http://stgeorgeagedcare.com.au/

St George Aged Care Centre, 3 Verdun Street, Bexley (2025)

11/12/2022

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the end of our involvement with St George Aged Care which has been owned and operated by our family since 1971.

We would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye and thank our wonderful staff, health professionals, suppliers and tradesmen for your years of loyal service and support you have given to our Residents.

We will miss you all.

06/05/2022

Thank you Greg for being such a valuable member of our team for the past 8 years 🥳

28/03/2022

Attention Relatives and Friends of St George Aged Care Centre

Since we were alerted to a possible exposure, we have swabbed all of the residents and there have been NO POSITIVES AND NO SYMPTOMS for the past five days. We have therefore passed the period of infection and with no positive transmission we are now able to allow visitors to come in again.

We will control all visits closely to reduce the risk of COVID entering the Home. Visits are limited to 11.30-5.30 timeframe and a limit of two only Monday to Sunday.

Please note the community risk of the new COVID strain is showing it is much more contagious and the infection rates are climbing again. If you have a cough, runny nose or headaches, or any other signs and symptoms of “flu” please do not visit. Get a RAT or better still get a PCR test which is much more reliable.

I also note that even after we have been through several outbreaks, I am still having to ask the occasional visitors to wear their masks correctly and throughout the visit. The risk of transmission is reduced significantly by simply wearing your mask correctly. It is a condition of entry and much needed to reduce risk for you loved ones. Your cooperation is essential.

VISITS - You will still need to make an appointment with the Administration clerks between the hours of 0800-1600 Monday to Friday on 05661400. Please note that those with appointments will be given preference to anyone who arrives without one. We will keep a list of all appointments for each day. If you want to make a series of appointments, you can also do this unless it stops others from visiting as well. Controlling the number of visitors at a time is consistent with reducing the risk. Visits must be held in outdoor areas when possible or in the Residents room.
Visitors are not permitted to visit in common areas such as the lounge/dining rooms.

All visitors will need to be fully vaccinated and show evidence of same on arrival as well as taking the RAT and showing a negative result after 15 minutes wait. Anyone who has had a negative PCR result within the timeframe of 72 hours does not need to have a RAT. Without these requirements you will not be allowed to visit until you can show you have been able to comply with the Commonwealth restrictions on visiting. (There is a copy on our front doors)

Kind regards

Raymond McIntosh
Facility Manager
St George Aged Care Centre

24/03/2022

To our families and Visitors to St George Aged Care Centre

Currently there is a serious increase in the COVID-19 virus latest, highly infectious strain in our community with almost 25,000 new cases and increasing hospitalisations. We have learned from the earlier community outbreaks that the duration of the primary impact can be as short as a month. During that period we are going to reduce the risks to our residents with the introduction of strict measures which are designed to minimise any risks.

We now have all residents triple vaccinated (with the exception of the same two who refuse but have since had COVID which may give them some immunity for a short period of six weeks).

We do not accept new residents who are not vaccinated. We do not allow visits from family who are not fully vaccinated.

All but four of our working staff who attend the Home are triple boosted currently. Those four who are not have arranged for the triple booster as they are not allowed to enter the facility after the April deadline as decreed by the Commonwealth and State Governments.

Vaccination reduces the risk and the effect of the virus IT DOES NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE IMMUNITY. Someone who is fully boosted with the three vaccinations can still become infected and spread the virus.

As a result of this information we have decided to stay ahead of the COVID virus and restrict visitors temporarily to those who have a family member who is on end of life pathway only. The visitor will be close family only. They will be in full gown, gloves, mask and face shield.

Routine visits will be suspended until further notice.

We will provide face time and phone calls from your loved ones with the help of our Lifestyle team.

Please understand this measure is to prevent in any way feasible the chance of another outbreak here. Your cooperation will be critical to the success of this action and if you have any suggestions or need for further information please don’t hesitate to call me during business hours on the 02 8566 1400 number or email/SMS as usual from previous events.

