18th December 2023
Please see below for an update on our latest COVID outbreak.
11th December 2023
04th December 2023
The COVID-19 outbreak at Sunnyside House is now over. Please see below for further details.
30th November 2023
Please see below for the latest update to our current COVID-19 outbreak.
27th November 2023
Sunnyside House is currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. We ask that all visits and outings are postponed for this week. Please see our CEO’s letter below for further info.
24th October 2023
Sunnyside’s Annual General Meeting is coming up next month. We hope to see you there!
26th May, 2023
Please see the updated information about our COVID-19 cases below.
22nd May, 2023
Please see the updated information about our COVID-19 cases below.
19th May, 2023
24th March, 2023
Visiting Hours
Visiting Conditions
Visitors must have a current flu vaccination and a negative RAT (Rapid Antigen Test) to enter Sunnyside House.
Limit of two adults and one child (or one adult and two children) at any one time.
Visitors over the age of 12 must wear a mask at all times.
Visitors to access Resident’s room and outdoor garden areas only.
We provide masks and RATs for visitors to use.
Resident Outings
22nd March, 2023
We have a current Covid-19 outbreak at Sunnyside House and are limiting visitors at this time.
6th January, 2022
Due to the prevalence of positive COVID cases in Cobden and Camperdown (and Victoria), we are sorry to advise visiting opportunities and resident outings will be suspended until further notice.14th October, 2021
Sunnyside will continue to support our residents’ wellbeing and visitors will be welcomed for:
- One visit per resident per day
- Maximum of two (2) people for that visit (families/friends to arrange between themselves)
- Bookings for visits not required
- Visitors MUST provide evidence of:
- Current flu (2021) vaccination certificate (paper copy) or emailed
- COVID-19 fully vaccinated certificate (paper copy) or emailed
- Resident outings are now available via our booking system, however, they must follow the same public health orders as everyone else e.g. not allowed to visit anyone in their home, need to physically distance, sanitising, wear a mask indoors and outdoors etc. All bookings continue to be made via reception on 5593 1263, Monday-Fridays 9.30am – 12:30pm. Onsite visits and outings are available between 9.30am and 4.00pm weekdays and 10.30am and 4.00pm on weekends and public holidays
- Public health orders must still be followed
- Strong reminder – visitors must be vigilant in checking exposure sites prior to entry – if uncertain, please check with staff member when screening
4 August, 2021
Sunnyside has reviewed visiting opportunities and to support our residents’ wellbeing, visitors will be welcomed from Wednesday, 4th August 2021 for:
➡️ One visit per resident per day
➡️ Maximum of two people for that visit (families/friends to arrange between themselves)
➡️ Maximum duration of 1 hour
➡️ Bookings for visits not required
➡️ Bookings for resident outings must be made 24 hours in advance (see details below)
Please call reception for bookings on ☎ 55931263 between 09:30am – 12:30pm Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays).
Visiting hours are strictly:
Monday-Friday between 09:30am – 12:00noon and 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Weekends & Public Holidays between 10:30am – 12:00noon and 1:30pm – 4:00pm
⛔️ Proof of 2021 flu vaccine required before entry
⛔️ Please note all visitors will be screened and no one from a current exposure site (Tier 1 – Tier 3) will be permitted on site. Please go to the below website to check before visiting each day.
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
21 July, 2021
Bookings for Messenger can be made with reception on 
5593 1263 between 09:30am – 12:30pm Monday to Friday. Half hourly appointments with residents through Messenger are available daily from 10:30am – 12:00 midday and 1:30pm – 3:00pm.25 June, 2021
Visitors are allowed in Sunnyside House in line with the following requirements:
- A maximum of two visitors for each resident at one time (These can be from different households)
- There is no time limit on visits
- A group may exceed the “two visitors at a time” rule if dependents of a visitor are in the group and care for the dependents cannot be arranged
- There is a maximum of five visitors per resident per day, including dependents. This daily maximum does not apply to end of life visits
- Face mark required indoors at all times (workers & visitors) and outdoor where a distance of 1.5m cannot be maintained
- Screening questions apply
- QR code to be used
- Please visit website before you visit (https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites) to confirm you have not visited a known exposure site
Visiting times remain as follows:
Visiting times (bookings prior to the visit are not required)
Monday – Friday 9:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Weekends and public holidays 10:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Outings for residents – Collection and drop off times (bookings required. Bookings to be made to reception on 5593 1263 between 09:30 – 12:00 Monday – Friday, minimum least 24 hours prior to the outing; bookings for weekends must be made by the preceding Friday).
