Important information about IRT Peakhurst Aged Care Centre

30 November 2022

Dear family member/resident representative,

I am writing to provide you with an update about your loved one’s aged care centre.

Since writing to you on Monday, a further nine residents at your loved one’s aged care centre have tested positive to COVID-19 following a round of PCR testing. We are now caring for 12 COVID-positive residents across all of the care centre’s cottages, excluding Elizabeth Kemp Cottage which has no COVID-positive cases.

The COVID-positive residents are stable and isolating in their rooms and we are monitoring them closely in consultation with their GPs. We have also provided them with activity packs.

To ensure early detection of any other cases, all residents in the care centre will be tested via the PCR method again today. I will provide you with another update when we receive the results of these tests. If your loved one returns a positive result, staff will let you know by phone and will keep you updated on their progress.

Visiting arrangements

If you have plans to visit your loved one in the coming days, you are strongly encouraged to postpone any plans to visit at this time. However if you do continue with your plans to visit, please assist the care centre by complying with the following:

• No children under the age of 12 years are permitted to visit.
• 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).
• 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 the 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. Please do not visit your loved one until you have attended reception for screening.
• All visitors must wear surgical masks when visiting a resident in their room or a P2/N95 mask if visiting a resident in common areas (in this case, the Care Centre will provide visitors with the P2/N95 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.

If you have any questions, please contact your Care Manager.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Yours sincerely

Nia Briguglio
EGM – Aged Care Centres