New COVID visitation guidelines have been developed for aged care homes.
The new three-tiered model tells providers how to respond to the COVID-19 threat level in their community and outlines how they can ramp the response up and down as needed.
Aged Care Minister, Senator Richard Colbeck said the new adjusted guidelines are aimed at better protecting senior Australians and those who care for them.
The three-tiered escalation plan, backed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), still recommends restrictions on people who have just returned from overseas or have been in contact with a confirmed case, people who are sick, those who require isolation or quarantine and people who haven't had the flu jab.
Senator Colbeck said the restrictions which remained were common sense measures.
"Visitors will also need to maintain personal hygiene, and social distance. By taking these basic precautions, we keep senior Australians in aged care physically safe while they spend time with their family, friends and loved ones, or receive care from doctors or allied health workers."
Where there is no community transmission or locally acquired cases (Tier 1) fewer restrictions on visitors, excursions, small gatherings and outdoor exercise are advised.
The AHPPC guidelines also outline visitation recommendations aged care 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).
The Older Persons' Advocacy Network says the new code recognises the importance of continued visits.
"Residents must have the right to have visitors and we need to find ways to enable Australians in aged care to connect with their families and friends safely," the group says.
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