Monday – Friday 9:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Weekends and public holidays 10:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
4 June, 2021
28 May, 2021
Bookings for Messenger can be made with reception on 5593 1263 between 09:30am – 12:30pm Monday to Friday. Half hourly appointments with residents through Messenger are available daily from 10:30am – 12:00 midday and 1:30pm – 4:00pm.Reminders
- All visitors to Sunnyside must provide a written confirmation stating you have received the 2021 flu vaccine
- All professionals/contractors must also provide a current police certificate before entering Sunnyside
27 February, 2021
Visiting times (bookings prior to the visit are not required)
Monday – Friday 9:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Weekends and public holidays 10:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Outings for residents – Collection and drop off times (bookings required. Bookings to be made to reception on 5593 1263 between 09:30 – 12:00 Monday – Friday, minimum least 24 hours prior to the outing; bookings for weekends must be made by the preceding Friday).
Monday – Friday 9:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Weekends and public holidays 10:30am – 12:00 midday 1:30pm – 4:00pm
- Visitors are LIMITED to 2 adults & 1 child OR 1 adult & 3 children at any one time
- All visitors MUST wear mask correctly at all times (under 12yo exempt)
- Visitors are NOT attend communal areas, toilets, kitchenette, lounge etc. (can take resident into gardens if socially distanced from others)
- Visitors no longer required to be from the same household
17 February, 2021
On-site visits were ceased following the mandatory government requirements from 11:59 pm, Friday 12 February 2021, until 11:59 pm Wednesday 17 February, 2021.
On-site visiting (from 17 February, 2021)
On-site visits can take place unless:
- You are from a designated “hot spot”
- You reside in Regional Victoria and your Local Government Area (LGA) has five (5) or more active cases
- If there is an active case in the Corangamite Shire, on-site visits will be paused until zero active case are reported (should this occur, only ‘over the fence’ or messenger appointments will be offered)
- There are changes to the visitor opportunities according to DHHS or DOH, of which you will be notified as soon as possible.
Three-day Auckland lockdown
- On Sunday 14 February, the Australian Chief Medical Officer announced all flights originating in New Zealand will be classified as red zone flights for an initial period of 72 hours from 12.01am Monday 15 February
- As a result, all people arriving on flights from New Zealand within this three-day period will enter Hotel Quarantine for 14 days
- On Monday 15 February, a flight arrived from New Zealand into Melbourne with 152 passengers; all passengers are being followed up to see if they are still in Victoria and, if so, they will be asked to isolate and get tested.
Visiting guidelines
- Bookings are not required for onsite visits
- On-site visitor opportunities are for one visit per day from the one household, (two adults or one adult and two children) for face-to-face visits in residents’ suites (families are to manage who comes when, so we are not required to turn away someone because our resident has already had a visit that day)
- All visitors MUST wear a MASK correctly at all times
- Visitor must sign in and out in the visitor register
- All visitors must be screened on entry and complete the visitor declaration
- Prior to visiting, visitors must provide evidence of having the 2020 flu vaccination which will be recorded in Sunnyside’s flu vaccination register
- Visitors will be met by a staff member (usually at the main, front entrance, unless previously arranged), where you will be screened
- Hand sanitising will take place on arrival, prior to screening
- Responses to questions and temperature readings will be recorded in the screening register
- Anyone unwell should not attend on-site visits
- Visitors may only visit in the resident’s suite or garden areas and are asked to exercise physical distancing (minimum 1.5m from residents at all times, except when pushing a wheel chair)
- Visitors are not to visit any communal areas, use public toilets or toilets in residents’ suites or use kitchenettes
- Visitors are advised to plan their toileting and hydration/nutrition needs around their visiting times
- If visitors have any issues with using the public toilets in Camperdown, these issues should be addressed through the shire.
