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The health and safety of older Australians should be a priority this holiday season with families urged to keep in contact with those most in need – but to take appropriate precautions.
While restrictions have eased across Australia, providers and families living across the Northern Beaches and Penrith areas of Sydney must abide by the current visitation guidelines.
Until further notice all staff and visitors at residential facilities must wear a surgical mask.
Additionally, until at least Wednesday 30 December, all residential aged care facilities across the Northern Beaches LGA must exclude visitors, except those performing essential caring functions.
Up to two people are permitted to visit loved ones in residential aged care facilities in Greater Sydney including the local government areas of Central Coast and Wollongong.
The rule also applies for Greater Sydney residents visiting regional aged care facilities.

There are no restrictions on people from regional NSW visiting residents in regional facilities.
Updated advice for Residential Aged Care facilities and Home Care Service providers can be found here.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said aged care providers and families were required to follow the relevant visitation guidelines to ensure loved ones could maintain contact.
“We know where there is community transmission there is a serious risk of the virus spreading to aged care settings,” Minister Colbeck said.
“It is a difficult time for residents, families, providers and staff at facilities across this region but it’s vital we prioritise and protect our most vulnerable.
“Of course, we want families to maintain contact with their relatives in aged care, and a phone call or video call will mean a lot to those who can’t have visitors.
“Staff and management will continue to provide compassion and understanding, while also being a strong line of defence for those in their care from the coronavirus.”
Australian Government support for aged care providers in the Northern Beaches hotspot is already being provided, including asymptomatic testing, supplies of personal protective equipment as required, and workforce surge and support where needed.
A new three-tier escalation plan, backed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), outlines how providers can respond to the COVID-19 threat level in the local community and ramp the response up or down as needed.
The AHPPC guidelines outline visitation recommendations providers can put in place if they are in a defined hotspot with localised outbreaks of cases (Tier 2) and when there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in the community (Tier 3).
“Residents must be protected in the least restrictive manner and their health needs must be balanced with their personal wellbeing,” Minister Colbeck said.
Additionally, Minister Colbeck said the Industry Code for Visiting Residential Aged Care Homes during COVID-19, developed in conjunction with consumer peak bodies sets out a nationally consistent, principles-based approach to maintaining residents’ visitation and communication – the Government welcomes the latest version of the code.
In conjunction with the new visitation guidelines, it offers clarity for residents and families.
“It is an important time of the year for families to re-connect, particularly as we return to COVID-normal environments with the current exception of the Sydney hotspots,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The social distancing measures we have all adopted will protect our families.
“Don’t visit if you are unwell, practise good hand and cough hygiene, and follow the advice available from staff at the aged care facility.”
All aged care providers are urged to ensure their outbreak management plan is up to date and ready to be activated. They must also be alert to any staff or care recipients experiencing respiratory and flu like symptoms.
The Visitation Guidelines for Residential Aged Care can be found here.
The COVID-19 escalation tiers and aged care provider responses can be found here.
The Older Persons COVID Support Line can offer information and support to seniors who need assistance or are feeling worried and isolated. The line can be reached on free call 1800 171 866.
Mental health support is available to all Australians by calling Lifeline (13 11 14) or BeyondBlue (1800 512 348) and further resources are available on the Department of Health’s Head to Health website.

The Coalition Government is providing more than $100 million for regional, rural and remote pharmacies to better support their communities through an expansion to a critical regional pharmacy program.
Over 400 additional pharmacies will be eligible for the Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance (RPMA) program under changes announced today, with very remote pharmacies receiving significant additional funding to support the supply of medicines and healthcare in their community.
These changes will help ensure all Australians can access the medicines and pharmacy services they need, where and when they need them, and is a key outcome of the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement (7CPA) signed with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia in June 2020. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is also a Signatory to relevant parts of the Agreement.
Community pharmacies play a vital role in providing access to medicines and essential health services for the third of Australians who live in regional, rural and remote areas.
Our Government, through the RPMA, supports access to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines and pharmacy services for people in regional, rural and remote communities.
The Coalition is boosting its investment in the RPMA program from $16 million per year under the previous 6CPA to $21 million per year of the 7CPA through changes agreed to by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
The changes to the RPMA program will support more than 400 new pharmacies which will be eligible for the first time to participate from areas that were previously not eligible.
This will take the total number of pharmacies eligible for the RPMA to 1215 community pharmacies.
In addition, higher allowances will be available for up to 960 community pharmacies in rural, remote and very remote areas with low prescription volumes.
The RPMA program will transition to the Modified Monash Model of rural classification, from 1 January 2021, to align with other health workforce distribution programs.
Eligible pharmacies will receive between $3,000 to $51,328 per year under this expansion, depending on their remoteness classification and PBS prescription volumes.
The Government recognises the importance of maintaining the pharmacy network to provide a steady and reliable supply of medicines and other pharmacy services, in particular to people outside in the regions.
Community pharmacies stepped up to support their patients during 2020, and have kept their doors open during this year’s bushfires, drought, floods and COVID-19 pandemic.
All Australians benefit from equitable and sustainable access to effective medicines, including highly specialised, expensive and lifesaving medicines through the PBS.
Making sure all Australians have access to timely, safe and affordable medicines continues to be an Australian Government priority.
The RPMA is one of a range of pharmacy programs supported by a $1.2 billion investment in pharmacy programs under the 7CPA.
The overall investment in the 7CPA over the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2025 is expected to be $18.35 billion.
The Coalition Government has made approximately 2500 new and amended medicines listings on the PBS since 2013, at an overall investment of close to $12 billion.
Our Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.
George Tambassis, National President, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has welcomed the increased support for community pharmacy.
“The Pharmacy Guild of Australia welcomes this expansion of support for the vital work that community pharmacies in regional, rural and remote Australia perform every day.
“In many small towns across Australia, the local community pharmacy is the only health infrastructure, and it is imperative that appropriate support is given to enable those pharmacies to sustain their service to patients.”
“Direct contact with a health professional such as a community pharmacist is a benefit that all Australians should be able to have access to, wherever they live.”
“We thank the Government for agreeing to this increase in funding for the program, and we will support our Member pharmacies in making the transition to the new program,” Mr Tambassis said.

