Residential Care Residents

Remaining visiting restrictions to be lifted from midday today

As there have been no recent cases of community transmission in Auckland, we're pleased to advise that we’ll be lifting many of our current visiting restrictions from midday today and will be operating under our Alert Level 1 procedures.

Under Level 1:  

• There will be no restriction on the number of visitors per resident or on the time or duration of their visit. Appointments are no longer necessary.
• Visitors will not be required to wear a surgical mask or face covering.
• Visitors will still need to sign into the Visitor Management System and answer the various health declaration questions within the system, scan the QR code, wear their identification label and use hand sanitiser before going to see their relative/friend. They will no longer be required to have their temperature taken.
• Visits can take place either in the resident’s room or in a communal area.
• Residents and families will be able to enter the village communal areas; however, mask wearing and physical distancing from other village residents, staff and visitors will still be encouraged.
• Visitors can take residents off the village site, but will be given a contact tracing form to complete and hand back on return.
• Whilst our worship services have continued on a limited basis, residents will now be able to attend services in the chapel.

Our staff will dispense with wearing surgical masks, unless a resident is unwell, but will continue to complete our mandatory Health Declaration Form and have their temperature taken before starting each shift. Cohort nursing within designated areas of the care home/households will also come to an end. Despite the easing of restrictions, please be assured that we’ll continue to carefully monitor the health of our residents and will keep a close watch to ensure that residents’ condition does not alter at any point.

The move to Level 1 will enable us to welcome back our volunteers and external activity providers, such as visiting entertainers and guest speakers. However, they’ll need to comply with our strict health screening and signing-in procedures and to observe all the recommended infection prevention and control precautions such as good hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette.

Finally, a reminder that, if family members feel unwell at all, please postpone your visit to our care home for another day. If you begin to develop cold, flu or COVID-like symptoms, do call your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to see if you need to get a test.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact your Care Manager.

Care homes move to Alert Level 2 in Auckland and Alert Level 1 outside Auckland

Today the Government announced that the Auckland region is to move to COVID-19 Alert Level 1 from midday. Find out what this means for our Care Homes below.

Selwyn’s Auckland care homes move to Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 2 outside Auckland

The Government announced today that Auckland is to move to Alert Level 2 at 6:00am Sunday morning and the rest of New Zealand to Alert Level 1. This will be revisited in 7 days.  

Our Auckland based care homes from 6:00am Sunday will drop to Alert Level 3 and those outside Auckland to Alert Level 2. These precautions are in line with the NZACA’s established advice.

You'll find more details below.

Auckland villages closed. Outside Auckland villages moved to Alert Level 3

Following the Government’s announcement last night that Auckland is to move to Alert Level 3 at 6:00am this morning and the rest of New Zealand to Alert Level 2 for the next 7 days, we have now closed all our Auckland based Selwyn villages and care homes to all visitors and have initiated our Alert Level 4 precautions due to the heightened risk of community transmission.

Those Selwyn villages and care homes outside Auckland have been moved to Alert Level 3. These precautions are in line with the NZACA’s established advice.

You'll find more details below.

Auckland region to join the country at COVID-19 Alert Level 1 from 11.59pm

Following Cabinet’s decision today to move Auckland to COVID Alert Level 1 from midnight tonight, we're pleased to announce that our care homes will re-open for visiting from tomorrow morning. Please see the drop down list below for information on our care homes within our Auckland Villages - Selwyn Village, Selwyn Heights and Selwyn Oaks - as well as for our Northland, Waikato and Wellington villages - Selwyn Park, Selwyn Wilson Carlile, Selwyn St Andrew's and Selwyn Sprott.

Auckland region has now moved to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 and the rest of the country to Level 1

Please see the drop down list below for information on our care homes within our Auckland Villages - Selwyn Village, Selwyn Heights and Selwyn Oaks - as well as for our Northland, Waikato and Wellington villages - Selwyn Park, Selwyn Wilson Carlile, Selwyn St Andrew's and Selwyn Sprott.

Alert Level 4 lockdown for all Auckland Selwyn villages and care homes 

Alert Level 3 lockdown for Selwyn villages outside of Auckland

Following the Government’s announcement this evening that Auckland is to move to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm and the rest of New Zealand to Alert Level 2 for 72 hours, we have now closed all our Auckland based Selwyn villages and care homes to all visitors and have initiated our Alert Level 4 precautions due to the heightened risk of community transmission.

Those Selwyn villages and care homes outside Auckland have been moved to Alert Level 3. These precautions are in line with the NZACA’s established advice.

Alert Level 4 for Auckland means:
(includes Selwyn Village, Selwyn Heights, Hansen Close & Selwyn House & Selwyn Oaks)

• Our villages and care homes will be closed to all visitors
• Our care home teams must wear masks.
  (Note: Visits for residents receiving palliative or end-of-life care will still be permitted. Please contact the Care Manager to make arrangements.