The following websites are useful for remaining up to date with residential aged care guidelines and other aged care related information:
- Health Alerts – CHO Alert [email protected]
- Department of Health and Human Services https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus
Older Persons Advocacy Network https://opan.com.au/
The following guidelines will apply for onsite visiting and resident outings from 30th November 2020. Please note, depending on information from DOH, DHHS and other government and advisory bodies, these guidelines may change at any time.
On arrival, visitors are to ring the bell at the intercom and wait to be admitted. Due to the density restrictions for indoor, communal spaces in residential aged care, four (4) visitors plus one staff member will be admitted into the foyer at any one time. If the foyer is full, please stand on the allocated places as marked on the footpath, (to the right of the main entrance, facing it), maintaining the 1.5 metre physical distance requirement.
Please be prepared for delays, as we are still required to screen everyone entering Sunnyside House Inc. (Sunnyside).
Resident outings
- Notification of planned resident collection and return
- All visitors coming on-site must wear face masks unless they have a documented, specified exemption
- Sunnyside will need to be notified of planned outings the day before with times (by resident or family/friend)
- “voluntary assumption of risk” form no longer required
- catering to be notified if the outing affects the resident’s meal times
- medications prepared if required during the outing
- minimize congestion in the driveway
- physical distancing is maintained
- Families/friends (referred to as escort) will need to work together to ensure the resident is not over taxed with outings and is not double booked
- Outing times available:
| Weekdays |
| Collection from 9.45am – return by 3.00pm |
| Weekends/Public Holidays |
| Collection from 10.45am – return by 3.00pm |
- Procedure for resident collection and return
- Self ambulating residents
- Self ambulating residents are able to wait in the foyer for escort to arrive
- medications given to resident if required
- visitor outing record to be completed prior to departure and on return
- resident to use hand sanitiser
- escort to ring intercom bell to notify of arrival
- resident will be buzzed out
- Non-mobile residents
- Self ambulating residents
-
-
- escort must wear a face mask unless a documented, specified exemption applies
- escort to use hand sanitiser, be screened and sign visitor declaration
- escort can then go to resident’s suite and collect the resident
- collect medications if required
- sign resident outing book prior to departure
- escort and visitor to use hand sanitiser
-
3. Return of all residents
-
-
- on return escort to ring bell at intercom to notify of arrival
- if escort is taking resident to suite, a face mask must be worn unless a documented, specified exemption applies, escort to use hand sanitiser and sign visitor declaration (please note if different escort from original, they will need to be screened)
- resident to use hand sanitiser
- complete resident outing record noting time of return.
-
- Outing details
Under current restriction levels, residents may leave their care facility for any reason, provided they comply with current Federal and Victorian guidelines. This means residents may be taken to shops, restaurants, private homes etc., as long as all Infection Prevention and Control procedures are followed, which include but are not limited to:
- hand hygiene
- cough etiquette
- physical distancing, 1.5m distance from others, (wheel chair escorting exempt)
- wearing a fitted face mask when indoors, (including shops), or if 1.5m physical distancing cannot be maintained outdoors
- carrying a face mask with you at all times
- limits on private and public gatherings
- not seeing people who are unwell
- no visiting people who are in quarantine or isolation
- being mindful of the weather and resident’s tiredness.
Please note, it is the family/friend responsibility to ensure the current public health advice regarding limits and other Infection Prevention and Control guidelines are followed, including but not limited to: number of people inside your home and outdoors, providing masks and sanitising facilities for the resident during outings.