Regional Australia has done exceptionally well in managing the COVID-19 pandemic and we are in a great position going into next year thanks to our world class health workforce.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton said the rural workforce – including doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals – has continually risen to the challenges of COVID-19.
“I want to particularly thank the health workers who maintained essential services in rural and remote communities during a time of great uncertainty and under considerable pressure,” Minister Coulton said.
“For many, it meant additional time away from their families and making a personal sacrifice to ensure their communities and rural Australia more broadly remained safe.
“Australia’s rural health care workers have shouldered a great burden to deliver high quality care during this crisis for the benefit of all Australians.”
“The past year has thrown up many challenges, including drought, fires, floods and the pandemic which our health system has responded to and supported communities through.”
Minister Coulton said while there were currently small outbreaks, the Federal Government’s sustained response to the pandemic, in close cooperation with states and territories and health professionals, has been extremely successful in containing the virus.
“Our management of this crisis means our world class health system was not overwhelmed by the virus.
“Australia, particularly regional Australia, has fared extremely well in comparison to the rest of the world. All Australians have played their part in helping to stop the spread of this virus.
Minister Coulton said it was important to remain vigilant and COVID-safe over Christmas and beyond to help maintain our extraordinary success.
“While many are feeling tired at the end of a long, difficult year, we should spare a thought for those who will continue to provide vital health care over the holidays,” he said.
“I extend my thanks and acknowledge the many frontline health staff who will continue to work throughout the festive season to safeguard the health of all Australians, now and into the future.”

The Morrison Government is delivering on its commitment to improve the safety of button batteries with the introduction of new mandatory safety and information standards to help protect Australian children.
In Australia three children have died from injuries sustained as a result of swallowing a button battery, and since December 2017, there have been at least 44 individual cases where young children have suffered severe injuries following the ingestion or insertion of button batteries.
This equates to one child sustaining a serious button battery injury every month, with some of them sustaining lifelong injuries.
As button batteries are used in a wide range and variety of products found in people’s homes a comprehensive and broad solution is required.
This is why the new mandatory safety and information standards will require:

• secure battery compartments for consumer goods that contain button batteries, where the batteries are intended to be replaced, to prevent children from gaining access to the batteries;
• compliance testing of consumer goods that contain button batteries, whether or not the batteries are intended to be replaced, to demonstrate the battery is secure and cannot be easily released;
• child resistant packaging for button batteries, based on their risk profile, to prevent children from gaining access to the batteries; and
• warnings and information to alert consumers that a button battery is included with the product.

No other country in the world has been able to design and deliver risk based mandatory regulation that applies to all consumer products containing button batteries.
Today’s announcement is also a timely reminder in the lead up to Christmas of the dangers of button batteries and to remind parents to be alert to any that may exist in children’s presents this year.
I commend the work of the ACCC who have shared the Morrison Government’s concern about the safety surrounding the use of button batteries and have moved swiftly to reach today’s outcome.
The ACCC has undertaken extensive consultation in developing these new standards including with industry, health professionals, consumer advocates, retailers, suppliers and government.
It is important to note that the majority of stakeholders who made submissions supported new mandatory safety and information standards.
A transition period of 18 months has been provided to allow industry to implement any manufacturing and design changes to products and packaging and undertake any testing necessary to ensure compliance with the new mandatory safety and information standards.
Further information about the new standards is available on the Product Safety Australia website at: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/product-safety-laws/safety-standards-bans/mandatory-standards