Alert Level 3 for Whangarei, Hamilton, Cambridge and Wellington means:
(includes Selwyn Park, Selwyn Wilson Carlile, Selwyn St Andrew’s & Selwyn Sprott)

Only 2 nominated visitors per resident may visit our care homes and only one at a time. To visit, you must book a time with the Care Manager and follow our hygiene protocols. If you are not feeling well, stay away. On arrival you are required to:

• scan the Govt QR code
• sign in using our Visitor Management System
• sanitise your hands
• ensure you are wearing your mask

You are of course welcome to phone and speak to your relative at any time over the next 72 hours, and our staff will do everything possible to help you keep in touch virtually through the other technological means at our disposal.

We'd like to reassure you that Selwyn is taking a highly precautionary approach in the face of this ever present threat, in order to protect the residents in our care. We will keep a close watch on developments, and be in touch should anything change.

Should you have an immediate query or concern about your loved one’s care and wellbeing, or would like to discuss any other issue, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Visitors to our care homes no longer required to wear face masks

As the Ministry of Health currently considers the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the community to be low, we’ve relaxed our requirement for visitors to wear masks when visiting our care homes. Therefore, you will not need to wear a face covering when visiting your relative.

However, if you feel unwell at all, please postpone your visit for the time being. It’s especially important that you don’t visit your loved one if you develop any cold- or flu-like symptoms; in this case, please contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to understand if you need to get tested for COVID-19.

The locations of interest relating to the earlier Auckland and Northland community cases are available on the Ministry of Health website. Anyone who visited one of the listed locations during the relevant timeframe should not visit our care homes but contact Healthline for advice.

Additionally, if any prospective visitors have travelled back to New Zealand and recently left a managed isolation hotel or quarantine, please let the Care Manager know in advance of the intended visit, so we can review any additional precautions that we might need to take in order to accommodate their visit.

As always, when visiting, please check in using our Visitor Management System, scan the QR code on display and use hand sanitiser before going to see your loved one/friend. In your general day-to-day activities, you can protect yourself and others by always practising good hand hygiene, coughing/sneezing into your elbow, having Bluetooth tracing turned on in the NZ COVID Tracer app and scanning QR codes wherever you go. Also, it’s important to be wary of misinformation about COVID on social media and only share information from official sources. Accurate and timely information can be found on the Unite Against COVID-19 website and the Ministry of Health website.

Thank you for your support and assistance, as we continue to adapt our processes and procedures in accordance with the current risk level and work together to beat COVID-19.  

Alert Levels in all Selwyn villages are at Level 1.5 including Selwyn Park care home, Whangarei

29 January 2021

As there have been no further community cases of COVID-19 reported in Northland, Auckland or elsewhere in the country today, all our care homes including Selwyn Park in Whangarei are open for visiting, providing visitors wear a mask at all times when they are at the villages.

As a further precaution, if family members have visited within a certain timeframe any of the ‘high risk’ locations listed by the Ministry of Health – or you have a close contact who has – please would you postpone any planned visit to our care homes for the time being. The current list of locations is available on the Ministry of Health's website.

The Ministry of Health advises that, although there’s a low risk of exposure, anyone who visited these locations during the relevant times should stay at home and contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to understand if and when they need to get tested. If individuals begin to feel unwell or start to develop COVID-19 symptoms, they should get a test immediately and stay at home until they receive a negative test result back.

If you are unwell at all, we ask that you do not visit our care homes – to be on the safe side.

In addition, if any prospective visitors have travelled back to New Zealand and have recently left a managed isolation hotel or quarantine, please can you let the Care Manager of the care home know in advance of their intended visit, so we can review any additional precautions that might need to be taken in order to accommodate their visit.

We look forward to welcoming family members, wearing the appropriate face coverings. Please would visitors continue to check in using the Visitor Management System, answer the health declaration questions within the system, scan the QR code at the care home entrance, wear their identification label and use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see their loved one/friend.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and compliance with these important infection control and prevention procedures.

Visitors now required to wear face masks as an additional protection against the heightened risk of COVID

Updates for our Auckland, Waikato, and Wellington care homes

26 January 2021

Following the Ministry of Health’s confirmation of a positive COVID-19 test result in Northland, we wish to advise you that visitors to our care homes in Auckland, the Waikato and in Wellington are now required to wear a mask at all times for at least the next fourteen days due to the heightened risk of community transmission.

As a further precaution, any residents who become unwell or appear to be symptomatic will be cared for in isolation in their room until they’re cleared by the GP or returned a negative COVID test result.

Our staff are now also wearing surgical masks. In light of the recent positive case and the number of locations which the person had visited, any of our team members who may also have visited any of those venues within the relevant timeframe have been placed on discretionary leave in order for them to be tested. Likewise, any staff who develop cold or flu-like symptoms in the interim will be stood down until they’ve been tested, returned a negative result and are clear of symptoms for 48 hours.

If any family members visited any of the locations listed by the Ministry of Health which are considered to be at risk of COVID-19 community transmission during the timeframes in question, please would you contact your care manager before visiting the care home. The current list of locations of interest are available on the MOH website. 

As a reminder to all our care families, washing your hands regularly, having the NZ Covid tracer app on your phone and enabling Bluetooth tracing, scanning QR codes, and staying home if you’re unwell is the best way to prevent any possible risk of spreading the virus. Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms should also get a test and self-isolate until they receive the result. Those who may be holidaying elsewhere in New Zealand shouldn’t wait until they get home to be tested; the Healthpoint website has details of all the COVID-19 testing locations around the country.

