Page up to date: 19/02/2021
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as Anglicare continues implementing a range of restrictions to help minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19.
We continue to screen visitors across all of our sites and we will exclude from all Anglicare sites anyone who:
Please visit the NSW COVID-19 website for updates about areas of active community transmission.
Following advice from NSW Health, all Anglicare homes are open to visitors.
To assist with screening visitors and to maintain social distancing requirements, all visits must be pre-booked using Anglicare’s online booking system.
Click here for more information about restrictions to residential aged care homes.
Following advice from NSW Health on 1 February 2021, all Anglicare homes are open to all visitors.
For all homes open to visitation, NSW Health has provided the following advice:
Please continue to monitor the NSW Health website for the latest COVID-19 hotspot locations.
The full advice from NSW Health for residential aged care facilities is available at: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/racf-latest-advice.aspx.
To assist with screening visitors and to maintain social distancing requirements, all visits must be pre-booked using Anglicare’s online booking system.
The Federal Government has advised that COVID-19 vaccinations for residents of aged care homes will commence from Monday 22 February. We are yet to be advised of the dates for each of our homes. We are providing vaccination consent forms to residents and to people responsible for signing on behalf of residents. Visit the Australian Department of Health website for more information about COVID-19 vaccines for aged care providers, workers and residents.
To get answers to the most common questions asked by spouses / visitors of residential homes closed due to COVID-19 view our FAQs page.
Residents of homes outside of the identified LGA’s of concern are able to leave the care home if:
To ensure the health of safety of the residents, a risk assessment is to be completed for each resident prior to departure. Depending on the risk assessment, additional protections may be required when they return to the home, such as wearing a mask to full quarantine. This is to ensure the health and safety of all residents and staff in the home.
We will continue to work closely with the Public Health Units and will be monitoring the latest updates from NSW Health so we can respond quickly and appropriately to changing advice. We will keep residents and families updated as soon as possible of any changes to this situation.
We thank families for your flexibility and cooperation as we work together to manage these changes. If you have any questions, please speak to your Residential Manager, email us at coronavirus.updates@anglicare.org.au or call on 1300 111 278.
We encourage all retirement living and housing residents across our Villages to be aware of the risks of COVID-19. We also work closely with them to ensure they understand and follow Public Health Orders and advice and cooperate with our COVID-19 Prevention and Management Procedures.
In line with latest government recommendations we have adjusted services as follows:
We encourage you to call your Anglicare contact to discuss your personal situation.
Community Services offices are providing the following limited face-to-face services at this time:
We continue to provide as much chaplaincy and pastoral support as we can while ensuring the safety of clients and Anglicare staff. Where face-to-face support is restricted our chaplains and pastoral carers are ministering via Skype and by phone. Staff who minister at non-Anglicare sites (including hospitals and prisons) follow the relevant procedures and precautions applicable to their place of ministry.
On Monday 15 June, NSW Health declared the COVID-19 outbreak at Newmarch House over.
The two months following the initial outbreak on Sunday 12 April, were some of the most challenging in Anglicare’s 170-year history. This challenge brought with it significant grief and loss. A total of 37 residents and 34 staff tested positive for COVID-19. Devastatingly, 19 of these residents lost their life during the outbreak. They were all much loved members of our Newmarch House community.
The scale of the outbreak meant that Anglicare had to rely heavily on government and agency support. We are grateful for the assistance we received, in particular from the specialist team from Nepean Blue Mountains Health who worked with us to care for our COVID-positive residents.
As an organisation we have learnt a great deal and we will continue to implement strategies and procedures to build our resilience and expertise. While the outbreak is now over, the virus remains active within the community. Anglicare is remaining vigilant in screening and infection control at Newmarch House, and across all our other aged care homes.
If you have any questions, please contact Coronavirus.updates@anglicare.org.au
For the latest information about COVID-19, refer to the Australian Department of Health and the NSW Department of Health.
COVID-19: What Anglicare is doing to protect residents, clients, staff and volunteers
World Health Organisation Handwash, Handrub Guide
Coronavirus (COVID-19): What you need to know
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Know the signs
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Home isolation guidance for close contacts and recently returned travellers
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Returning to your community
