• Ensuring employees stay home if they are showing even the mildest of symptoms and get tested
• Asking participants, families and visitors to do the same
• Minimising employee movement across homes and services 
• Using a QR code for anyone to sign into our buildings, sites and homes.  You will have seen these in use – just point your phone camera at the code and follow instructions.
• Following NSW Health advice restricting visiting to our homes to essential only
• Investigating ways for people to stay connected with family and friends through the use of alternative digital media platforms

Localised NSW COVID-19 Outbreaks

Posted 23 July 2020

Dear Participants, Families and Guardians,

As you will be aware there has been an increase in diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in NSW recently. These are currently occurring in a number of locations across NSW, particularly in  South West Sydney.
 
We are all focused on reducing and stopping community transmission to contain the spread.
 
Our priority is the safety of our customers, participants, employees, families and the wider community. We continue to follow Government advice and Directives.
 
With this in mind NSW Health has released new Guidelines and requirements for Disability Service Providers.   Providers are required to make immediate changes to the way we operate until further notice to keep everyone safe.
 
These changes mean that all staff currently living or working in Liverpool, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Camden, Wingecarribee, and Wollondilly Local Government Areas (LGAs) MUST wear surgical masks at all times when in Ability Options’ Group homes or Day Programs.  We do not have employees who live in these LGA and work in our Day Programs.  Therefore these requirements currently affect our group homes at:
 

• Rossmore
• Ellis Lane and
• Catherine Fields

 
The requirements also mean that, unfortunately, family visits to loved ones in Rossmore, Ellis Lane and Catherine Fields Group homes will need to be restricted until further notice. If you require a visit to one of these Group Homes and feel your reason is essential, please contact one of our managers to discuss prior to attending.
 
In addition all visitors to Ability Options group homes in Sydney, Hunter and the Mid North Coast will be screened prior to access, to ensure they have not recently been in any of the COVID-19 ‘Sydney Hot Spots’ which can be found here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates
 
Ability Options provide supports to, and employs, a number of people with medical vulnerabilities across many of our group homes and Disability Services. We anticipate that NSW Health will continue to update this advice as we progress through the current COVID-19 outbreaks and community transmission and we will provide further updates as we receive them.
 
If you have any questions or concerns please contact us info@abilityoptions.org.au  for assistance. Thank you for your support during these challenging times.
 
Best wishes

Julia Squire
CEO Ability Options

Service Changes

____________________________________________________________________________

ABILITY OPTIONS response to COVID-19

• We support many people with suppressed or vulnerable immune systems
• Some of our services happen in group settings
• Participants support needs make social distancing harder to implement
• Participants may have multiple visitors in their home 
• Participants may not understand the risks and additional hygiene measures required
• Participants may be dependent on others for basic activities of daily living

We want you to be confident that we are planning and acting calmly. We have robust Emergency Plans which we updated recently and they are in place and operating well to ensure that everyone’s safety and the quality of our services are our priority. We are acting  responsibly our actions are consistent with government and medical advice. We are taking a cautious and careful approach and are planning now so that we are prepared as the situation is expected to worsen. 

We strongly recommend that you take the same advice regarding hand hygiene and social distancing. Please do not attend our sites, services or Group Homes if you are unwell or showing flu like symptoms including a sore throat, cough, fever or difficulty breathing or have recently returned from overseas. Please wash your hands thoroughly when you enter one of our sites.

What is Ability Options doing to create a safe environment? 

• We are further educating our employees on the importance of good hygiene and will increase our supervision in this regard.  
• Where possible, we have reduced overlap between our services – limiting where possible the possibility of employees moving between sites. This not only reduces transmission, but also ensures that if one of our sites is directed to close, we will still be able to provide support at other sites.
• We will continue to provide support in the community (unless advice changes).
• We will avoid any activities that place people in close and still proximity to others for extended periods such as clubs, movies or theatres this is in line with the government advice for Aged Care Providers. Where participants are particularly vulnerable we’ll speak to them and you about activities like shopping which are likely to be interactive but not static. We think that this event will go on for some time and we are conscious of the need for choice as far as the Government allows and the benefits of activity and social interaction.
• We will be implementing similar restrictions in our residential homes to those currently mandated in aged care facilities, these are:
  • ​making sure visits are kept short 
  • allowing no more than two visitors, including doctors, at a time 
  • making sure visits occur in a resident’s room, outdoors, or in a specific area they designate there should be no visiting in communal area
  • ensuring there are no large group visits or gatherings, including social activities or entertainment in the home
•  Employees who have returned from any overseas travel are  required to self-isolate for 14 days
• Employees or people we support displaying any symptoms of Coronavirus, are also required to stay away from work and can only return when they are medically cleared to do so 

• The national 24/7 hotline triages people with respiratory symptoms and those who are concerned about contact with a possible Coronavirus case. If you think you may be infected you can call the triage hotline on 1800 020 080.
• Suspected Coronavirus patients can present in person to a GP clinic, a dedicated respiratory clinic or to a hospital ED if they call ahead. Please notify us ASAP by contacting your key contact at Ability Options 1300 422 454

Telehealth Services Available

​Telehealth services will be available for people who: 

• are self-isolating according to medical advice
• have chronic health conditions or who are immunocompromised
• are parents with new babies 
• are pregnant.
• over 70 or are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and over 50
• People in isolation or quarantine for Coronavirus can see any eligible health provider through new telehealth items. 
• Patients in vulnerable groups can also see a health provider via telehealth for a non-Coronavirus matter if they have seen that provider face-to-face at least once in the previous 12 months. 

Full Fact Sheet can be found here:

https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-families-and-residents-on-restricted-visits-to-residential-aged-care-facilities.pdf

This includes information that providers will be encouraged to limit visits under national guidelines aimed at the prevention and control of coronavirus.

• As always, you should feel free to call your key contact person at Ability Options if you have any concerns about your family member or the service.  
• We will be continuing to monitor the information provided by the government to ensure the best response in keeping people safe and infection free.  
• We will be continuing to monitor the information provided by the government on the Department of Health website to ensure the best response in keeping people safe and infection free.

https://www.health.gov.au/
 
We need to acknowledge that at some point, this may mean that non-essential services may need to cease or be limited for a while. We are working on contingency planning to reduce the impact on our participants and employees. We will keep you informed and provide as much lead-time possible if this is looking likely.