Although the confirmed case has been reported in Northland, due to the holiday period and the increased frequency of people travelling around the regions, we prefer to take a precautionary approach in the face of this ever present threat in order to protect the vulnerable residents in our care.

We’ll review the situation again after this initial fourteen-day period and will update you then on any changes to our Alert Level. Should you have an immediate query or concern about your loved one’s care and wellbeing, or would like to discuss any other issue, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Alert Level 4 lockdown precautions re-introduced for Selwyn Park care home, Whangarei

25 January 2021

Following the Ministry of Health’s confirmation of a positive COVID-19 test result in Northland, we wish to advise family members and friends of our care residents at Selwyn Park that we’ve now closed our care home to all visitors and have initiated our Alert Level 4 precautions due to the heightened risk of community transmission. Our care home will be closed to family members, other visitors, volunteers, student nurses and non-essential personnel for at least the next fourteen days, except for those whose loved ones are receiving end-of-life care.  

We’ve introduced a precautionary admissions process for new residents coming into our care home and for our staff who attend to them. Our team members are now wearing surgical masks and are practising physical distancing, unless providing personal cares to residents, and are continuing to complete our mandatory health status checks prior to starting each shift. In addition, we’ve implemented cohort nursing and will be closely monitoring for any changes in residents’ health. Any residents who become unwell or appear to be symptomatic will be cared for in isolation in their room until they’re cleared by the GP or returned a negative COVID test result.

In light of the recent positive case and the number of locations in Northland which the person had visited, any of our staff members who may also have visited any of those venues within the relevant timeframe have been placed on discretionary leave in order for them to be tested. Likewise, any staff who develop cold or flu-like symptoms in the interim will be stood down until they’ve been tested, returned a negative result and are clear of symptoms for 48 hours. Any staff members who are considered to be in the vulnerable category (ie, aged 70-plus or with health conditions) have also been stood down with pay and supported with welfare services.

We understand that family members will be anxious to hear about how their loved one is doing over the two-week lockdown period. You are of course welcome to phone and speak to your relative at any time, and our staff will do everything possible to help you keep in touch virtually through the other technological means at our disposal. Please do let us know what your preferred method of contact is and when you would like to speak to your relative, and we’ll do everything we can to make it happen. 

We’ll also be focussed on providing an enhanced programme of engagement in life interests and activities (with the exception of minivan outings, which will need to be cancelled for the time being unfortunately), and making sure that everyone feels involved and part of our wider, caring community of residents and staff.

As a reminder to all our care families, washing your hands regularly, having the NZ Covid tracer app on your phone and enabling Bluetooth tracing, scanning QR codes, and staying home if you’re unwell is the best way to prevent any possible risk of spreading the virus. Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms should also get a test and self-isolate until they receive the result. Those who may be holidaying elsewhere in New Zealand shouldn’t wait until they get home to be tested; the Healthpoint website has details of all the COVID-19 testing locations around the country.

We'd like to reassure you that Selwyn is taking a highly precautionary approach in the face of this ever present threat, in order to protect the vulnerable residents in our care. We’ll review the situation again after this initial fourteen-day lockdown period and will update you then on any changes to our Alert Level. Should you have an immediate query or concern about your loved one’s care and wellbeing, or would like to discuss any other issue, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Reminder to remain vigilant

Location:

All Selwyn village sites throughout New Zealand

The current situation is:

As you are aware countries like the UK and the USA have reached crisis point given the new more contagious strains of the coronavirus now sweeping the globe. We in New Zealand are in the enviable position of having been able to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with our families and friends, and long may this last.

Here at Selwyn we remain on high alert to ensure that you and your loved ones remain safe from the virus.

If you have family arriving in New Zealand from overseas, we ask that they do not enter our villages for an additional 14 days upon completing their compulsory 14 day isolation in a MIQ facility, as well as providing proof of a negative COVID test result.

If you have moved jobs and now work at the border, in MIQ facilities or front line health care, have come in contact with international travellers, or with someone with COVID, or have been unwell the same rule applies. We ask that you remain out of our villages for a period of 14 days after receiving a negative COVID test result.

It is our greatest hope that we continue to keep our residents and staff safe while we await the arrival of the COVID vaccine.

When entering our villages please continue to:

1. check in at reception via our Visitor Management System or by using the My NZ COVID Tracer booklet
2. scan the QR code at the care home entrance using the COVID-19 Tracer app
3. wear your identification label
4. use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see your loved one.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and vigilance and needless to say, if you need to seek dispensation on compassionate grounds, please do talk with your Care Manager. We rely on your honesty to assist us in protecting our most vulnerable.

Location:

All Selwyn village sites throughout Auckland

The current situation is:

As of 1 December 2020, you will not need to wear a mask when visiting your relative at any of our Auckland care homes, as the incidence of community transmission has again reduced. This will also apply to our care staff. 

However, please do continue to:

• check in at reception via our Visitor Management System
• scan the QR code at the care home entrance using the COVID-19 Tracer app
• wear your identification label
• use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see your loved one/friend.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and compliance with these important infection control and prevention procedures.

