Adina Care have been proactive at immunising staff and residents with the COVID-19 vaccine in hope of providing the best available protection.
98% of residents at the home have been vaccinated with at least one dose, while just one resident has chosen to go without.
The numbers are similar in relation to the staff members, with 98% of staff having already been vaccinated with one dose, while the remaining two staff members have vaccination dates confirmed.
84% of staff at Adina Care have received both doses of the vaccine.
Adina Care CEO, Graeme Sloane, has been very proud of his staff and residents for doing their part in helping keep the community safe.
“It’s been very pleasing,” Graeme said.
“We have been working very hard to make sure everyone is immunised. Our view is that the virus is going to get here one day, and rather than being caught out we are trying to get them done before that day, whenever it might be.
“Our residents still have a right to choose one way or the other.
“Given the facility we are in, sometimes we have to get permission from families because sometimes our residents are unable to make those decisions themselves.”
Graeme admitted while some residents were initially unsure whether they wanted to receive the vaccine or not, the team at Adina Care provided residents with safe and accurate information to help them make their decisions.
“Up until very recently, we’ve had about ten people who were uncertain or wanted more information regarding the vaccine, and all but one of our residents have now had at least their first dose,” Graeme continued.
“We are anticipating that everyone will have their second dose within coming weeks.”
While staff and residents were able to receive the vaccine of their own accord, Adina Care organised for qualified administers of the vaccine to come to the home and make the process easier on residents.
“Adina has set up most of the vaccines for the residents. In some cases, the GP’s from the medical centre came over and vaccinated some of our residents,”
“Some of our residents at that time were still unvaccinated so we utilised one of the Commonwealth Mobile Vaccination Clinics and they came in to vaccinate the remaining people.”
It was of high importance for Adina Care to vaccinate staff as well, with staff required by NSW Health to be vaccinated.
“NSW Health has determined that anyone who works in aged care must have at least one dose by the 17th of September. We’ll meet that quite easily,” Graeme said.
The priority for Graeme and the team at Adina Care is to keep the community safe, with them having to turn back some visitors and potential residents away.
“We’ve had occasions where people have tried to get out of the Greater Sydney area to come here and we’ve had to turn them away. We just want to protect people.”
Adina Care will continue to work hard on the vaccine rollout to staff and residents in order to help keep the community safe.
Tim Warren