Author: Belinda Howell

8 December 2021

We are pleased to let you know that the results of the PCR tests taken by employees and residents at Taylor House who were identified as contacts of the employee with COVID-19, are all negative.

While further testing of these employees and residents will be required in the coming days, this is welcome news. We continue to work closely with the local Public Health Unit in managing our response and following their recommendations.

We are conducting rapid antigen testing of employees at the start of their shift. This adds an important layer of protection at this time, in addition to our robust screening protocols. As mentioned in our earlier update today, all results since testing was recommenced yesterday, have returned negative results. Again, this is pleasing.

What this means for Taylor House
For now, as a precaution, visitation is still restricted to Taylor House. Our employees will continue to wear full PPE, and robust measures to prevent a potential spread of infection, remain in place. Once we know more about when these may be relaxed, we will let you know.

What this means for Sir David Martin, Arthur Webb Court and Easton Park Units
We are able to welcome back visitors to these care homes and resident activities can now resume. Visitors will only be able to attend one of these care homes as they are not permitted to go between other care homes on our campus for now. Bookings for visits are essential and there are important guidelines to follow, which can be found on our COVID-19 page. We ask visitors to these care homes to have a rapid antigen testing upon arrival. We also ask visitors to remain vigilant and take steps to keep everyone safe. As a reminder, here are the phone numbers to book in your visit:

For Arthur Webb Court: 02 9827 6725
For Easton Park Units: 02 9827 6735
For Sir David Martin: 02 9827 6666

Next steps

We will provide a further update to you once the results of the additional testing has come through, which is likely to be on Friday. If anything changes, we will update you sooner.

We do hope this update provides you with some reassurance and we genuinely thank you for your understanding and support.

8 December 2021

Further to our update yesterday to inform you that a Whiddon Easton Park team member tested positive to COVID-19, at this stage, we are still awaiting COVID-19 PCR test results from a number of employees and residents in Taylor House, where the employee worked.

We have recommenced rapid antigen testing of our employees and all tests so far have returned negative results, which is pleasing. Our robust COVID-19 management plan is in place, with strict protocols implemented to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care homes. Our employees continue to wear full PPE in line with our COVID-19 management plan.

As mentioned in our update yesterday, visitors are not permitted to Whiddon Easton Park for now, as a precaution.

If you have visited Taylor House and are concerned about you or your loved one being identified as a contact, please be reassured that you will be contacted directly through our contact tracing processes. If you do have any symptoms of COVID-19, please get tested.

Our teams are working hard to facilitate video and phone calls wherever possible to help keep residents connected at this time, as we know this is important. We also want to reassure you that our highest priority is to keep everyone in our Whiddon family safe and well, and we are doing all that we can to achieve this.

We will provide a further update to you once we know more information. If we do not have another update to share by this afternoon, we will send you another message around this time tomorrow.

We thank you for your support and understanding.

7 December 

As a matter of courtesy, we wanted to let you know that a Whiddon Easton Park (South West Sydney) employee has tested positive to COVID-19. This does not impact where your loved one lives, but we wanted to let you know of this as you are part of our Whiddon family.

We are working closely with the local Public Health Unit and have activated our COVID-19 response plan to ensure all necessary precautionary measures are implemented. Our robust COVID-19 management plan has meant that we have limited movement across our care homes and strict protocols in place to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care homes. As a precaution, we have closed our Easton Park aged care campus to all visitors for now.

Our highest priority is to keep everyone in our Whiddon family safe and well, and we are doing everything we can to achieve this. We are also committed to keeping our families up-to-date of the situation and will provide a further update once we know more.

We thank you for your understanding and support during this time.

7 December 2021

You would have received a message from us earlier this afternoon advising you that an employee at Whiddon Easton Park has tested positive to COVID-19. Employees working in the area where the employee had worked, which is within Taylor House, have undergone testing, as recommended by the local Public Health Unit. We are currently awaiting these tests results. Rapid antigen tests undertaken onsite by these employees have returned negative results, which is pleasing.

Our robust COVID-19 management plan ensures that we limit movement across our care homes, and that strict protocols in place to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care homes. Our employees continue to wear full PPE in line with our COVID-19 management plan.

Pleasingly, 98% of residents are fully vaccinated across Whiddon Easton Park, and 100% of our employees are fully vaccinated or have a valid exemption. Many employees and residents have also received their booster vaccine.

As mentioned in the earlier message, visitors are not permitted for now at Whiddon Easton Park. Please note that we have extended the opening hours of our 1300 738 388 phone line until 8pm this evening should you have any questions. We do understand that this is a concerning time and want to reassure you that we will keep you up-to-date as we know more.

It is expected that the next update to you will be in the morning. Our 1300 line will reopen tomorrow morning at 8.00am.

We thank you for your understanding and support during this time.

