Aged care residents in South Australia who leave their facility are now banned from re-entering their home unless they left for medical or dental treatment or to attend a funeral of an immediate family member – with some exemptions – under new restrictions under the Emergency Management Act announced by State Co-ordinator and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens.
Residents who have dementia, or another cognitive impairment that impedes their ability to understand the new rule, and residents with no safe alternative accommodation will also be exempt along with inspectors and legal workers.
However, prospective residents have been banned from inspecting homes – in effect, preventing providers from taking on new residents (because what family will want to place their loved one into residential care without seeing the home first).
Until now, operators have been taking on new residents – and their RADs. What effect will this have on the income of SA providers in the coming months?
The restrictions increase earlier measures introduced on 23 March which banned people other than staff or essential services from entering facilities and for families from making more than one visit per resident per day.
Those who breach the Act will face fines of up to $20,000 for individuals and up to $75,000 for body corporates.