Visitor restrictions for rest home, hospital and dementia care

6:30pm Thursday, 12 November 2020

Location:

All Selwyn village sites throughout Auckland

The current situation is:

In view of the growing risk of community transmission that has now been reported in Auckland - we’re reintroducing with immediate effect the following visiting restrictions for our care homes across all our village sites throughout Auckland.

From today, all visitors will be required to:

• Wear a mask/face covering for the duration of their visit 
• Continue to check in using the Visitor Management System, answer the health declaration questions within the system, scan the QR code at the care home entrance, wear their identification label and use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see their loved one/friend.

Our residential care staff will also be wearing surgical masks as from today.

It’s unfortunate that we’re having to reintroduce these restrictions so soon, but it’s important that we react promptly to this ever evolving COVID situation and the continuing threat of community transmission.

Visiting can still take place in the resident’s bedroom or in a communal area. If taking residents off the village site, visitors will be given a contact tracing form to complete and hand back on the resident’s return; residents should be encouraged to wear a mask at all times when in public places.

We will review the situation again tomorrow if the Alert Level increases.

If you’ve been to any of the venues in Auckland where new COVID-19 cases have been reported, please do not visit our care homes. If you feel just slightly unwell or have cold or flu symptoms, call your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to see if you need a test. Staying at home if you’re sick is especially important at Alert Level 1, as the risk of COVID-19 being spread in the community is much greater when there are no restrictions on gatherings or going out.

Next update:

We will review the situation again on Friday, 13 November 2020 or if the Alert Level increases. 

Many thanks for your patience and understanding at this time.

Restrictions lifted for residential care

As there have been no further cases of community transmission in the North Island, visitors to our care homes will not now be required to wear masks or have their temperature checked as of 7 November 2020.  The restriction of visiting hours to 10.00am - 6.00pm will also be lifted.

Please would visitors continue to check in using the Visitor Management System, scan the QR code on display and use hand sanitiser before going to see a resident.

If taking residents off the village site, visitors will be given a contact tracing form to complete and hand back on the resident’s return; residents should be encouraged to wear a mask at all times when in public places or if they’re likely to come into contact with people they don’t know.

If you’ve any questions or concerns at any time, please don’t hesitate to contact your Care Manager.

Visiting restrictions will continue across our care homes

Following our decision last Friday to reintroduce a number of visiting restrictions across all our care homes, we wish to confirm that these will continue until Saturday, 7 November 2020.  

As the last reported case of COVID-19 in the community was on 23 October, our timeframe will allow for a 14-day cycle to elapse, during which any related cases in the community should be detected.

Therefore, until 7 November, please would all visitors continue to wear a mask/face covering whilst visiting and have their temperature checked on arrival at the care home. Please also check in using the Visitor Management System, scan the QR code on display and use hand sanitiser before going to see a resident. Visiting will be between the hours of 10.00am and 6.00pm only.

Our staff will also continue to wear masks for the duration of this 14-day period, whilst there may still be a risk of COVID re-appearing in the community.

Residents are at liberty to move freely around their care home and village site, but are encouraged to wear a face covering if leaving the village or if likely to come into contact with people they don’t know.

Once again, thank you for your cooperation and assistance, as we work to keep our residents safe from this virus. Hopefully, no further community cases will materialise over the next week or so, in which case we will be able to relax our remaining visiting restrictions.

If you have any queries regarding our response to COVID at this time, please talk to your care manager.

Visitor restrictions for rest home, hospital and dementia care

In view of the growing risk of community transmission that has now been reported in Auckland - and people’s increased movements and travel over the long weekend – we’re reintroducing with immediate effect the following visiting restrictions for our care homes across all our village sites throughout the North Island.

From today, all visitors will be required to:

• Wear a mask/face covering for the duration of their visit 
• Have their temperature checked on arrival at the care home by a member of staff
• Visit only between the hours of 10.00am and 6.00pm
• Continue to check in using the Visitor Management System, answer the health declaration questions within the system, scan the QR code at the care home entrance, wear their identification label and use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see their loved one/friend.

Our staff will also be wearing surgical masks as from today.

It’s unfortunate that we’re having to reintroduce these restrictions so soon, but it’s important that we react promptly to this ever evolving COVID situation and the continuing threat of community transmission.

Visitors will not need to make an appointment to visit, and visiting can still take place in the resident’s bedroom or in a communal area. If taking residents off the village site, visitors will be given a contact tracing form to complete and hand back on the resident’s return; residents should be encouraged to wear a mask at all times when in public places.

If you’ve been to any of the venues in Auckland where new COVID-19 cases have been reported, please do not visit our care home. If you feel just slightly unwell or have cold or flu symptoms, call your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to see if you need a test. Staying at home if you’re sick is especially important at Alert Level 1, as the risk of COVID-19 being spread in the community is much greater when there are no restrictions on gatherings or going out.

Next update:

We will review the situation again on Tuesday, 27 October 2020 or if the Alert Level increases over the weekend. 
Many thanks for your patience and understanding at this time.

