ACSQHC Update - Precautions for aged care homes

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed a number of resources to assist healthcare organisations, facilities and clinicians including PPE use for aged care staff caring for residents with or suspected of having COVID-19. The Australian Government Infection Control Expert

Group provides guidance regarding use of particulate respirators (e.g. P2/N95) and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in circumstances where the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is assessed as high.

This recently updated poster includes easy to follow instructions for aged care workers on how to put on and remove PPE (including gowns, P2/N95 respirators, protective eyewear and gloves) when they are caring for residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. It also includes instructions on how to fit check P2/N95 respirators.

Source: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/

Note the section highlighted in red 

Important -To protect yourself and your family and friends, when your shift finishes, change into clean clothes at work if possible and put your work clothes in a plastic bag. Go straight home, shower immediately and wash all of your work clothes, and the clothes you wore home.

Other COVID-19 resources are available including visitor restrictions posters, and general information to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. FAQs for clinicians and consumers on elective surgery as well as the latest information on mask wearing in multiple languages.

NSW Health Report - Vaccination among COVID-19 cases in the NSW Delta outbreak

 The NSW Health in focus report, Vaccination among COVID-19 cases in the NSW Delta outbreak Reporting period: 16 June to 7 October 2021  describes the vaccination status of locally acquired cases of COVID-19 with reported onset of infection with the dates mentioned.

Of 61,800 COVID-19 cases, the vast majority were unvaccinated; 6.1% of cases had two doses of vaccine, 9.2% had one dose, 63.1% reported having no vaccine. The proportion of those who were vaccinated increased with the age of the patients. This could be a reflection of the way that the role out was conducted in that the older people were eligible earlier.

8,660 cases were hospitalised, 1,015 admitted to ICU and 412 died with COVID-19. Of these, 493 of the hospitalised, 30 of those admitted to ICU and 47 of those who died had received two doses of vaccine. Of the 47 cases who died with COVID-19 having received two doses of vaccine, their average age was 82 years; 29 (61.7%) were residents of aged care facilities and the other 18 had significant comorbidities. Of the 30 admitted to ICU, 26 (86.7%) had significant co-morbidities and 4 had no reported comorbid conditions. 

Source: Vaccination among COVID-19 cases in the NSW Delta outbreak Reporting period: 16 June to 7 October 2021 health.nsw.gov.au

In the peak fortnight of the outbreak (25 August to 7 September), the COVID-19 case rate among 2-dose vaccinated people was 49.5 per 100,000 while in unvaccinated people it was 561 per 100,000, a more than 10 times more. The rates of COVID-19 ICU admissions or deaths peaked in the fortnight 8 September to 21 September at 0.9 per 100,000 in 2-dose vaccinated people compared to 15.6 per 100,000 in unvaccinated people, a more than 16-fold difference.

The effect of the vaccine proved greatest against serious disease, but vaccination also protected against infection. Protection seemed greater in younger compared to older people. In the fortnight 8-21 September, the rates of infection in the 2-dose vaccinated population compared to the unvaccinated population was 21 versus 488 per 100,000 in those aged 12-19 years and 61 versus 193 per 100,000 in those aged 80+ years. 

Throughout the NSW outbreak, across all ages, people who have received 2 doses of vaccine have significantly lower rates of COVID-19 and severe COVID-19 than unvaccinated people. But, vaccination does not completely protect people from infection and the other recommended public health measures should continue to be followed. 

These facts might help clinicians convince those who are still unsure to get vaccinated. Download the full report using the link above.

Mental Health Literacy Development

The Health literacy development program, developed with the Mental Health Commission of New South Wales, offers digital resources to help organisations improve mental health literacy responsiveness.

Mental health literacy responsiveness is the provision of services, programs, information and support in ways that promote equal access and engagement for all members of the community. Mental health literacy responsive organisations and services are those that meet the many and varied mental health literacy strengths, needs and preferences of all people; and support individuals with lived experience, their families and kinship groups, and wider communities to make decisions regarding their health and wellbeing. 

Source: blog.f1000.com

The resources are available to any health and social care organisation that is providing services to members of the community, including.

• Primary Health Networks
• Community manage organisations
• Local Health Districts
• Other care workers, health administrators, academics and community members

The resources are designed to be used together or individually as part of educational programs or by services as part of quality improvement activities. They are inter-related so you can select and match resources depending on your needs.

Go through each tab and explore. I don't find the site at all intuitive nor do the tab / section names really explain what they are. There are some moving video stories and well as downloadable resources and fact sheets. Special mention goes to the "Let's learn from research" section. These stories can be used to generate ideas for quality improvement activities.

The "Take actions to respond to communities" section shows 11 action areas, while the "Resources for action" section provides the tools you need to get the action started. Resources include complete toolkits for training and refreshers for staff involved at every stage of a person's journey; facilitator guides to run workshops complete with training videos and slides.

Check out these resources today!