Update #88
2 February 2022
Dear Residents and Family members,
WOW …we have had such a wonderful response from many families and our residents to the good news announced yesterday. Already the excursion forms are coming in thick and fast.
As we have confirmation from the Public Health Unit that we can resume a modified visitation arrangement for the residents of Honeysuckle, The Hill, Nobbys, BlueGum and Jacaranda, I trust everyone will be patient as those measures are opened up.
Our resident in Jacaranda who has Covid remains in their room and is attended to by staff in full PPE, who don and doff as appropriate before entering the room.
Sadly, as we still have active cases in the suburb of Waratah, we are not able to resume general visiting for this suburb as it will remain in lockdown until such time as residents who are infected with Covid recover. Some good news for Waratah residents as no new cases were detected today after Rapid Antigen Testing on eligible residents was carried out. Further testing as per the PHU is scheduled for 8th February.
Also I am pleased to advise no new staff infections have been detected as we continue with our daily testing regime .
Effective Thursday 3 February, our visitation arrangements for residents who reside in the suburbs, as per above will be as follows.
- Visits will be outside in designated areas, unless this is not practical for the resident. Families will be advised in advance if the visit will be in the resident’s rooms. Please bring appropriate protection for the weather
- Residents can have 2 fully vaccinated visitors (aged 12 years and older) in a 24 hour period, Monday to Friday by appointment only. If appointments are available, residents may have 1 visitor in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, however as our aim is for every resident to have a visit ASAP, we ask that you book only 1 visit for the first week or two until every resident has had the opportunity for a visit.
- All visitors are to provide a negative Rapid Antigen Test result. We have RAT tests available to purchase for $15 each if you are not able to access kits in the community.
- Visiting times are Monday to Friday from 9-4pm. If you work and are not able to visit during this time, please ring Reception to discuss and we will do our best to accommodate you.
- There is to be no congregating away from the designated areas in the car park.
- A surgical mask that covers the nose and mouth are to be worn at all times.
- There is to be no drinking or eating at the visit because this will mean taking off your mask.
- Bookings for visits can be made via Reception on (02) 4935 0300 during business hours or by email enquiries@maroba.com.au.
In addition, residents, excluding the residents of Waratah and our Covid positive resident in Jacaranda, will be able to leave the facility during the week to visit you at home. We understand that residents will be itching to leave the facility and explore the area, however we ask that you do not take your loved one to a communal venue ie. coffee shop or shopping mall, where there is a risk of contracting the virus and keep the numbers at home to a minimum. The community is still on tenterhooks with Covid especially with school re-opening. The virus in all its variants is still circulating in the community and we have come so far. Maroba does not wish to go into lockdown again so we place our trust in our families as we do our staff, to help keep us all safe whilst out in the community. Having said that, we realise this virus is highly contagious. If your loved one has been in contact with someone who has since developed covid like symptoms, please let us know.
NB: The NSW Health protocol requires us to carry out a testing regime post outings so that we can monitor your loved one for Covid -19.
If you wish to take your loved one out of Maroba for a Covid safe visit, please complete the Day Excursion form and submit at least 48 hours prior to the excursion. We also require those present at the visit to undergo RAT testing just as if you were visiting at Maroba. This is not only for the benefit of your loved one but for the sake of the resident population that they will return to. Given the numbers who plan to go out, we request that you allow time for residents to be made ready as we can’t always predict how each day will flow. Patience will be the currency of the day! Please copy and paste the following into your browser to complete the excursion form.
https://www.maroba.com.au/external-day-excursions-risk-assessment-form/
Everyone is excited that next week the hairdresser will re-open as will the gymnasium in a covid safe manner. ie individuals will attend the areas separately or will go in groups of 1 or 2 from the same suburb groups. Bus trips will re-commence, and residents will leave the facility for trips in their suburbs. Whilst we are not encouraging or arranging large group activities, friends from other suburbs will be able to meet and mix in The Junction Café in small groups.
As always, if the health of your loved one changes an RN will contact the family member who is the person responsible.
The Family Liaison team will continue to contact the family members daily of loved ones affected by Covid. We certainly hope that our residents continue to recover in the Waratah suburb so we can also resume visitation for those residents.
All staff continue to take a Rapid Antigen Test prior to commencing shift as well as wear an N95 mask and eyewear or other PPE as necessary. Administration staff will continue in surgical masks and eyewear.
I want to give a big shout out to the Public health Unit and our Local Health District who have given us every support to help us get to the other side of what has been a very challenging time for the entire Maroba Community. They have listened to us and have worked with us to get the best of a whole of site lockdown according to the building designs and capacity of the Maroba team.
Once again I commend every staff member to you as an absolute champion as they haven’t given up even under the most trying of circumstances I am very proud of everyone as they served your loved ones and each other.
And I will finish by thanking YOU our Maroba Community for supporting us with messages of encouragement and at times surprise treats to tickle our tummies. It has meant so much to everyone and reminds me again …we are all in this together!
We look forward once again to welcoming everyone back to Maroba.
Yours sincerely,
Viv Allanson
CEO
Maroba