Update for Auckland residential care residents, family, and friends

Auckland care homes will move to COVID-19 Alert Level 1 from Friday, 23 October 2020

We’re pleased to advise that our care homes will be moving to full Alert Level 1 this week, and we’ll be lifting many of the restrictions on visiting and other practices that had been put in place. From Friday, 23 October, the following will apply:

• Restrictions on visiting hours will cease, and visitors will no longer need to make an appointment.
• Visitors will still be required to sign into the Visitor Management System and scan the QR code at the care home entrance, answer the health declaration questions within the system, wear their identification label and use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see their relative/friend.
• Visitors will no longer need to have their temperature taken by a staff member.
• Visitors may continue to wear a surgical mask/face covering if they wish to do so, but it will not be compulsory.
• Visiting can take place in the resident’s bedroom or in a communal area.

• If taking residents off the village site, visitors will still be given a contact tracing form to complete and hand back on the resident’s return.

• Residents are encouraged to continue wearing a mask/face covering if they’re out and about around the village site and, especially, if they go outside the village.
• Residents will be able to attend the village chapel services (the applicable infection prevention protocols will be in place).

Our staff will dispense with wearing surgical masks, unless a resident is unwell, but will continue to complete our mandatory Health Declaration Form and have their temperature taken before starting each shift. Cohort nursing within designated areas of the care home/households will also come to an end.

All our external providers, visiting entertainers and volunteers will still be required to check in via our Visitor Management System, scan the QR code, have their temperature taken, observe good hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette, and will be obliged to provide notification of their intended visit to the Care Manager in advance.

Whilst we’re pleased that life is now just about back to normal again, everyone should continue to remain vigilant in terms of their own infection prevention practices and the need to keep a record of their movements and those they’ve been in personal contact with. As a nation, we can’t afford to become complacent, especially since a new community case was detected on Sunday; because this was so quickly contained, close contacts identified and the various controls swiftly put in place, we’re confident in our decision to now move our care home to full Alert Level 1. However, in the event of another outbreak, or any indication of community transmission where the source of the infection is uncertain, we’ll re-introduce the restrictions that previously applied under the higher Alert Levels with immediate effect, in order to protect our vulnerable resident community.

A final reminder that, if family members feel just slightly unwell, it’s important to stay at home and not visit your loved one. If you have cold or flu symptoms, call your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to see if you need a test.

As always, thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to maintain our safe care environments. If you’ve any questions or concerns at any time, please don’t hesitate to contact your Care Manager.

Update for Auckland residential care residents, family, and friends

Auckland villages' staged approach to moving to Level 1

Our Auckland care homes will take a staged approach to moving to Level 1 from 11.59pm, Wednesday, 7 October

Further to Monday’s welcome news that Auckland will join the rest of New Zealand at Alert Level 1 from 11.59pm tonight, we wish to advise you that we’ll be implementing a staged approach to returning to Level 1 in our care homes. This will relax a number of visiting restrictions that have been in place and will enable residents to have greater social contact with others, whilst ensuring that we can continue to maintain residents’ health and safety and preserve our safe care environment at this time.

For the next two weeks (from Thursday 8th October until Thursday 22nd October), whilst a number of important infection prevention precautions will still remain, they’ll be slightly more relaxed and will introduce greater variety and social engagement into residents’ daily routine. From this Thursday, therefore, the following will apply:

• Residents can visit others in different areas of their care home, go for a walk within the care home and around the village site and attend communal areas (such as the village café), but must wear a mask and keep a physical distance from those they may come into contact with;

• There will be no restrictions on the number of visitors per resident or on the length of each visit;
• Current visiting hours will continue from 10.00am to 6.00pm, and visitors will still need to book appointments to visit their loved ones;
• Visitors will still be required to wear masks and should confine their visits to the resident’s room (visits should not take place within the communal areas). Visitors will need to sign into the Visitor Management System, scan the QR code at the care home entrance, have their temperature checked, wear their identification label and use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see their relative/friend;
• Family members can take their loved one out and off the village site, but residents will be required to wear a mask and practise good hand hygiene at all times; visitors will be given a contact tracing form to complete and hand back on return.
• Minivan outings will resume just for residents of a specific care home/household ‘bubble’ only, therefore masks won’t be necessary (with the exception of the driver); however, residents won’t be able to disembark from the van at any of the stop-offs.
• Fourteen-day isolation and other precautions will continue for new admissions into the care homes and for those residents who are returning from a stay in public hospital.

We’ll also now be able to welcome back our hairdressers, podiatrists and other allied health providers, as well as our volunteers and external activity providers such as visiting entertainers. All external providers, contractors and volunteers will have to check in via our Visitor Management System, scan the QR code, have their temperature taken and continue to wear a mask. They’ll also be required to provide us with notification in advance of their intended visit, and we’ll be reminding them of the need to continue to observe the main infection prevention and control measures, such as good hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette – all the precautions that we’ve become used to and which are now part of our way of life.

Chapel services will not commence until 18 October, however we’re asking that no residents from residential care attend on this date. This will be reviewed again on Monday, 19th October, based on whether any new cases of community transmission have come to light. Worship will continue within the care homes as it has been.

Our staff will continue to wear surgical masks and to complete our mandatory Health Declaration Form and have their temperature taken before starting each shift. Cohort nursing within designated areas of the care homes or households will also still apply for the time being. Despite the easing of restrictions, please be assured that we’ll continue to carefully monitor the health of our residents and will keep a close watch to ensure that their condition does not alter at any point.

