Sector leaders are almost united in the demand for an automatic protocol to transfer COVID positive aged care home residents to hospital.
One emerging leading voice is Tracey Burton, Executive Director at Uniting NSW/ACT. She has been quoted in The Canberra Times, arguing that aged care homes should be given the best chance possible to stop the spread of the disease to other vulnerable residents.
"Residential aged care homes are 'homes'. They're not hospitals."
"In order to break that chain of infection, that's what we're trying to do, is get the outbreak under control with as few people impacted as possible and as short an outbreak as possible."
"Once you have a resident who is tested positive, them or anyone else who is suspected transferred to hospital I think is the safest way."
"'Hospital in the Home' has a higher risk of failure, especially if 80 per cent to 100 per cent of staff are sent home to isolate. It is complex. It takes time to set up. It is a compromise in care. And many aged care homes are not suitable as they have practical challenges including shared rooms."
In the same article COTA Australia CEO, Ian Yates, says a case-by-case approach should be adopted, judged on the clinical assessment of each person.
"Would this person, whatever their age, would a doctor say 'I have to get them into hospital?' then if the answer is yes, it doesn't matter what age they are, that's where they should go." he said.
"We've got to be cautious of anything that sounds like a simple answer."
"The resident's interests are obviously paramount and if the clinical view is, without any ageism, that the resident is comfortable where they are and can be cared for where they are, and are safe where they are, then fine."
Sean Rooney, LASA CEO, is also quoted in the same article stating that transferring residents to hospital gave the facility the best chance to stop the spread of COVID-19, which by extension means protecting both the remaining residents and staff.
This goes to the question – are aged care homes capable of managing COVID-19? This is being acutely tested in Melbourne now with 39 outbreaks in the past two weeks, including seven in the last 36 hours.
