Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed he hopes to finalise more visits by families into Australia’s aged care homes by the end of the week in a press conference yesterday.
We asked LASA, ACSA and the Aged Care Guild what advice they are giving their members on visitor restrictions.
LASA CEO Sean Rooney tells us:
“All residential care operators are compelled to comply with the National Cabinet’s guidance on visitor restrictions. In addition, aged care facilities can put in place additional resident protections in response to local risk factors (eg: active covid outbreak in the surrounding community). Where a facility has put in place additional measures these need to be risk based and implemented in consultation with residents and families.”
He added:
“As the coronavirus curve is flattening, providers who have additional protections in place should constantly look at local risk and make decisions in consideration of these factors as they are changing. And, they should continue consulting and communicating closely with families, residents and staff on these matters.”
“To further assist in this process, LASA is working closely with consumer groups and other provider peaks to finalise guidelines to assist.”
Nicholas Brown, Acting CEO of the Aged Care Guild, said they are working closely with Government, providers and consumer groups to ensure best practice is maintained while easing restrictions in aged care homes.
“We need to remember that every aged care home is different, and protections have been put in place to suit their circumstances,” he said. “These enhanced protections were always intended to be time limited, to reflect the immediate risk to senior Australians in care and continue to be reviewed regularly.
However, he said: “Ultimately, providers are best placed to determine when the right time is to relax restrictions and how they go about it.”
“While thinking about pathways to relax restrictions in future, we recommend providers continue to talk to, and work with, families during this process, and emphasise that any changes should be made in a safe and controlled way, with input from residents and their families.”
But do the statistics – and the law – support restrictions being eased?