7 December

You would have received a message from us earlier this afternoon advising you that an employee in Taylor House at Whiddon Easton Park has tested positive to COVID-19. Employees working in Straughen, where the employee had worked, have now undergone testing as recommended by the local Public Health Unit. We are currently awaiting these tests results. Rapid antigen tests undertaken onsite by these employees have returned negative results, which is pleasing.

Our robust COVID-19 management plan ensures that we limit movement across our care homes, and that strict protocols in place to avoid potential spread of the virus across our care homes. Our employees continue to wear full PPE in line with our COVID-19 management plan.

Pleasingly, 98% of residents are fully vaccinated across Whiddon Easton Park, and 100% of our employees are fully vaccinated or have a valid exemption. Many employees and residents have also received their booster vaccine.

As mentioned in the earlier message, visitors are not permitted for now. If you have visited Taylor House and are concerned about being a contact, or concerned about your loved one being identified as a contact, please be reassured that you will be contacted directly through our contact tracing processes. If you do have any symptoms of COVID-19, please get tested.

Please note that we have extended the opening hours of our 1300 738 388 phone line until 8pm this evening should you have any questions. We do understand that this is a concerning time and want to reassure you that we will keep you up-to-date as we know more.

It is expected that the next update to you will be in the morning. Our 1300 line will reopen tomorrow morning at 8.00am

We thank you for your understanding and support during this time.

30 November 2021

We want to provide you with a further update following our message to you yesterday.

The SES have advised that there still remains no risk to our care homes (Robert Young and Jessie Hunt) at this point in time. The river levels remain steady at this time, down from yesterday’s peak.

We are pleased to share that the phones at Whiddon Narrabri Robert Young are back up and running again, so once again you can contact us directly.

We thank you for your patience and understanding and will provide another update if we receive any further information.

29 November 2021

Further to our message sent yesterday evening in regards to the current flood situation, the SES have advised us that there is no risk to residents at our care homes at Whiddon Narrabri Jessie Hunt or Whiddon Narrabri Robert Young.

Our phone lines at Whiddon Narrabri Robert Young are currently not working. We ask that for now, you direct any enquiries to Whiddon’s 1300 738 388 phone line.

We will provide another update tomorrow, or sooner if anything changes.

25 November 2021

Due to low levels of community transmission of COVID-19 in the local area, as of next Monday 29 November, we will be offering rapid antigen testing as an optional screening tool, rather than asking employees and visitors undertake a rapid antigen test upon arrival at Whiddon Easton Park.

We do remain proactive in ensuring our residents, employees and visitors stay safe, so we do ask that you continue to strictly follow all guidelines, processes and policies that are in place. It is important that we all stay vigilant and do not let complacency creep in. Please be reassured that if you wish to take a rapid antigen test, we will have them available for you to do so.

We are closely monitoring for COVID-19 risks in our community and may need to again request visitors and employees to take rapid antigen testing as a precautionary measure at any time, if we feel that this is required to help protect everyone in our family.

We thank you for your understanding and patience. Please speak to your Manager or Supervisor if you have any questions.

26 November 2021

Due to low levels of community transmission of COVID-19 in the local area, as of next Monday, we will be offering rapid antigen testing as an optional screening tool, rather than asking that visitors and employees undertake a rapid antigen test upon visiting Easton Park.

We do remain proactive in ensuring our residents, employees and visitors stay safe, so we do ask that you continue to strictly follow our visitation guidelines and do not visit if you are unwell. Please be reassured that if you wish to take a rapid antigen test, we will have them available for you to do so.

We are closely monitoring for COVID-19 risks in our community and may need to again request visitors and employees to take rapid antigen testing as a precautionary measure if we feel that this is required to help protect everyone in our family.

Please be reminded that you must pre-book your visit and follow the visitation guidelines below:

• all visitors must wear a surgical mask
• you must have received a second dose of a COVID vaccination at least 14 days prior to your visit (visitors over 12 years old)
• where visits include a child under 12, it is  strongly recommended, where possible:
  – the visit is in an outdoor area
  – the child should wear a mask 
  – the child should have a rapid antigen test (RAT) just before the visit
• practice good hand hygiene and social distancing
• meet in the resident’s room and not in common areas
• check-in through our visitor check-in system and the Service NSW app
• do not visit if you have been to any COVID-19 hotspot venues or locations, or to any interstate locations of concern
• do not visit if you are unwell and have any COVID-19 symptoms – fever (37. 5°C or higher) or symptoms of COVID-19
• do not visit if you are a close contact of a person with confirmed COVID-19 and are within their self-isolation period
• do not visit if you live in a household with a person who is currently self-isolating
• do not visit if you are waiting for a COVID-19 test result

We thank you for your understanding and patience.

22 November 2021

We want to advise you that the COVID-19 booster vaccination will be offered to residents at Whiddon Casino on 22 January 2022. The vaccinations will be conducted onsite at Whiddon Casino. We are starting discussions with residents and resident representatives and now have consent forms available. Please speak to the Director Care Services if you have any questions.

Thank you.