Year: 2025

Dear Clients and Families

Further to our update yesterday, the Bureau of Meteorology is now predicting Cyclone Alfred to make landfall late Friday or Saturday morning according to latest reports.

Damaging and destructive wind gusts, storms, and heavy rainfall are expected to develop later today, impacting parts of south-east Queensland and northern NSW.

Whiddon’s non-essential services continue to be cancelled until Sunday. At this stage and depending on the weather, we may need to cancel essential services from tomorrow or Saturday – we will keep you updated, and our team will contact you directly if this occurs.

For now, the SES has advised everyone to stay at home, and to follow the directions of emergency services. You can stay up to date by listening to ABC News Radio, or via the SES website (https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/ for NSW or https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/ for QLD).

The safety and wellbeing of our clients and employees is our priority and we are taking every effort to prepare for this weather situation.

We are asking our clients to take steps now to ensure that if you are asked to evacuate, you have a plan in place and know where you will go. We have prepared a Flood Preparation Checklist which you can view here.

If you need urgent support, you can call the SES on 132 500 or in an emergency call 000. 

Please take care and stay safe,

The Whiddon Team

Dear Volunteer

As a valued member of our Whiddon Family, we wanted to keep you updated on Cyclone Alfred.

As many of you are aware, the Government has issued alerts regarding Tropical Cyclone Alfred for Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales residents.   

This weather event could bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and possibly flash flooding, in areas of NSW and Queensland coasts from today.

The safety and wellbeing of our Volunteers is our priority, and we are taking every effort to prepare for this weather situation.

Stay Safe

Please:

• Do not travel – please restrict any travel and stay at home
• Keep your mobile phone charged and on-hand for updates.
• Monitor the SES Website and ABC News Radio for weather updates.
• For urgent situations, call the SES at 132 500 or dial 000 in an emergency.
• Secure your home in preparation for the cyclone.

Extra Support

Please contact me if you are concerned of if there is any further support we can provide you with at this time.  

Take care

Maca Alonso Roncoroni

Volunteer Manager

volunteers@whiddon.com.au

Dear Team Members, Families, Friends & Representatives,

Please be advised that we currently have a COVID-19 outbreak at Whiddon Grafton.

All visitors to RAT (Rapid Antigen Test) prior to entry and to wear a mask at all times when visiting the home.

Please note: If you are unwell or have any flu like symptoms, please do not visit the home.

The families of residents who have tested positive will be contacted directly by the team.

We know that this is a challenging time, and we appreciate your understanding and support. Our team is here to provide the best possible care for your loved ones and we are confident that we can manage this outbreak effectively.

Please be assured that this update is separate from our previous communication regarding Tropical Cyclone Alfred. We are monitoring both situations closely and taking all necessary precautions. We will be sending an update later today regarding the cyclone as we continue to monitor the situation.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Residents

As you would be aware, the Government has issued alerts regarding Tropical Cyclone Alfred for Southern QLD and Northern NSW residents. This weather event could bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and possibly flash flooding, in areas of NSW and Queensland coasts from today. They are currently advising Laurieton and Wingham residents to stay informed and aware as well.

The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our priority, and we are taking every effort to prepare for this weather situation.

The bureau encourages residents to stay up to date with the latest tropical cyclone information on their website and on the news stations. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has also deployed additional flood rescue and storm response staff – you can contact the SES on 132 500 if you need support with sandbagging.

If you are facing an emergency, please ensure you contact 000.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter and we will continue to do everything we can to support you during this time.
If you need to contact us regarding any issues with flood or damage, please contact Laurelle at ARP on 0412 411 325, or Whiddon on 1300 738 388.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Monteleone

Dear Residents, Families and Employees

As many of you are aware, the Government has issued alerts regarding Tropical Cyclone Alfred  for Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales residents. This now includes Laurieton and Wingham.

This weather event could bring damaging  winds,  heavy rainfall and possibly flash flooding, in areas of NSW and Queensland coasts from today. 

The safety and wellbeing of our residents and employees is our priority and we are taking every effort to prepare for this weather situation. We have reviewed our generators, fuel and food stocks and continue to closely monitor for updates and advice from the SES.

In the rare event that an evacuation is required, our teams are fully briefed on our Emergency Management Plans and will ensure that we keep you updated at every step of the way.

While we always welcome visitors at Whiddon, we encourage you to also prepare and stay safe, and to avoid travel to our impacted Homes over the next few days.

