Two more residents at the Macquarie Park aged care home have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 16 residents and five staff.
The facility remains in isolation, and BaptistCare has now posted a SEEK ad looking for staff to join its emergency response care units across a number of its NSW and ACT aged care homes.
The ad for part-time and casual hospitality, cleaning and care support workers states:
“You will form part of a Care Reserve Team to provide fundamental support to our Care Teams who care for our residents during emergency response times, such as the Coronavirus (COVID-19), or seasonal flu.”
“Your safety is our first priority always and you will receive comprehensive training in infection control procedures and how to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).”
The job requirements also don’t include a background in aged care. Instead, the requirements ask for people who may have provided care and support to family and friends, those who may have worked in aged care and are looking to advance their career and student nurses.
The ad also promises to provide industry training through TAFE NSW and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as required.
Dorothy Henderson Lodge made headlines when the first case of an infected staff member broke on 4 March – almost a month ago now – in part because some staff did not come into work the following day because of fears about infection.
As outlined above, the Government has promised $444.6 million in funding to support aged care homes, particularly around workforce supply – but will it be enough to overcome staff’s concerns about the virus?
