FAQ for our clients

Looking out for yourself and reporting illness

If you feel unwell, call the doctor. Tell someone you trust. Then please let Alliance Community know as soon as possible.

If you have trouble breathing, call an ambulance straight away on 000.

 

Be Informed on preventing the spread of coronavirus?

Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. You should:

•  Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the bathroom.

•  Cover your cough and sneeze with your elbow or a tissue. Dispose of tissues and wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

•  Clean the surfaces that people touch a lot like door handles, tables, handrails

•  Social distance – stay 1.5 metres from other people when possible to do so, especially when out of the house

•  If unwell, seek medical advice and avoid contact with others (stay more than 1.5 meters from people)

Resource: https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/04_2020/dac_coronavirus-social-distancing-easy-read_20200414.pdf

 

Keep us in the Loop!

Whilst we are reaching out to our clients more than ever, so we can work with you to ensure proper precautions for everyone’s safety, we encourage you to let us know in the case of any of the following:

•  If you are unwell in any way

•  If a family member or house guest is unwell or is isolating at home.

•  If you or a house guest has had contact with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19, whether they have symptoms or not.

•  Any concerns about your service.

Your Alliance Community Coordinator is your first port of call with any feedback or concerns and can also receive calls from families, friends or loved ones, too.

If you still have questions or concerns, you can also contact the Disability Information Helpline ( funded by the Australian Government) on 1800 643 787.

Screening

COVID-19 Screening and Risk Assessment processes have been implemented for all Support Stars and Clients, and are repeated and reviewed regularly.

Staff education

All Support stars have completed additional education on:

•  COVID-19 and infection control, including use of PPE.

•  Mandatory reporting procedures if they are unwell or have had confirmed or suspected contact with a person with COVID-19.

•  Responding quickly to any client symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough and shortness of breath) and seeking medical advice where appropriate.

A Safe Workplace is a Clean Workplace

When providing staff to your home, Alliance Community will consult with you and conduct a risk assessment, to ensure your requirements are understood, procedures are agreed and reinforced with our staff. We may undertake the following activities:

•  Increasing handwashing and hand-sanitising protocols: upon arrival, before/after direct contact and at regular intervals throughout the day

•  Focused cleaning of high touch areas

•  Some areas may need additional cleaning such as door handles, kitchen and bathroom surfaces

•  Some tasks may require staff to use protective equipment such as gloves

•  Hand sanitiser should be available for visitors to your home.

PPE = Personal Protective Equipment

PPE stands for personal protective equipment. The appropriate PPE used by our Support Stars is based on Government Health Guideline recommendations.

“HEALTHCARE WORKERS - when caring for care recipients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, health care workers are required to wear appropriate PPE which may include masks, gloves, eye shields and/or gowns, to protect themselves from infectious illnesses and help stop the spread of disease.”

The PPE required will depend on the type of interaction and the health status of the care recipient.

Risk assessments are conducted to ensure all PPE, including masks are appropriate to your requirements and as per Government Health Guideline recommendations.

All staff are required to practice social distancing and good hygiene practises.

It is important that our health workforce remains strong and healthy during this time.

Should I wear a face mask?

• Where there is low community transmission of COVID-19, wearing a mask in the community when you are well is not generally recommended.

• However, where there is significant community transmission (as determined by jurisdictional public health authorities), you may choose, or be required to, wear a mask.

More information can be accessed here: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others-from-coronavirus-covid-19/masks

• For NSW: All support workers must wear a surgical face mask when providing in home services and follow current health order directives about wearing masks when accompanying clients into the community. All clients are strongly encouraged to wear masks when a support worker is providing in home services and follow current health order directives about wearing masks when in the community
• For ACT: All support workers delivering services must wear face masks
• For VIC: There is no requirement for support workers to wear face masks whilst delivering services, unless when accompanying clients into retail settings or high density areas
• For QLD: All support workers to wear face masks unless accompanying clients on Public Transport, in taxi’s and rideshares, indoor retail outlets, vulnerable settings (aged care, hospital and disability accommodation), airports and during flights
• For SA: All support workers delivering care in the home must wear face masks

 

Under current guidelines, all healthcare workers should wear masks if they have close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

Healthcare workers are not otherwise required to wear a mask unless there is a medical reason for doing so.

 

 

Each state Department of Health has dedicated COVID-19 testing resources.

If you are having a medical emergency, please call 000.

GP respiratory clinics around the country to clinically assess people with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms (a fever, cough, shortness of breath, a sore throat and/or tiredness).

Find out below if there is a GP respiratory clinic in your state/territory and near your area and how to register for an appointment:

 

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland 

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

 

Fever clinics Fever clinics operated by public hospitals are generally staffed by nurses. They are not the same as a GP respiratory clinic but they also help to reduce pressure on emergency departments and other services.

You can either access these through calling the National Coronavirus Help Line on 1800 020 080 or by their respective state department of health website.