 In the event that you are unable to contact your local Home, you can call our team on 1300 738 388 and we will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Residents and Families

Cyclone Alfred Update: 5th March 2025

As Cyclone Alfred approaches, we will keep you updated about our Whiddon Homes in the affected areas. We are taking the following steps to prepare:

• Adding extra generators and fuel
• Stocking up on food and medication
• Securing homes for extreme weather
• Monitoring local weather and advice from SES and Councils
• Preparing evacuation procedures if needed

Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our residents and employees. We have strong plans in place for various scenarios.

Please limit your contact with the Home over the next few days as our teams focus on preparations. We will send regular SMS updates about the Home’s status. If phone lines go down, calls will be diverted to the Emergency Mobile phone, and the team will respond as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this challenging time.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Employees

Cyclone Alfred Update: 5th March 2025

As we prepare for challenging weather, your safety is our priority. We have a strong plan to support our Homes and people affected by the cyclone.

Stay Safe

Please:

• Do not travel to work if it is unsafe (e.g., flooded roads, extreme weather) or if you have other responsibilities (e.g., caring for children due to school closures)
• Keep your mobile phone charged and on-hand for updates.
• Monitor the SES Website and ABC News Radio for weather updates.
• For urgent situations, call the SES at 132 500 or dial 000 in an emergency.
• Secure your home in preparation for the cyclone.

Extra Support

If you can safely travel to work and are willing to work extra hours, please contact your RSM. This will help us continue to care for our residents if staffing levels are affected by the weather.

We will provide regular updates over the coming days.

Take Care

The Whiddon Team

Dear Employees,

Cyclone Alfred Update: Service Cancellations and Safety Advice

Due to government warnings about Cyclone Alfred, we are cancelling all non-essential Home Care Services  (domestic assistance, social support, some transport services) from tomorrow, 6th  until Sunday 9th March to ensure everyone’s safety.

Essential services (personal care, medication and welfare checks) will continue as long as it is safe, but may also be cancelled if conditions worsen. Our Scheduling Team will contact you if there are any changes to essential services.

Stay Safe

Please take all necessary steps to stay safe this week. We may experience strong winds, heavy rain, and potential flash flooding. During this time:

• Do not travel to your shift if it is unsafe (e.g., flooded roads, extreme weather) or if you have other responsibilities (e.g., caring for children due to school closures, or protecting).
• Keep your mobile phone charged and on-hand for updates.
• Monitor the SES Website and ABC News Radio for weather updates.
• For urgent situations, call the SES at 132 500 or dial 000 in an emergency.
• Secure your home in preparation for the cyclone.

Support for Residential Aged Care (RAC) Homes

Our RACs need additional support and staffing during the cyclone. If you are near a RAC and it is safe to travel, please contact your Coordinator if you can help care for our residents at the RAC during this time.

We will provide regular updates over the coming days.

Take care,

The Whiddon Team

Dear Clients and families,

Important Update 5.3.25: Service Changes Due to Cyclone Alfred

Due to Cyclone Alfred and the safety of our people, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all non-essential (DA, some transport) Home Care Services in your area starting tomorrow, 6th March until Sunday 9th March.

We will reschedule these services once it is safe. If you have issues, please contact us as soon as possible.

Essential services (personal care, medication, welfare checks) will continue for now,  but may also be cancelled if conditions worsen.

We will contact you if this happens and discuss other ways to support you.

For any concerns, call us on 1300 738 638 between 6am – 5pm, or follow the prompts to speak with an On-Call team member.

For urgent assistance, contact SES at 132 500 or dial 000 in an emergency.

Take care, and we will keep you updated.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Families and Employees

As you would be aware, the Government has issued alerts regarding Tropical Cyclone Alfred  for Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales residents.

This weather event could bring damaging  winds,  heavy rainfall and possibly flash flooding, in areas of NSW and Queensland coasts from today.  

The safety and wellbeing of our clients and employees is our priority and we are taking every effort to prepare for this weather situation.

We are asking our clients to take steps now to ensure that if you are asked to evacuate, you have a plan in place and know where you will go.

Due to the weather conditions, we may be required to make changes to some of your home care services if it is not safe to continue. If you need to contact us about your services, please call us on 1300 738 388. Our team will also be making welfare calls to clients in high alert areas.  

We have prepared a Flood Preparation Checklist which you can view here.  

The bureau encourages residents to stay up to date with the latest tropical cyclone information on their website and on the news stations.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has deployed additional flood rescue and storm response staff – you can contact the SES on 132 500 if you need support with sandbagging.

If you are facing an emergency, please ensure you contact 000.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter and we will continue to do everything we can to support you during this time.

The Whiddon Team