Author: Hansel Almeida

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

Dear 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 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 Families, Friends & Representatives,

Following consultation with the Public Health Unit, we are pleased to inform you that the outbreak in Arthur Webb Court has been declared over.

As a precautionary measure, all visitors must continue to wear surgical masks due to cases in the community.

We thank everyone for their support and understanding whilst our team managed this latest Outbreak.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Whiddon Employees,

In the interest of open disclosure, we write to you to advise, that a sum of money has gone missing at the Kyogle facility.

We are very saddened by this news and would like to take this opportunity to discourage all residents, families and team members from having large sums of money on the premises where possible.

We would like to reassure you that we are carrying out a thorough investigation of these matters with the assistance of the NSW police. We have also reported these incidents to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission as part of the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS).

We have also shared an update with residents and their families, and reminded them of the statement in the Resident Handbook relating to storing valuable personal items:

If you would like to discuss these matters further, please do not hesitate to speak to me.

Kind Regards

Alaya Mu
Kyogle Residential Services Manager

Dear Families, Friends & Representatives,

In the interest of open disclosure, we write to you to advise, that a sum of money has gone missing at the Kyogle facility.

We are very saddened by this news and would like to take this opportunity to discourage all residents, families and team members from having large sums of money on the premises where possible.

We would like to reassure you that we are carrying out a thorough investigation of these matters with the assistance of the NSW police. We have also reported these incidents to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission as part of the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS).

We are unable to store personal items of value on your behalf and encourage you to store valuable items securely in your room. We understand that you may wish to bring your own small items and soft furnishings with you, to make this feel more like your home. Please reach out to a team member if you have any questions in relation to which items are appropriate.

If you would like to discuss these matters further, please do not hesitate to speak to me.

Kind Regards

Alaya Mu
Kyogle Residential Services Manager

Dear Families, Friends & Representatives,

Following consultation with the Public Health Unit, we are pleased to inform you that the outbreak in Arthur Webb Court has been declared over.

As a precautionary measure, all visitors must continue to wear surgical masks due to cases in the community.

We thank everyone for their support and understanding whilst our team managed this latest Outbreak.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Whiddon Maclean Residents, Families & Representatives,

Please find important information regarding a visit to Whiddon Maclean from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission here:
Whiddon Maclean Aged Care Quality Assessment

Regards,
The Whiddon Team

Dear Residents, Families, Friends & Representatives of Whiddon Wingham,

Please be advised that we are currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak.

We are taking all measures as per NSW COVID-19 guidelines with residents and employees to ensure the outbreak is contained to Wingham Wing only.
The safety of our residents and team members is our number one priority. I ask your support to ensure this is contained and not shared to other wings.

For this to take place, please note:

• Visiting may still occur during this period, restricted to resident rooms only.
• Visitors are required to follow our safety precautions including:
  RAT to be attended on entry and N95 mask to be applied prior to visiting.
• Regular handwashing and use of hand sanitisers are strongly encouraged. Hand sanitising stations are available throughout the Wingham Wing and other areas including reception.
• For those visitors who are visiting positive residents we have supplied full PPE, please wear them correctly during your visit and seek RN assistance if you need.
• Maintain appropriate social distancing whenever possible.
• All visitors are encouraged to consider postponing any visits if they are unwell or experiencing any flu-like symptoms.

We thank everyone for their support and understanding while our team manage this outbreak.
Please do feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns on 02-5594 3200.

Regards,
The Whiddon Team

Dear Families, Friends & Representatives of Whiddon Easton Park Units,

Please be advised that Whiddon Easton Park Units are currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak

Please note:

• Visiting may still occur during this period, restricted to resident rooms.
• Visitors are required to follow our safety precautions including:
  • RAT to be attended on entry and N95 mask to be applied prior to visiting.
  • Regular handwashing and use of hand sanitisers are strongly encouraged. Hand sanitising stations are available throughout the care home.
  • Maintain appropriate social distancing whenever possible.
• All visitors are encouraged to consider postponing any visits if they are unwell or experiencing any flu-like symptoms. The safety of our residents and team members is our number one priority.

We thank everyone for their support and understanding while our team manage this outbreak.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Team Members, Families, Friends & Representatives of Whiddon Temora,

Due to the increased COVID-19 transmission circulating in the community, we are requesting for support to limit the number of visitors to our residents at any one time.

Visitors and team members are required to complete a Negative RAT prior to entry and wear the appropriate mask as advised by employees.

Families are encouraged to refrain from visiting their loved ones if they are feeling unwell to keep our residents and team members safe.

COVID-19 has now impacted our team members and we will be engaging additional support as needed.

We thank everyone for their support and understanding while our team continues to manage this exposure and outbreak.

The Whiddon Team