AdventCare, lead agency in a consortium* of nine residential aged care facilities across eastern Melbourne recently facilitated first dose vaccinations of staff across all their facilities, completing 684 vaccinations of aged care workers and residents in one week.
AdventCare responded to urgent requests by the Commonwealth to provide roving vaccination clinics to aged care workers and residents who missed out during the initial aged care vaccine rollout earlier in the year.
The feedback received from the Group’s team of vaccinators, staff and residents highlights their collaborative efforts, excellent communication and willingness to resolve any issues that arise. The coordination and planning efforts by their leadership teams, including the good working relationship they established with the Commonwealth, resulted in a timely in-reach vaccination effort across nine sites that ran like clockwork in the first week.
The group vaccinated a further 238 aged care workers and residents in their second week, completing the two week vaccination effort for first doses within their group of aged care facilities.
David Reece, CEO of AdventCare said, “This group has been collaborating well and identified fourteen RN vaccinators within the Group who formed the team to conduct the vaccinations. With the Commonwealth’s excellent support we were able to source the vaccine, gain access to the Australian Immunisation Register and plan an effective program in a short period of time across the nine organisations. We are proud of the positive response of our staff and under this arrangement we will be able to also conduct the remaining mandatory vaccinations to ensure our staff are fully protected.”
Jessica Qiu, one of the vaccinators involved with the program says vaccination rates of 95% for residents and 80% for staff would not have been possible if not for the successful implementation of the program.
“It was my great pleasure to be part of this vaccination program. It was truly a wonderful experience for everyone involved to make this happen. The amount of compliments we received from residents, families and staff made us feel very proud.”
*The roving clinics in this consortium of aged care facilities included AdventCare Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges, BASScare, Samarinda Ashburton Aged Services, Glengollan Village, Olivet Care, Eva Tilley Memorial Home, Ringwood Area Lions Aged Care [RALAC], MannaCare and Donwood Community Aged Care Services.