The Australian Vietnamese Aged Care Services (AVACS) is committed to focus and made COVID-19 response as the top priority for the health, safety and well-beings of the residents and staff. AVACS would continue to make changes as the situation evolves and adhering to the NSW Health Directives for Management of Covid-19 in Residential Aged Care Facilities.
Step up of Infection prevention and control is central to the mitigation of risk of Covid-19 in the facility. Mandatory education, training, and personal protective equipment competency for all employees, guided by evidence-based principles. AVACS has self-initiated Covid-19 testing for all staff in May 2020 and August 2020 with negative result for all tests.
A COVID-19 Outbreak Management Plan is in place to ensure AVACS preparedness of the home to COVID-19 Pandemic. AVACS has ensured that there is a stockpile of mask, face shields, gowns, gloves, googles to meet ongoing demand.
Due to restriction with visitors to AVACS, various communication tools have been implemented to ensure that the residents are kept in communication with the families. These include skype, video via viber, teleconferencing and facetime. AVACS has introduced Window Visit, where the resident could see and speak to their family through intercom phones in Wing A Library, with the families visit in the outdoor covered porch area.