We’ll continuously monitor these new procedures and will review them again after two weeks, with a view to potentially easing things further - assuming there are no new cases of COVID-19 detected in the wider community.

Whilst we’re delighted that life may be returning to a semblance of normality again, we must keep in mind that COVID-19 is still in the world. Alert Level 1 doesn’t mean that COVID is absent from New Zealand, so we all have a role to play in avoiding another outbreak. As the Prime Minister reminded us, it’s essential that we continue to be vigilant and not become complacent about the risk.  It’s still important to:

• scan into workplaces and shops with the NZ COVID Tracer app and remind people with you to do the same. If you don’t use the app, keep your own diary with details of places you’ve visited, the time you were there and who you were with;
• keep up good handwashing practices, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and drying thoroughly. Cough and sneeze into your elbow. Keep surfaces clean;
• maintain a safe distance from people you don’t know while out and about, as this will help to minimise the spread of COVID-19 if community transmission returns;
• continue good habits with face coverings to keep you and others safe, even at Alert Level 1 when it’s no longer compulsory; use face coverings on public transport and when you can’t maintain physical distance from people you don’t know, for example in supermarkets.

Above all, if family members have cold or flu symptoms, stay home and call your GP or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to see if you need a test. Please do not visit your loved one in our care homes, as you could potentially pose a risk to them and to our other residents as well as our staff.

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation.  If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your care manager.

In light of the Prime Minister’s announcement, please see the following updates for each region.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement earlier this week that the Auckland region will move to Alert Level 2 from 11:59pm on Wednesday, 23 September, with the rest of the country having moved to COVID Alert Level 1 as of 11.59pm on 21 September, we’d like to confirm what this means for each of our care homes.

Update for residential care residents, family, and friends

The Selwyn Foundation and its villages to remain at current Alert Levels until Monday, 21 September. 

On Monday the Prime Minister announced the country will remain at the current Alert Levels for one more week until 11.59pm on Monday 21st September.

While we wait for the final decision, residential care residents will remain at their current alert levels. Then if the government confirms the country will move down Alert Levels on Monday 11.59pm, we will be in touch again to outline what this means for you and our villages.

This means Northland and Wellington Villages will remain at Alert Level 2 until 11.59pm on Monday 21st September. Then if the government confirms the country will move down Alert Levels, we will be in touch again to outline what this means for you and our villages and the potential move to Alert Level 1.

Auckland and Waikato villages will remain at Alert Level 3 for residential care until 11.59pm on Monday 21st September. Then if the government confirms moving down Alert Levels we will be in touch again to outline what this means for these regions.

Getting out in the village grounds with visitors

We know many of our residents have been frustrated that they haven’t been allowed to get outside and walk the gardens and grounds to get fresh air when family and friends visit. From today we are happy for you to do this, however, we ask that you stay away from common areas and both residents and visitors wear masks. Spring has sprung and the weather is slowly warming up, so we hope you can get outside and make the most of the change in seasons safely.

Update for residential care residents, family, and friends

Residential care to remain at current Alert Levels until at least Wednesday, 16 September

On Friday, the Prime Minister announced the country will remain at Alert Level 2, and Auckland at Level 2.5, until at least 11:59pm on Wednesday 16 September.

We wanted to let family and friends know our Selwyn villages will also remain in their current Alert Levels, which is Level 3 for residential care in Auckland and Waikato, and Level 2 for Northland and Wellington.

While the current Auckland cluster continues to turn out new cases, it also appears to be contained. The Prime Minister will make her next announcement about Alert Levels on September 14th, so we will be in touch again to outline what this means for our villages.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Care Manager.

Update for residential care residents, family, and friends

In light of the Prime Minister’s announcement, please see the following updates for each village.

We want to minimise the risks associated with the current cluster as much as possible, so in line with the Government’s announcement, our care homes will be dropping down Alert Levels. This is specific for each region; therefore, we have detailed each village’s update below. Please click on the drop-down links to read more about the update for your village.

Dear residents, friends and family members

Updated 14 August 2020

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement this evening that Auckland is to remain at Alert Level 3 and the rest of New Zealand at Level 2 for another 12 days until 26 August, we will continue with our Level 4 precautions in our care homes across all our villages which will remain in full lockdown, with no access to family members, other visitors, volunteers or non-essential personnel. As with the previous lockdowns, we’re front-footing this crisis to actively manage any risk, and the steps we’re taking go above and beyond the Government guidelines in many instances, in order to reduce any possibility of the virus entering our safe care environments.

All our care staff are now wearing surgical masks while at work and are practising physical distancing unless providing personal cares to residents. We’ve implemented cohort nursing and – whilst our staff are already highly trained in infection control – we’ve initiated refresher training on best practice procedures around the use of personal protective equipment (mask, gown, gloves and goggles), in the event that this becomes necessary. We continue to be particularly vigilant of residents’ health, taking temperatures and observations on a regular basis and closely monitoring for any changes. Any residents who become unwell or appear to be symptomatic will be cared for in isolation in their room until they’re cleared by the GP.

