A message from our CEO, Sandra Hills OAM
2nd February 2022
A letter to all Benetas employees from CEO, Sandra Hills OAM.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Easter 2022
We are all looking forward to a break and catching up with loved ones over Easter. We ask you to refresh your familiarity with our visiting guidelines. COVID-19 is still in the community and we expect Victoria is likely to experience another serious spike in cases with a new Omicron variant beginning to grow. The risks from COVID-19 remains acutely high for older and frail people which is concerning for residents in Aged Care.
We are proposing the following -
All visitors are responsible for
Where it can be arranged, we will offer outdoor visiting areas that will not require a visitor to wear a mask. In these instances social distancing should be maintained. We encourage residents to socialise outside of the home and we request everyone follows COVID safe measures by wearing masks where required, social distancing and hand hygiene.
If you are unvaccinated and visiting for an end-of-life reason, you will be asked to wear full PPE of gown, mask and gloves.
We wish everyone a happy and safe Easter and thank you for your understanding and support while we keep your loved ones and our employees well and comfortable.
Last update: 30 March 2022
Latest Government Directions
The Victorian Government has released their latest Care Facilities Directions outlining the way in which visits to aged care homes should be managed.
In an effort to support more families to remain connected and spend time together, Benetas will adopt the following from Monday 28 February:
If the Public Health Unit advice is that a home is closed to visitors due to an Exposure / Outbreak, then the above will not apply and we will follow the guidelines determined by the Public Health Units. Under these circumstances, we will continue to support visits for end-of-life care and for other exceptional reasons. Please discuss this with the Manager if this applies to you.
We welcome a more open approach to visiting and trust our community to work with us in protecting the health and happiness of our highly valued residents and employees.
Last update: 28 February 2022
Benetas supported the Australian Government’s rollout of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program for all aged care residents, employees and volunteers as a matter of priority. We can happily report that 100% of our Aged Care and Home care employees are fully vaccinated. In addition we are working with the Public Health Unit to deliver COVID-19 Vaccine boosters for all of our Aged Care Residents.
Benetas is taking every measure to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its residents, clients and employees and is committed to keeping the Benetas community informed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residential Aged Care
The Victorian Government released their latest Care Facilities Directions outlining the way in which visits to aged care facilities should be managed. These directions remain in place until 12 April 2022.
In an effort to support you to remain connected and see each other, Benetas will adopt the following from Monday 17 January:
Everyone entering our aged care facilities must continue to comply with the mandatory screening requirements such as checking in, proof of vaccination and infection prevention and control measures, etc.
If the Public Health Unit advice is that a home is closed to visitors due to an Exposure / Outbreak, then the above will not apply. Under these circumstances, we will continue to support visits for end-of-life care and for other exceptional reasons. Please discuss this with the Residence Manager if this applies to you.
We look forward to welcoming you back, please take care and be kind to each other, and if you have any questions please email covid19enquiries@benetas.com.au
Tours of Residential Aged Care
Tours of our residential homes are available, to arrange a time please send us a message or call 1300 23 63 82. We also invite you to try some of our ‘virtual tours’ which are available at each residential location page.
Home Care
We are continuing to provide essential care and support for older people living at home, albeit with more rigorous health, safety and hygiene protocols and practices in place. Please contact your local Home Care office for further information.
Respite
Respite services are open and taking bookings. Benetas offers a range of respite care covering day or overnight and short term stays to help you support your loved one. Respite care is also offered at our residential locations across Victoria.
Retirement Living
Ongoing infection and prevention control measures continue to be in place across the management of our retirement living village Dalkeith Heights. Please contact the Village directly for further information.
Health Care - Macedon Ranges Health
Services continue to operate from our centre. We have set up a range of solutions to support those who cannot or prefer not to visit the centre, including video or telehealth appointments. Please contact the centre directly for further information.
Benetas Board Director, Dr Michael Murray AM, is Director of Geriatric Medicine and his wife, Dr Mary O’Reilly, is Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Austin Health. In this video, they answer questions we’ve been receiving from employees, residents, clients and families about the COVID-19 vaccination program.
In their second video, Dr Michael Murray AM and Dr Mary O’Reilly address the concerns we have been hearing about the very slim potential side effect of blood clots after having the
Need to talk to someone?
Older Australians have access to a dedicated free call service to support the mental health of those affected by the spread of COVID-19. The phone line is staffed by advisers who can offer practical help and advice and is a partnership between OPAN, COTA and National Seniors Australia.
Call 1800 171 866 from Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm (except public holidays).
The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing, supported by Benetas, has also launched the Multilingual Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line.
The support line is funded by the Australian Department of Health, and is an Australia-wide initiative that provides in-language information and support associated with COVID-19, and referrals to appropriate services and programs for older Australians from culturally diverse backgrounds.
The support line is available in Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Italian, Mandarin and Vietnamese. All calls are free, 2:00pm - 5:00pm (Melbourne time) Monday to Fridays (except public holidays).
If you have any further questions or feedback please contact Covid19Enquiries@benetas.com.au.
The global impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have us all feeling uncertain, so there is no better time to share uplifting moments of support for our older loved ones and each other.
A message from our CEO, Sandra Hills OAM
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A letter to all Benetas employees from CEO, Sandra Hills OAM.
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