Kind regards

Raymond McIntosh
Facility Manager
St George Aged care Centre

09/02/2022

Residents and Relatives of St George Aged Care Centre

We are pleased to advise that there have been no further residents testing positive with COVID19. All infected residents have observations within normal range and are comfortable and those able to mobilise are certainly happier now they are able to leave their rooms.

Unless there are any further indications, we are hoping that we can allow visitors back to Cockatoo late next week. This will be subject to all infected residents obtaining medical clearance from their GP.

We are grateful for the care and support provided by our local Public Health Unit, the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, our local Primary Health Network, the Commonwealth Department of Health and the Geriatric Flying Squad who are working with us during this trying time.

We continue to be very grateful for our wonderful staff who continue to work tirelessly to support the residents. We couldn’t do this without them, and really appreciate their dedication and commitment.

Visitation to residents in Rosella, Kookaburra, Brolga and Lorikeet has now recommenced and it is wonderful to see residents reuniting with their families. A reminder that this is by appointment only, please contact Pele or Tupou during office hours to book your appointment. We do apologise if we are unable to accommodate you at your preferred time.

Until further notice all visitors must come to the main entrance on Verdun Street for RAT testing.

We rely on your honesty and remind you that we will not provide access if:
You have signs or symptoms of COVID19
You have been exposed to someone with COVID19 within the last 10 days
You have been overseas within the last 7 days
You are waiting for the results of a PCR test.

We are planning another COVID booster clinic onsite this coming Tuesday. If you have not already done so, please complete and return consent forms so we can ensure all residents have optimal protection. Many of the residents currently infected have already had their booster and as a result are only experiencing mild symptoms as a result. To date no-one with COVID19 has required hospitalisation and we hope that this will continue.

With kind regards

The Management Team
St George Aged care Centre

07/02/2022

Good afternoon Residents and Relatives of St George Aged Care Centre

We regret to advise that following a further PCR testing round, all residents of Cockatoo who had not been previously infected have now been tested as positive. Many have been asymptomatic, and their infection only identified through testing. We are continuing regular observation arounds and ongoing monitoring.

All residents of Lorikeet, Rosella and Brolga were also tested and whilst we are still waiting on three test results there have been no positive cases detected in the other areas of the home. Kookaburra was not tested as the majority of residents were positive in the past outbreak, so were considered at low risk of being reinfected.

We still have over 40 residents in the home who are yet to get their booster. It is of utmost urgency that they are given their booster as soon as possible. If you have NOT already done so please ensure you ensure we have consent so we can ensure all our residents have sufficient protection.

As Cockatoo residents are either infectious or have previously been infected, in consultation with the Public Health Unit we have reopened the unit so residents may move around within the confined space. This includes accessing the outdoor courtyard and will reduce the risk of social isolation. If anyone would like to make contact with their loved one in Cockatoo, our Lifestyle team can arrange a Facetime contact for a mutually convenient time. We will advise once visitation will be able to resume face to face, which will be dependent upon advice from the local Public Health Unit.

Visitation can resume to all other areas of the home, by prior appointment only. We ask for 24 hours minimum notice. Visitors must have a RAT which shows a negative result. All visitors must present at the front door for their RAT and will then be directed accordingly. No more than 2 visitors per resident and visits are restricted to one hour maximum. Wearing of PPE is required at all times. Removal of PPE during your visit will result in you being asked to leave immediately.

With kind regards

The Management Team
St George Aged care Centre

14/01/2022

Residents and Relatives of St George Aged Care Centre

Today has been a much better day for the Home. NO new cases of COVID since Monday. We have all of our staff available from next Wednesday and most are already back today.
All residents in the home are asymptomatic of COVID now. Three residents are very ill however after being sent back from Hospital and are being nursed here where they are well known by our staff and they are in their own beds again. Familiar nurses will look after them. For these residents there will be family visits strictly screened with full PPE and a RAT test prior top entry IF they are double vaccinated.

