Newsroom

Regis Care Partner Update: COVID-19 prevention and support

2 April 2020

Regis homes continue stringent access controls but continue to accept new residents between 12:30-3:30pm weekdays.

Thank you for your continued understanding and support as we manage this rapidly changing risk to our community.

Note there are no Regis residents or staff with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.

Resident Survey – Regis’ COVID-19 Response

Regis implemented stringent access controls two weeks ago to reduce the risk of COVID-19 being brought into our homes. Last week, we asked residents questions about the stringent access controls. The response was very positive:

Question Yes
Do you believe Regis’ stringent access controls (limited visitation) is the right decision? 90%
Since limited visitation was introduced, do you still feel safe and well supported in your home? 94%
Do you feel we have kept you informed throughout this period? 87%

There were 2849 responses to the survey across Regis’ 65 residential aged care homes in Australia. A number of our residents weren’t able to answer the questions due to their health or cognitive status.

Families, representatives and advocacy bodies have also provided feedback and the majority has been very supportive of restricting visitors.

New Residents

Regis continues to allow resident admissions, both permanent and respite into our homes and services. To protect our existing cohort of residents and employees, our preference is that all new residents are swabbed with 48 hours of admission.

If they have not been swabbed for COVID-19, we will continue to accept the admission, however we will place them in isolation by admitting them into a single room with a private en-suite, regardless of permanent room type selection, until such time that they receive a negative swab, or otherwise 14 days. Where there is no single room available, the resident can be admitted into a shared room where they are a single occupant with a private bathroom.

If the new resident is symptomatic of a respiratory illness and had not been swabbed for COVID-19, we are not in a position to accept this admission as we need to ensure the ongoing safety of our existing residents.

If the resident is coming to us from hospital and who is symptomatic of a respiratory illness, so long as they have been swabbed for both COVID-19 and Influenza we will accept the admission and manage their respiratory illness as per our standard processes.

Once the resident has cleared the period of isolation, based on the agreement between the resident and the Regis home, they will either stay in the room they originally moved into or move into a different room, however will be integrated into the Regis home community.

Additional Service Fees

During this period of strict access controls we recognise that some of the elements of Regis’ Additional Services offer are unable to be received by residents. We have reviewed the cost base of those services and can confirm that during this period the advertised fee will be reduced by 20% in case of Regis Club Services and 9% for Regis Reserve.

Admission Times

We are restricting admission times to between 12.30pm to 3.30pm Monday to Friday. Exceptional circumstances can be made for emergency admissions.

Tour Process

Instead of our usual tour process, we are offering phone conversations and virtual tours.

For further information

If you would like to discuss the above please contact:

  • The Facility Manager at our home directly
  • Brad Sandilands, National Business Development Manager on 0435 969 617
  • Our national admissions support centre (for advice or for your local Regis aged care home’s contact details) at advice@regis.com.au or call 1300 998 100

We appreciate your support during this challenging time for the community.

Health and Socialisation

During this time it is important that we do not allow physical distancing to become social isolation. Each resident has different needs and our teams are assessing these and putting in place individual plans for health and socialisation while the physical distancing requirements are in place.

Regis continues to look at ways to keep residents better connected with loved ones and health professionals during this unusual time.

To support health and social contact for residents and families, Regis is:

  • supporting consultations with health practitioners over a video or telephone call
  • providing extra technology such as iPads and Surface Go tablets
  • including different exercise routines and activities for residents inside the home or in the outdoor spaces
  • offering additional music, movies, games and conversations in safe physical environments and
  • encouraging more gardening, Music Memories, puzzles, trivia and seated yoga.

Our new Lifestyle Program is encouraging residents to continue to engage in safe, stimulating and engaging activities with across each of our 65 homes, while our Wellness Program has residents setting goals which we support each individual in working towards.

We have seen many wonderful examples of social connection over the past two weeks with residents enjoying the letters, emails, phone calls, videos and drawings coming from their loved ones and school children.

To see daily updates of our activities follow us on:

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Inside our Homes

Receiving the new electronic devices was exciting for our homes

Regis Maroochydore (QLD) residents laughing their way through old fashioned communication devices and Regis Kingswood (SA) residents dancing to music

Children from Tugulawa Early Education Centre provided this lovely painting and personalised letters for residents from Regis Bulimba (QLD)

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support.