Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 29 – Aged Care Direction 14
Information as at Monday 30th November 2020
Further good news! This afternoon the Queensland Department of Health released Aged Care Direction 14, effective 1am 1st December, which is tomorrow.
Key changes in Aged Care Direction 14 are:
- The two-person visitor limit per resident at any one time has been removed. Residents may now receive any number of visitors, but remember your social distancing.
- Visitors may now enter an aged care facility without having the flu vaccination, as the peak of the 2020 influenza season is over, and the vaccination is no longer readily available.
Vacenti Christmas Functions
As advised in the last update, Vacenti homes will be undertaking Christmas functions this year, but in a COVID safe manner with physical distancing being applied. This may change how and where the functions are conducted. The announced changes through Aged Care Direction 14 now means there is no longer a limit on the number of visitors for each resident. Each of our homes will be corresponding directly about any changes to their specific arrangements for the home through their newsletter or mail out.
Aged Care Direction No 14 – Full details
In keeping with previous Directions, Aged Care Direction 14 still has different requirements depending on whether we in a Restricted Zone or a Non-restricted Zone. As at today, all Vacenti facilities are in a Non-restricted Zone. The following are Aged Care Direction No 14 requirements: –
Aged Care Direction 14 – When a visitor cannot enter a residential aged care site
Paragraph 9 of Aged Care Direction 13 states:
A person must not enter, or remain on, the premises of a residential aged care facility in the State of Queensland from the time of publication of this direction until the end of the declared public health emergency if:
- during the 14 days immediately preceding the entry, the person arrived in Australia from a place outside Australia; or
- during the 14 days immediately preceding the entry, the person has been in a place which at the time of entry is a COVID-19 hotspot; or
- during the 14 days immediately preceding the entry, the person had known contact with a person who has a confirmed case of COVID-19; or
- the person has a temperature equal to or higher than 37.5 degrees or symptoms consistent with COVID-19; or
- the person has been tested for COVID-19, and has not yet received the results of that test.
Under Paragraph 16 of Aged Care Direction 14, Vacenti is still required to keep contact information for all visitors. All visitors are still required to sign in on entry and sign out on departure please.
Declared Hotspots
As we have seen over the last couple of weeks, Declared Hotspots can change at any time. From tomorrow, 1st December 2020, Victoria and the 32LGAs in NSW are no longer Hotspots. Therefore, residents may now see visitors from Sydney and Victoria from the 15th December (this allows for the 14 days). On 16th November, 20 South Australian Local Government areas were also declared as hotspots. As of this evening, these still remain in place.
Aged Care Direction 14 – Visitation Restrictions
Under Aged Care Direction 14, residents are allowed to have visitors on the following basis:-
- A person may enter a residential aged care facility under this part and in accordance with paragraph 9 above.
- There is no limit under this Public Health Direction on the number of visitors at a residential aged care facility, other than a restricted residential aged care facility.
- If a person is attending a residential aged care facility to visit a resident, they must, to the extent reasonably practicable:
- practise physical distancing; and
- limit their contact with other persons at the facility.
In order to maintain social distancing, we continue to request all visits be undertaken in either the resident’s room or outdoor areas only. There are no restrictions to the number of visitors a resident may see at any one time in our apartments as well.
Aged Care Direction 14 – Taking Residents Off Site
Under Aged Care Direction No 14, residents are permitted to leave the facility, including:-
- to receive or access health care,
- to attend small family gatherings,
- to undertake exercise,
- to undertake group excursions with other residents,
- to receive end of life or palliative care, or
- to attend a funeral.
Residents who form part of a familial group (for example, couples, siblings) or close friends are permitted to leave the facility together.
We require all residents and families to complete the Resident Leave Register at reception, both on exiting and return to assist us in our risk assessment and surveillance protocols. Sign out is particularly important for contact tracing. Be very vigilant about social distancing and personal hygiene whilst you are off site.
Vacenti Visiting Hours
Vacenti homes are open for visits Monday to Saturday during normal hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Sunday and after-hours visits will continue to be by appointment only. Please contact your Facility Manager to arrange this.
Contact options
Please feel free to make telephone contact with your loved one, or make use of our video telehealth. The main application we are using so far is Skype. You can download Skype from https://www.skype.com/en/get-skype/.
Our Skype details are as follows:
| Skype Account Name | Skype associated Email Address | Who to email to create a booking |
| Portofino TeleHealth | PH.TeleHealth@outlook.com | Admin.PH@vacenti.com.au |
| Casa D’amore TeleHealth | CD.TeleHealth@outlook.com | Admin.CD@vacenti.com.au |
| Marebello TeleHealth | MB.TeleHealth@outlook.com | Admin.MB@vacenti.com.au |
| Lorocco TeleHealth | LO.TeleHealth@outlook.com | Admin.LO@vacenti.com.au |
| Esida TeleHealth | ES.TeleHealth@outlook.com | Admin.ES@vacenti.com.au |
The protocol to arrange a Skype call between you and your loved one is as follows:
1. Email our lovely Administration personnel at the respective home (see “Who to email to create a booking above”) with the residents name, preferred booking date and time, your contact phone no, your Skype Name and Skype related email address. Please send this email Mon to Fri during business hours and with at least 48 hours notice.
2. Our Administration staff will then add you to our Skype Contacts list. This will involve sending you a “wave” which you will need to accept so it adds you to our contacts list. Alternatively, you can seek us out using the Skype Account Name above, or the Skype associated email address. Send us a “wave” and we will respond. The end result we need is that both parties are in the respective Skype Contacts List for a connection to happen.
3. At, or as close as we can to the nominated time, we will call you. Please do not call us. We cannot guarantee that a staff member is available at the exact time to take calls.
We do not have any COVID-19 cases in any of our homes.
Also please take note of Qld Health’s request for anyone living in the Logan and Springfield Lakes regions to be tested.
Please pass this email along to family and friends who may not be getting them. Please let us know of anybody who needs to be added to our mailing list along with the resident’s name and relationship.
For further information refer to Vacenti Updates
Click here Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 29 – 1st December, 2020
Click here Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 28 – 20th November, 2020
Click here Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 27, 1st October, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 26, 24th September, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 24, 3rd September, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 23, 12th August, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 22, 12th August, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 21, 10th August, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 20, 31st July, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 19, 31st July, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 18, 29th July, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 16, 26th June, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 15, 19th June, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 14, 10th June, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 13, 25th May, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 12, 9th May, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 11, 30th April, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 10, 27th April, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 9, 17th April, 2020
Click here– Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 8, 17th April, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 7, 31st March, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 6, 27th March, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 5, 24th March, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 4 , 18th March, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 3, 06th March, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 2, 02nd March, 2020
Click here – Vacenti Update on Coronavirus – COVID-19 – Update no 1, 17th February, 2020