Our care staff are able to assist any residents who would like to go out for a breath of fresh air, and our diversional therapists and activities coordinators are focussed on providing a busy programme of engagement-in-life interests and activities. We understand that family members will be anxious to hear about how their loved one is doing over this lockdown period. You are of course welcome to phone and speak to your relative at any time, and we’ll assist with keeping them in touch with you via all the technological means at our disposal. Please do let us know what your preferred method of contact is, and we’ll do everything we can to make it happen.

In light of the recent cases of COVID-19 detected in Auckland, we also wanted to let you know of our procedures in the event that any of our staff believe they may have been in contact with someone in the wider community who’s been exposed to the virus. Our standard procedure in such cases will be to place the individual on discretionary leave in order for them to be tested. Provided their test is negative (we’ll need formal proof of this) and they’re symptom-free, they may return to the workplace. As a number of locations, schools and workplaces have now been identified – where those who’ve recently contracted COVID-19 have either worked or attended – we’re checking with all our staff to make sure that neither they (nor their close family members or contacts) could have been exposed. 

All our staff are temperature-checked and are required to complete our health status declaration form before starting their shift. Staff with any cold or flu-like symptoms will be stood down until they’ve been tested and returned a negative result and are clear of symptoms for 48 hours. Any staff members who are considered to be in the vulnerable category (ie, aged 70-plus or with health conditions) have been stood down with pay and supported with welfare services.

Therefore, please be assured that every possible measure is being taken to keep our care homes free of the virus and to protect our vulnerable residents and our staff alike.

As a reminder to all our care families, the COVID-19 symptoms to watch out for include: a cough, a high temperature (at least 37.5˚C), shortness of breath, a sore throat, sneezing and runny nose, a temporary loss of smell, and conjunctivitis. If you develop any of these symptoms, contact your GP or call Healthline on 0800 358 5453; make sure you get tested for COVID-19, if your GP recommends it. Information on maintaining health and wellbeing at this time is available on the Government website: covid19.govt.nz.

We would like to reassure you that Selwyn is taking a highly precautionary approach in the face of this ever present threat. As a responsible provider of services to older people, it’s The Selwyn Foundation’s duty to do everything possible to protect the health and safety of its vulnerable residents and staff, and to reduce any possible risk so that our care homes and wider village communities remain COVID-free to the benefit of one and all.

We’ll be providing regular updates as we go forward, but if you’ve an immediate query or concern about your loved one’s care and wellbeing, please don’t hesitate to contact your Village or Care Manager.

Until next time – stay safe, stay well and be kind.

COVID-19 update to care families, 11 August 2020

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement that Auckland is to move to Level 3 for a period of three days from 12 noon on Wednesday, 12 August 2020, all our care homes are now closed and will not be open for visiting on Wednesday morning. 

We have activated our Level 4 lockdown procedures across all our villages – including those outside Auckland – to ensure that we can protect our residents and staff from any possible transmission of COVID-19. It is particularly important that we take this action immediately given the fact that the source of the latest cases is unknown.

Please can we ask family members not to visit our care homes in the morning to see their loved ones before the deadline of 12 noon, as we will be unable to grant you access.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

If you have any urgent queries or concerns as to the health and wellbeing of your family member at this time, please do not hesitate to contact your Care Manager.

Alert Level 1 information for care families

Updated 9 June 2020

As the nation has moved to COVID-19 Alert Level 1 due to there being no known active cases in the country, we’re pleased to advise that we’ve lifted many of the restrictions on visiting that were in place in our care homes. With immediate effect, the following now applies:

• Restrictions on visiting hours will cease.
• There’ll be no limit on the numbers of visitors per resident or on the time or duration of their visit.
• Visitors will still be required to sign into the Visitor Management System at the care home entrance, to answer the health declaration questions within the system, wear their identification label and use hand sanitiser before moving through the care home to see their relative/friend.
• Visitors will no longer have their temperature taken by a staff member.
• Visiting can take place in the resident’s bedroom or in a communal area.
• Visitors can take residents out and off the village site, but will be given a contact tracing form to complete and will be required to hand this back on return.
• There will no longer be a need for safety officers at the entrance (where that had applied).
• Visitors will no longer be required to wear a surgical mask whilst visiting.

Our staff will dispense with wearing surgical masks, unless a resident is unwell, but will continue to complete our mandatory Health Declaration Form and have their temperature taken before starting each shift. From now on, all new admissions into the care homes from public hospital or the community will be strictly managed in line with the Ministry of Health’s nationally implemented screening tool, which will identify any potential risk.

The move to Level 1 will enable us to welcome back our volunteers and external activity providers, such as visiting entertainers and guest speakers. In addition, we’re looking forward to resuming any engagement-in-life activities that had to be temporarily suspended during the higher Alert Levels, and have developed specific cleaning protocols to cater for this. All external providers and contractors will need to check in via our Visitor Management System and will be required to provide notification of their intended visit to the Village or Care Manager in advance. We’ll also be reminding them of the need to continue to observe the main infection prevention control measures, such as good hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette – all the precautions that we’ve become used to and which should form part of our new way of life from now on.