Cockatoo is now free of any active cases of COVID. Kookaburra still has active cases but all are showing no signs or symptoms. We have been able to call on St George Hospital Geriatric Flying Squad who have been magnificent again and attended with doctors and specialist nurses when required and they have compensated for the lack of doctors. Doctors cannot attend when we are in lockdown.

Hopefully over the weekend with all of our risk reducing measures in place, we will be able to come back Monday morning and have had 7 days since the last case. This could mean an early end to the lockdown but will depend on the Public Health Unit who give us directions.

We will have a Vaccination clinic on the 19 and 20 January and any resident who has a consent will be given another BOOSTER shot. As current thinking strands all residents who are eligible will get the third shot ASAP.

Raymond
Facility Manager
St George Aged Care

13/01/2022

Residents and Relatives of St George Aged Care Centre

Today was another better day in many respects, although we lost another valued member of our family we did not have any more positive cases.
We still have very sick residents, four of whom are still in Hospital. We expect them to return each day after reports from the Ward staff when contacted. It has been very difficult to contact the Hospital ward staff as they, like us, have had staff losses due to the Pandemic.
St George Hospital and Sutherland Hospital have been exceptional with the care and cooperation they have given us here at our Home. The nurses and doctors there have been communicating with us even under the intense pressure they are experiencing. The Ambulance and Paramedics have been incredible attending when no one else could – thank you.

Our thoughts and sympathy goes out to the two residents we have lost during the virus increases since Christmas. We ended our pre-Christmas Lockdown and allowed visitors in and residents out on leave on advice and some three days later on Boxing Day had our first serious COVID infection. From that initial infection of one the numbers grew to the highest peak of thirty-six residents and 34 staff. After being isolated since the 26/12/21 for 14 days and then testing negative twice we were able to de-isolate some residents and a significant number of staff. With those returning staff we were then able to give days off to those care staff who had worked continuously through the period from Boxing Day. Exhausted and emotionally spent these staff were able to stay home and care for their families and loved ones.

We are working very hard to reduce the risk of further infection and will continue to test everyone each day and insist on wearing the PPE that protects our Home. If before there was an attitude of “it’ll be right” it has now stopped. We will closely supervise all visits and expect the voluntary adherence to these small restrictions for the sake of our Residents. Please cooperate – ITS IMPORTANT!

We have not had any Doctors able to attend since Boxing Day but the Geriatric Flying Squad compensated for this and attended when we most needed them – Thank you to the Nurses and doctors who make up the GFS team from St George.

DON’T FORGET THE 19 & 20 January next Wednesday and Thursday from 0830-1600 the VACCINATION CLINIC WILL VISIT. This won’t happen twice so this is the only opportunity you have to receive a BOOSTER or routine vaccination here for free and with the convenience of location and lack of crowds. Please support us to try and reduce the danger of this COVID virus.

Raymond McIntosh
Facility Manager

07/01/2022

To our hardworking staff who have sacrificed so much and invested in the care of the residents so willingly. We want to thank you for efforts above and beyond – YOU’RE FABULOUS!
The St George Team

07/01/2022

Residents and Relatives of St George Aged Care Centre

As of 9am today we regret to advise that we now have 30 residents who have tested positive although not all have been confirmed by PCR.
We will today be swabbing with PCR residents in the affected units following the recommendations of the Public Health Unit.
Two infected residents have been taken to hospital; one on New Year’s Day, the latest yesterday. Both have been reported as in stable condition this morning.
All residents are being closely monitored and are observed to be comfortable and the majority symptom free.
We are in frequent contact with the Public Health Unit, providing updates as circumstances change and providing reports to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on a daily basis.

We have 33 staff who are off work as either positive or close contacts from a family member.
Many of the staff who were positive back in late December are now returning to work as per the Public Health assessment for critical health staff. Many Hospitals and Nursing Homes are in the same situation we are in- critically short staffed- and the need for adequate staff is essential. Although our staff have been filling vacancies with working extra hours and extra shifts it catches up rest/Days off is the only cure.
We have been so blessed with the loyalty and responsibility of our staff who have often put their own family on hold for the care of the residents.

