Important information about IRT Peakhurst Aged Care Centre

6 December 2022

Dear family member/resident representative,

Thank you for your support and patience as we manage the risk of COVID-19 at your loved one’s aged care centre.

Since writing to you last week, I’m pleased to report that all PCR tests conducted over the weekend and yesterday for residents at your loved one’s aged care centre who have not tested positive to COVID-19 returned a negative result.

We are currently caring for three residents with COVID-19 at the care centre. These residents are experiencing very few symptoms and have finished their course of anti-viral medication.

In pleasing news, over the past few days 12 of our residents have reached their full recovery criteria and are now free of the virus. These residents are now free to move around the care centre, but will continue to receive their meals in their rooms while our COVID-positive residents remain in isolation.  

Visiting arrangements

Visiting arrangements remain unchanged at this time.

If you have plans to visit your loved one in the coming days, you are strongly encouraged to postpone any plans to visit at this time. However if you do continue with your plans to visit, please assist the care centre by complying with the following:

  • No children under the age of 12 years are permitted to visit.
  • All visitors are asked to complete their own rapid antigen test at home or on arrival at the centre and provide proof of the negative result (photo or actual).
  • If a visitor is unable to complete their own rapid antigen test they will need to make an appointment at the care centre for the test to be conducted by staff prior to entry. Contact numbers for staff to assist are displayed at the self-serve rapid antigen testing stations.
  • Unless, as above, assistance is required with rapid antigen testing on entry appointments for visits are no longer required.
  • All visitors are to complete the wellness questionnaire on arrival. This includes confirmation that they have had at least 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and the 2022 influenza vaccine. Please do not visit your loved one until you have attended reception for screening.
  • All visitors must wear surgical masks when visiting a resident in their room or a P2/N95 mask if visiting a resident in common areas (in this case, the Care Centre will provide visitors with the P2/N95 mask).
  • No cloth masks are permitted.

Please do not visit your loved one if you are experiencing any symptoms or are feeling unwell, even if the symptoms are mild. Even if you have a negative COVID-19 result you may still have influenza or another virus which is highly contagious.

If you have any questions, please contact your Care Manager.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Yours sincerely,

Nia Briguglio
EGM – Aged Care Centres