Important information about IRT Crown Gardens Aged Care Centre

17 November 2022

Dear family member/resident representative,

Thank you for your support and patience as we managed the risk of COVID-19 at your loved one’s aged care centre.

Since writing to you earlier this week I’m pleased to advise that all residents have reached their full recovery criteria and are now free of the virus.

We also received the results of our last round of PCR tests and all were negative.

With this pleasing news, the local public health unit has officially closed the outbreak at our care centre and provided us with guidance to begin our transition back to regular operations, including a resumption of regular visiting arrangements from Monday 21 November 2022.

Visiting arrangements

While we transition back to regular operations, visiting arrangements will continue as follows:

• Residents are permitted 2 visitors only by appointment.
• No children under the age of 12 years are permitted to visit.
• All visits are to take place in the resident’s room or an outdoor location – no visits in indoor common areas are permitted at this time.
• All visitors are asked to show proof of a negative rapid antigen test before entering the care centre.
• All visitors are asked to wear all necessary PPE at all times while in the care centre including a P2/N95 mask.
• Please wear your PPE as instructed by staff. If a staff member asks you to adjust it they are doing so to protect you, your loved one, and all others living and working in the care centre.

From Monday 21 November 2022, visiting arrangements can resume as follows:

• There is no limit to the number of visitors (of any age) that a resident can have at any one time. I do ask that you be mindful of the surrounding environment and size of your loved one’s room.
• All visitors are asked to complete their own rapid antigen test at home or on arrival at the centre and provide proof of the negative result (photo or actual test). The stations at the care centre are self-serve so our staff can be more available to residents in their roles as carers.
• If a visitor is unable to complete their own rapid antigen test they will need to make an appointment at the care centre for the test to be conducted by staff prior to entry. Contact numbers for staff to assist are displayed at self-serve rapid antigen testing stations.
• Unless, as above, assistance is required with rapid antigen testing on entry appointments for visits are no longer required.
• All visitors are to complete the wellness questionnaire on arrival. This includes confirmation that they have had at least 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and the 2022 influenza vaccine.
• All visitors must wear surgical masks when visiting a resident in their room or a P2N95 mask if visiting a resident in common areas (in this case, the Care Centre will provide visitors with the P2N95 mask).
• No cloth masks are permitted.

Please do not visit your loved one if you are experiencing any symptoms or are feeling unwell, even if the symptoms are mild. Even if you have a negative COVID-19 result you may still have influenza or another virus which is highly contagious.

Please pass this message on to others as you consider appropriate and if you have any questions please contact reception at the care centre on 02 4475 3633.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Nia Briguglio
EGM – Aged Care Centres