After today’s swabbing we will get results and then have a further meeting with the Outbreak Management Team, which includes the Public Health Unit, the Commonwealth and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. They will then decide what action to take and when we may be able to end the lockdown.

Sincerely
Raymond McIntosh
Facility Manager

06/01/2022

Attention Residents and Relatives of St George Aged Care Centre

We are starting to see some light at the end of our tunnel. We are now able to bring COVID infected staff back to work who are asymptomatic and feeling well after 7 days if they wear PPE continuously for three days and show no further signs or symptoms of COVID. Alternatively if staff are not feeling well then they isolate for another three days and must be symptom free before they can return to work.
WE WILL TEST ALL STAFF RETURNS CAUTIOUSLY BEFORE WE ACCEPT THEM BACK and will continue our current protocol of requiring all to take a RAT which returns a negative result before allowing entry to the home. This protocol has been effective in identifying people who were positive but did not have symptoms so we could ensure that they were required to get further testing and not return without the proper clearances.

All positive residents have good signs and symptoms, pain free and comfortable as normal. Eating and drinking well with activities from the Lifestyle and Physiotherapy staff being provided on a one to two basis room by room. We are collecting our weights yesterday and today after increasing the frequency. We will do all residents weights weekly until we are satisfied they are all receiving adequate nutrition.

The staff who have soldiered on throughout with long shifts and many consecutive days straight are champions. They are well drilled in the protocols and practice of caring for infectious residents and how to reduce the risk to unaffected residents.

Unlike the previous four outbreaks we have had where we contained the transmission from the first case and had no further infection, this time the virus has been incredibly infectious. The community at large are becoming infected at an alarming rate – 35000 out of 100,000 tested yesterday. This outbreak has seen many more transmissions from inside the home after our first cases were introduced from outside. Once we had become aware of a first potential contact from an infected person we instituted an immediate lockdown and sought advice from the Public Health Unit. Following consultations we recommenced allowing visits from families and also residents were able to go out to the homes of families for Christmas. We subsequently had several infections and these quickly increased despite us implementing our Outbreak Management Plan in response to the notification of the initial infection. We responded as we did in the earlier outbreaks with Lockdown of the home (our initiative), isolation of the entire unit effected (our initiative), we tested every resident in the Home (our initiative), we notified the Public Health Unit and the Commonwealth Health units.

The overwhelming Pandemic effects on our City meant that the usual supports available were not. We essentially managed the events ourselves and implemented all of the responses. The outcomes are that the residents have not been sent to hospital due to COVID, no one is seriously ill and soon we expect to be able to reduce the restrictions we have in place. We attribute this response to the fact that the majority of our residents have been fully vaccinated.

Vaccinations were due after 6 months since last May (November). After a meeting with the Outbreak Management Team yesterday (comprising representatives from all of the essential service responders from NSW and the Commonwealth), we are on track for a round of swabbing of the Kookaburra, Brolga and Cockatoo residents. We have also been told we will get vaccinations of booster soon.
There has been no infection in Rosella or Lorikeet. Today is the 12th day of the outbreak but our last positive case was just yesterday.

I want to thank all of the families who after receiving our communications have been so positive and supportive. Truly the nice messages we received were heart-warming and were all passed on to the staff who really appreciated that you cared – thank you. It was so lifting for us all.

Raymond

26/12/2021

COVID Update

During routine testing of residents on Sunday 26 December, 5 residents in Kookaburra returned a positive COVID-19 rapid antigen test.

We immediately implemented our outbreak management plan and advised the PHU.

Until further notice our home is regrettably once again in isolation from families and friends wishing to visit.

Please be assured that the management and staff are doing everything in our means to look after your loved ones.

St George Aged Care Centre

11/12/2022

06/05/2022

28/03/2022

24/03/2022

09/02/2022

07/02/2022

14/01/2022

13/01/2022

07/01/2022

07/01/2022

06/01/2022

26/12/2021

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