Aged care providers want to sit down with the federal government to build workable measures aimed at keeping vulnerable residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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A coalition of aged care peak bodies has requested a revised statement from the government confirming that, in some cases, additional restrictions beyond Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) guidance are necessary.
The Prime Minister has warned aged care providers that if they do not adhere to guidelines which allow two visitors a day, and went beyond them, they could face the introduction of a mandatory system to control this aspect of operations.
Aged and Community Services Australia chief executive officer Patricia Sparrow said rather than regulation, aged care providers would prefer to continue discussions with the government to revise guidelines, taking into account "providers' practical, on-the-ground, real experience".
In some cases, facilities have, after witnessing what has happened overseas and locally, made the difficult decision to go "a little bit harder" than the Commonwealth guidelines.
She said the overwhelming factor for providers going into "lockdown" is they believe it's the best way to limit the risk and therefore save lives.
"We know when it (COVID-19) comes in ... it's not a good outcome for anybody."
Lockdown, Ms Sparrow suspects, is not what people envisage.
"There really isn't a good term for it - some of the providers are calling it a 'preventative lockdown', which means they have asked families not to come in unless there is a particular reason (for example end of life, palliative care or resident or family distress).
"Residents are not locked in their rooms, there are activities occurring.
"Providers need more assistance but they've put a lot more effort into using technology to try and keep residents connected with their friends and families."
Jo Moreels' mother is one resident who is living in lockdown due to COVID-19 restrictions at a Wagga Wagga nursing home in NSW.
For Ms Moreels, this means she is unable to chat to her 92-year-old mum, except via video call or over the phone, and she misses the one-on-one contact.
"I haven't actually sat down with her, been face-to-face with her, since early March," she said.
"They aren't allowed out and we aren't allowed in but they still have their social distancing within their residence to go and play bingo or other activities ... "
Three weeks ago the facility introduced video messaging, but after a great start, Ms Moreels said she'd experienced mixed results and a few technical glitches.
"Now they are saying we can go to a section of the centre where they'll have a bay window set up, with a table and chairs on the inside and the outside ... and we can talk through a window with a grate on it.
"I can actually physically see her and hear her without talking on the phone."
It is also tough for residents.
"They've got these lovely garden areas. I'm thinking why couldn't we just, for a half-an-hour or so, let my mum sit out in the garden and I come into the car park and I sit in the garden with her, social distancing, of course, just to be that little closer to her?"
"I don't know how a lot of these other elderly people go - I know my mum is going mad so to speak."
When asked whether restrictions should be so onerous, Ms Moreels replied, "yes and no".
"I think they could be a bit more lax like, touchwood, we've been lucky that we haven't had anyone who's had the virus in the centre, whereas I know there has been a lot of other retirement homes that have.
"I can understand because if one person gets it they're all pretty much going to get it because of their vulnerability and their immune system being so low, but if we had something in place where I had my testing done and could prove I didn't have it, surely I could go and spend some time with mum.
"It's a Catch-22 and it is frustrating."
At the end of the day, she just misses seeing her mum.
"Before, I could go and see her, sit there and have a cuppa with her or watch some TV or try and get her into some sort of hobby ... drops some books in - just talk about everything and anything."
Feedback from providers, Ms Sparrow said, is that there is widespread community support of lockdown.
"Sure there are some people who are concerned and if they are concerned then they should be talking to their provider ... but in the vast majority of cases, and our members have been conducting surveys and consultation with families and residents, there is a lot of support."
Essentially, facilities are implementing measures the rest of the country are abiding by.
"That's part of the confusion, particularly for providers, they're saying if we're at home we're told not to go and visit our ageing parents," Ms Sparrow said.
While providers have been witnessing the impact of COVID-19 on Western Sydney's Newmarch House and other facilities, Ms Sparrow said many providers made the decision before that.
"It's been really hard for them - they don't want to keep people apart but they are saying we think that's the best way we can, given the real risk, get the best outcome.
"We are saying people can still do the visiting but we are asking people to use different means, like the rest us in the community.
"Can we Facetime, can we Skype? All of those things that we are doing to keep each other safe. It's no different really in residential care."
Ultimately, it's about keeping people safe.
"At the end of the day, the government and providers have the same goal - to keep older people safe, well and connected.
"We've just got a bit of a difference of opinion about how that's best achieved at the moment."
Ms Sparrow said they were keen to work through the process without that becoming about all about regulation while acknowledging that, in some instances, some providers may have gone too far.
She believes, however, it's a simple equation.
"It's fair to say, if you've got less people coming in, you've got less risk."
