Important information about IRT Woonona Aged Care Centre

17 November 2022

Dear family member/resident representative,

Thank you for your support as we managed the risk of rhinovirus at your loved one’s aged care centre.

Since writing to you earlier this week, I’m pleased to advise that all residents have fully recovered from the virus and are now free to leave their rooms and resume normal activities.

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 today.

Visiting arrangements

With the outbreak now officially resolved, visiting arrangements can resume in all areas of the care centre 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.

Further to the above, please do not visit your loved one if you are experiencing any symptoms or are feeling unwell even if you have a negative COVID-19 test 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 your Care Manager.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Nia Briguglio
EGM – Aged Care Centres