❓ The Minister for Health responds to questions regarding protocols for COVID-19 outbreaks in aged-care facilities, assuring support for both metropolitan and regional facilities, while contrasting the state's approach with the Commonwealth's.
AnsweredQoN 840Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — RESIDENTIAL AGED-CARE
FACILITIES
840. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I refer to protocols put in place by the state government for
residential aged-care facilities in the event that there is a COVID-19 outbreak
and reports of flying squads being deployed to aged-care homes to provide
COVID-19 training and personal protective equipment.
(1) Will
residents in aged-care facilities be treated in-place or transferred to
hospitals under the protocol?
(2) Does this also apply to regional Western Australia?
(3) If yes to
(2), would regional residents be transferred to a Perth or regional hospital?
FACILITIES
840. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I refer to protocols put in place by the state government for
residential aged-care facilities in the event that there is a COVID-19 outbreak
and reports of flying squads being deployed to aged-care homes to provide
COVID-19 training and personal protective equipment.
(1) Will
residents in aged-care facilities be treated in-place or transferred to
hospitals under the protocol?
(2) Does this also apply to regional Western Australia?
(3) If yes to
(2), would regional residents be transferred to a Perth or regional hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member for the question. I met
with the aged-care sector earlier this week. It was one of a series of meetings I have been having with the sector
because we are working closely with all sectors in the health system to
make sure we have solutions for everyone in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic. We talked about the great work
that is being done around the training of aged-care staff to ensure they have
the necessary information needed to don and doff their personal
protective equipment, to understand their obligations under infection control,
but also to do some work around understanding what we would do if there was an
outbreak of the disease in their facility.
I think it is fair to characterise
the attitude of the aged-care sector as this: ideally, someone should be in a surrounding
they are familiar with and most comfortable in, in the context of any illness.
When the aged-care facility itself can accommodate an individual, that should
be the case, regardless of their health and wellbeing. We have made it very
clear. We have told the aged-care sector that if any residents require moving
because they have contracted COVID-19, or any infectious disease for that matter,
we stand ready to assist to make sure they can either be moved to a ''like''
facility—a residential aged–care like facility—which is
set aside for the purposes of residents with COVID-19 or, if necessary, move
them to a hospital setting. Moving someone
with COVID-19 is always a difficult task because, obviously, every time they
are moved, an element of risk is introduced. But the health department
and the hospital system is well versed in these measures. We will make sure
that we look after all residents who are impacted by COVID-19.
Our
attitude stands in stark contrast with the commonwealth government. The
commonwealth is responsible for overseeing the deaths of hundreds of
people in New South Wales and Victoria, in a system that it —
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : ''Overseeing the deaths''—that
is how you are categorising it!
The SPEAKER : Member for Dawesville, I call you to
order for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : It funds and regulates the system. If
you are regulating a system, member for Dawesville, I suspect you are oversighting it. That is the situation that occurred
there, and it occurred because the commonwealth government did not stand
up to its responsibilities.
The McGowan government will stand up to making sure that we
assist not only our partners in the aged-care sector but all residents who
depend upon them to keep them safe and comforted, and to make sure we can look
after them in the long term.
In direct response to the member's query about
residential aged-care facilities in regional Western Australia, yes, of course
we will look after them and make sure that the WA Department of Health and the
McGowan government will extend a helping hand to any residential aged-care
facility in Western Australia, wherever they are.
with the aged-care sector earlier this week. It was one of a series of meetings I have been having with the sector
because we are working closely with all sectors in the health system to
make sure we have solutions for everyone in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic. We talked about the great work
that is being done around the training of aged-care staff to ensure they have
the necessary information needed to don and doff their personal
protective equipment, to understand their obligations under infection control,
but also to do some work around understanding what we would do if there was an
outbreak of the disease in their facility.
I think it is fair to characterise
the attitude of the aged-care sector as this: ideally, someone should be in a surrounding
they are familiar with and most comfortable in, in the context of any illness.
When the aged-care facility itself can accommodate an individual, that should
be the case, regardless of their health and wellbeing. We have made it very
clear. We have told the aged-care sector that if any residents require moving
because they have contracted COVID-19, or any infectious disease for that matter,
we stand ready to assist to make sure they can either be moved to a ''like''
facility—a residential aged–care like facility—which is
set aside for the purposes of residents with COVID-19 or, if necessary, move
them to a hospital setting. Moving someone
with COVID-19 is always a difficult task because, obviously, every time they
are moved, an element of risk is introduced. But the health department
and the hospital system is well versed in these measures. We will make sure
that we look after all residents who are impacted by COVID-19.
Our
attitude stands in stark contrast with the commonwealth government. The
commonwealth is responsible for overseeing the deaths of hundreds of
people in New South Wales and Victoria, in a system that it —
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : ''Overseeing the deaths''—that
is how you are categorising it!
The SPEAKER : Member for Dawesville, I call you to
order for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : It funds and regulates the system. If
you are regulating a system, member for Dawesville, I suspect you are oversighting it. That is the situation that occurred
there, and it occurred because the commonwealth government did not stand
up to its responsibilities.
The McGowan government will stand up to making sure that we
assist not only our partners in the aged-care sector but all residents who
depend upon them to keep them safe and comforted, and to make sure we can look
after them in the long term.
In direct response to the member's query about
residential aged-care facilities in regional Western Australia, yes, of course
we will look after them and make sure that the WA Department of Health and the
McGowan government will extend a helping hand to any residential aged-care
facility in Western Australia, wherever they are.
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