16 September 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

Today we received the results of the latest round of COVID-19 testing for residents and staff at Woornack.  The outcome of the testing is that one more resident has tested positive and no further staff.  All residents who have tested positive to COVID-19 are in the memory care unit (House 5), except for two residents, who although well, remain in hospital.

Most of our residents are resting comfortably without symptoms.  However, we continue to closely monitor each resident’s wellbeing as symptoms can quickly present and escalate.  The Aged Care Liaison Team from Western Health make an assessment of resident wellbeing daily to determine the best care response for them.  If there is any change to the health of residents, we will call the GP or relevant health service and advise families as soon as we can.

Sadly, since the COVID-19 outbreak began 15 days ago, three residents have passed away, two of which had tested positive to COVID-19, and one, negative to COVID, was receiving palliative care for other conditions.

Our desire to eliminate the virus from the Home is stronger than ever and we continue to employ every resource available to us and are responding as quickly as possible to this outbreak.  We have infection control specialists who are overseeing the management of care and the environment, and in addition to our staff, we have had our infection control processes reviewed by:

• Aspen Medical on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Health
• The Outbreak Squad from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Aged Care Liaison Team from Western Health
• Infection Prevention Control advisor from HCA on behalf of DHHS

The feedback from all the agencies engaging with us is that our processes are strong, and our staff continue to remain vigilant in their use of PPE and infection control measures.

A deep clean of the home continues daily with additional touch point and cleaning processes in place.  Staff will continue to wear full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when attending to residents.

Please contact the home on 9312 0111 if you or your family member have any questions or concerns.  In addition, you are welcome to contact us via the email address covid19questions@dgas.org.au.  Can I also ask you to please pass my communication on to others in your family who may not receive this letter directly from the Home as it is only sent to the nominated resident representative.

If you or your family would like more support during this difficult time, please reach out to OPAN (Older Persons Advisory Network) on 1800 237 981.  They are available 6am-10pm, 7 days a week.  The other organisation that can assist you is Elder Rights Advocacy Victoria who can be reached on 1800 171 866 for support and advice.

We understand this is a very distressing time for everyone involved.  We are working together to ensure that every resident continues to receive the care they need.

Yours sincerely,

Vanda Iaconese

CEO