Homes asked to appoint ‘Outbreak Coordinators’

The Commonwealth is asking facilities nationwide to nominate a staff member to be responsible for resident safety in the event of an outbreak.

All Commonwealth-funded residential aged care facilities will be asked to nominate a new ‘Outbreak Coordinator’.

The designated staff member will be responsible for resident safety when incidences of infectious diseases, such as the norovirus, are identified.

The Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot announced the new measure at the Australian Nursing Federation’s 2008 Aged Care Conference in Melbourne.

“Australia’s nursing homes and hostels and their staff provide world-class care and we can never wipe out infectious diseases, but we always look at new ways to reduce infection,” she said.

The ‘Outbreak Coordinator’ role is part of the same initiative that will see gastroenteritis awareness and prevention kits sent to facilities this month.

“These are very practical and commonsense kits,” Mrs Elliot said.

“Nursing homes residents are often very vulnerable and frail; that is why a gastro outbreak can be dangerous.

“This is about working together with nursing home staff and the whole aged care sector to protect vulnerable members of our society,” Mrs Elliot said.

The minister stressed that the Department of Health and Ageing’s gastro kits do not replace state and territory guidelines, but were designed to work alongside them.

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