On-site visitor opportunities
- Pre- booking is not required
- All visitors must comply with Sunnyside’s Infection Prevention and Control measures
- Documented proof of current flu vaccination is required prior to entering Sunnyside unless there is a documented medical exemption
- MUST complete visitor declaration
- MUST complete visitor book upon entry and exit
- Children of any age may now visit on-site
- All visitors must wear facemasks, including children over 12 unless a written exemption applies
- Visitors in resident suites will continue to be available to two adults or one adult and two children, per visit
- There is no limit on visits per resident day, however, please be mindful of the activities program and resident tiredness
- Visitors are able to move within the resident’s suite, but should remain mindful of what is touched (sorting clothing and other such activities may be undertaken by the visitor)
- Visitors must not use the resident’s toilet
- On arrival, all visitors must use hand sanitiser, be screened, sign the visitor declaration
- All visits will need to be coordinated by families/friends to ensure the resident is not over taxed with visits and are not double booked
- There will be no gatherings of visitors and residents in communal spaces
- Kitchenettes are not to be used by visitors
- Residents may be taken by visitors into garden areas as long as physical distancing of 1.5 metres is maintained (wheel chair escort exempt)
- Onsite visiting times between:
| Weekdays | |
| 9.30am – 12noon | 1.00pm – 3.00pm |
| Weekends/Public Holidays | |
| 10.30am – 12noon | 1.00pm – 3.00pm |
Some of the PREDICTED “living with COVID” also referred to as “COVID normal”
- All screening practices will continue
- Masks will be required indoors and where physical distancing of 1.5 metres cannot be maintained
- Indoor event sites will have density requirements (perhaps 2 sq metres per person)
- Current flu vaccinations will be an ongoing requirement for entry into residential aged care services
- Restrictions to visits, social leave, outings, events, will be based on the changing state directions and the facilities’ own risk assessments of each individual situation
- Once a COVID vaccination has been released, this will be a requirement for all international travel and entry into Australia.
Residents are limited to 1 visitor once per day for a maximum of 2 hours (due to screening requirements and time restraints at Sunnyside, visiting will be for a 1 hour period, once per week, as per the booking schedule). Where a resident needs physical support (eg help with feeding) or emotional support (eg for cognitive decline) they may have 1 visitor at a time but there is no limitation on duration. If a resident is planning to move to home care they may have 1 visitor. For end of life (defined as expected within next 14 days) they may have 2 visitors at any one time (note – it is the 14 days that counts, not the degenerative condition leading to end of life).
Two people may continue to visit for ‘over the fence’ Due to room visits being limited to 1 visitor, we are able to have a concurrent ‘messenger’ visit with additional family members , if required
Visitors from Metropolitan Melbourne OR any Local Government Areas with active COVID cases of 5 or above do not meet the screening criteria and therefore cannot come onsite.- Staff and essential services are required to have a current flu vaccination
- Staff are well trained in best practice hand hygiene and infection control, and the correct donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- All external contractors are required to wear a mask when attending Sunnyside
- All external contractors are screened prior to entry regarding the following:
- Temperature 37.5 or above (excluded)
- Have you been overseas in the last 14 days? (if yes, excluded)
- Have you been in contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case? (if yes, excluded)
- During the past 14 days, have you been in any of the designated hot spots or COVID-19 active Local Government Areas (LGAs)? (further questioning to ascertain risk)
- Are you 16 years or younger
- Do you have the COVID-19 app? (for contact tracing processes)
- Have you or anyone in your household any flu like signs or symptoms listed below?
- Change or loss of smell or taste (anosmia)
- Fatigue
- Fevers, night sweats and/or chills
- Respiratory symptoms:
- Runny nose
- Sore or scratchy throat
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Communication is exceptionally important for all. The majority of our residents have some degree of hearing impairment, which is one of the mandated reasons for not wearing masks in a residential aged care service, so currently, Sunnyside staff are not wearing masks
- Due to the Government’s initial poor response in assisting regional and non-COVID active sites in obtain PPE, Sunnyside has been very proactive and has ensured we have adequate supplies of PPE
- Should the unthinkable happen, a positive COVID-19 case, all PPE required for that case is available, as has been our practice for all suspected cases of infection
- All external contractors and essential service providers are required to wear a mask
- Essential service providers who also practice in “hot spots” or other “at risk” locations, isolate from Sunnyside for 14 days of last contact
- Staff from Sunnyside do not work across multiple residential aged care services.
Visitor restrictions
It has been stated that “default prevention strategy for Sunnyside is to lock out visitors, granted this is the easiest strategy for you to implement”.
This statement is not accurate at all. Not only is this not the easiest option for us, it all comes at an unfunded expense. There is nothing easy for us at Sunnyside for our residents not to have visitors. We are all aware of how important they are, and as already stated, many of the staff have also been isolated from their loved ones, families and friends, in order to keep our residents safe. This is also not the easiest of strategies for them; just the most unselfish and safest. We have employed more staff to ensure we have leisure and lifestyle personnel on weekends and public holidays, even when there were onsite visitors; we have ensured our residents are still able to go on bus outings, albeit, not getting off the bus, by special GP intervention and police dispensation.
Sunnyside staff abide by strict adherence to infection control processes, which has required staff to self-isolate until negative results have been received. This has resulted in our care manager working some clinical shifts and I have worked as the leisure and lifestyle personnel. Once again, the great staff at Sunnyside really do work as a team.
Emergency Social Leave
Anyone who wishes to take their family member away from Sunnyside during the pandemic, may do so under the Government “use of emergency leave” which can be taken for permanent aged care residents during the COVID 19 period (currently until 30 September 2020). This means families can use emergency leave to take temporary leave from your aged care home during the pandemic (attached). Should anyone wish to avail themselves of this option, and you wish to return your loved one during the pandemic, it will be necessary for the resident to be swabbed and isolated in her/his suite for 14 days. Please do not hesitate to contact us and we will assist you with this. It should be noted, security of tenure still applies, so the same suite would be kept for our resident until her/his return.
We would also like to say thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support during this most difficult of times. Sunnyside staff really are doing their very best to keep everyone safe and protected, and it really is reassuring to know you understand how challenging this is. All we ask is for everyone to be kind to each other, practice physical distancing (if you must be out and about and can’t stay 1.5 metres apart, wear a mask) and all of the other safety advice given, including cough and sneeze etiquette and keeping your hands away from your face (and if you do touch your eyes, nose or mouth, sanitise immediately),
If you can, stay at home. Once again, stay safe.
17 July 2020
IMPORTANT UPDATE
If you have travelled to any location where there is a confirmed active case of COVID-19, including Warrnambool, Ballarat, Colac, Inverleigh, Geelong, Melbourne, Mitcham Shire etc within the last 14 days, you are unable to visit onsite for 14 days. Please contact us if you have an existing visit booked.
This is subject to change at any time.
Thank you for your understanding in these difficult times.
23 June 2020
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC)* has advised against travel to and from Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin, until control of community transmission has been confirmed. These are the current six (6) Victorian local government areas (LGAs) known to be hotspots for new coronavirus cases. At present there are no hotspots in regional Victoria, however, should this change, please note the request below.
If you live in any of these LGAs please ensure you do not come on site to visit at Sunnyside. We can still arrange the, “over the park fence” visits if you feel you must visit face-to-face and the iPad live time calls are always a safe option to maintain social connectedness with your loved one.
*The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) is the key decision making committee for health emergencies. It is comprised of all state and territory Chief Health Officers and is chaired by the Australian Chief Medical Officer.
15 June 2020
The following systems in place to protect and keep our residents safe:
- an appointment booking system
- bookings are taken by reception between 09:30 and 12:30, Monday – Friday (no public holidays or weekends)
- half hour visits with a maximum of two people per resident per week
- visits can be a choice of face-to-face or over the park fence or iPad live time visits
- screening and recording the findings of the required questions and temperature taking and sanitising will take place prior to the visit, so if it is a face-to-face visiting, we are advising visitors to come five minutes early so they maximise their visiting time
- anyone with a temperature equal to or greater than 37.5 will not be permitted to visit
- visitors will be escorted to and from the resident’s suite via the end wing doorway
- children under 16 years young are not permitted
- Sunnyside kitchenettes, public toilets and resident toilets are not to be used by families and friends
- visits are to be confined to one resident suite (multiple visits of residents is not available at this stage)
- visitors are not permitted if they do not have a 2020 flu vaccination and Sunnyside has documented proof of this prior to the visit, unless a medical exemption is provided which includes:
- prior history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- prior severe or anaphylactic rection to previous influenza vaccination
- immunosuppressed due to cancer or other treatment
- immunosuppressed due to autoimmune or other disease processes.
Please note, valid medical exemption does NOT include:
- non-medical reasons for refusing the vaccination
- egg allergy, including anaphylaxis.
We are hopeful that the extension to the Victorian State of Emergency will be relaxed 21 June 11:59 pm, and of course, we will follow the guidelines as required.
We are, however, planning to increase our visiting times to one hour per resident, per week, (all three choices remain) from 22 June 2020, following our successful trial of half hour face-to-face visits.
Of course, should there be compassionate reasons for changes to the above (such as end of life care or palliative care), all cases will be reviewed individually.