Whilst our worship services have continued on a limited basis throughout the pandemic, with groups of ten residents and under, we’ll now be able to gather together in larger numbers, with communion using previously intincted bread (but not a common cup).

Despite the easing of restrictions, please be assured that we’ll continue to carefully monitor the health of our residents and will keep a close watch to ensure that residents’ condition does not alter at any point. Our staff have received renewed instruction and guidance as to the COVID-19 symptoms and associated illnesses that manifest in older people, so that they may quickly identify any changes that might occur.

Whilst we’re delighted that life is now just about back to normal, we must keep in mind that COVID-19 is still in the world. Everyone should remain vigilant in terms of their own infection control practices and the need to keep a record of our movements and those we’ve been in personal contact with.

As the threat is now diminished, this will be the last of our weekly COVID-19 updates. We’d like to thank family members for their patience and understanding throughout these challenging times, as we worked to provide a safe environment and to protect those in our care. We can now look forward to ‘uniting for recovery’ and getting New Zealand moving again.  

Update for residential care, friends and families

Updated 5 June 2020

We hope you’re continuing to enjoy life at COVID Alert Level 2. It’s been wonderful to welcome more visitors into the care homes since Tuesday, and our residents and staff teams are very much enjoying the ‘buzz’ and more lively atmosphere with the various comings and goings every day. As it’s two weeks since the last new case of COVID-19 in New Zealand, all the signs are positive around whether the nation will be able to move to Level 1 ahead of schedule.

The Selwyn Emergency Management Team is continuing to review how the transition to the lower Alert Level will be safely implemented within our residential care homes. As Cabinet will decide on Monday, 8 June, about moving to Alert Level 1, we’ll write to you again shortly after that to let you know what that will mean for our care homes in terms of new practices and procedures and the easing of further restrictions around visiting.

Please rest assured, however, that our main goal at all times will be to keep our vulnerable residents safe and protected from the virus, and we appreciate your ongoing assistance in maintaining our COVID-free environments for those we care for. Whilst we’re all looking forward to a move to a ‘new normal’, it’s important to remember that we remain in a global pandemic and there’s still a record number of cases being reported globally. As the Director-General of Health said in his briefing yesterday, this pandemic continues apace outside our borders and we can’t afford to let our guard down, but need to remain vigilant to the threat that the virus poses. 

With this in mind, therefore, we’d like to reiterate that it’s essential for visitors to continue to apply the fundamental hygiene and precautionary measures that have worked so well to date, so we can preserve our safe havens for residents. These include observing strict hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette, and being mindful of physical distancing when out and about amongst strangers (to reduce the risk of bringing any infection into the care homes). Crucially, even if you feel just slightly unwell, please stay at home and do not visit your loved one, as you could potentially pose a risk to our frail residents as well as to our staff. If you have cold or flu symptoms, call your doctor or Healthline and make sure you get tested.

In addition, we should all continue to keep track of where we’ve been and who we’ve seen, to assist with rapid contact tracing if it’s required. To help with this, we’d like to remind you about the Ministry of Health’s new contact tracing app that’s available to download onto your smartphone. Even just registering your up-to date contact details with the Ministry of Health will be very helpful for both you and Public Health, as well as for the nation’s wider efforts to stamp out COVID-19, should the source of any community transmission need to be traced. For further information on this, please visit the COVID-19 website.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us to keep your loved ones safe over this transitional period. We don’t want to lose the advantage that we have and everything we’ve achieved so far, therefore it’s vital we make sure that we continue to take good health and safety precautions for the sake of all our communities.

Pending the Cabinet decision on Monday, we look forward to writing to you again in the very near future with some further good news around our visiting protocols.   

Until then, stay safe.

Update to care families

Updated 29 May 2020

Following our recent re-opening to nominated visitors and the Government’s announcement this week about the changes to the maximum number of people who can now attend gatherings, we’re pleased to advise you of some further relaxation of restrictions around visiting that we’ll be introducing from next week.

Whilst we’ll continue with our existing pre-registration, health declaration screening and other precautionary measures for visitors, we’re now in a positon to increase the number of nominated visitors per resident to a maximum of three from next Tuesday (2 June). Therefore, please would activated EPOAs provide their Village or Care Manager with the name of their third designated visitor for inclusion in our visitor management register. Where there’s no activated EPOA, we’ll ask the resident who they’d like to nominate to visit them, and will contact the individuals accordingly. Should a resident be unable to choose, we’ll ask them who they’d like to make that decision on their behalf, and we’ll contact the persons so named.

Nominated visitors will be the only people who’ll be permitted visiting access under our Alert Level 2 precautions (with just one person visiting at any one time), and visiting will continue to be restricted to the resident’s room (meetings are not to take place in the communal areas). Visits will still be by appointment only, with the name of the visitor to be provided to me in advance. Children aged 12 and over are welcome to visit, providing they’re listed as a nominated visitor and are able to comply with the need to wear a surgical mask and limit their movements around the care home.

We’re also pleased to be able to extend visits to one hour. During this time, visiting family members will be able to take their loved one for a short walk within the village grounds, should the resident wish and providing physical distancing is observed in relation to other villagers and their visitors. However, please refrain from entering the communal areas of the village such as the café or lounge areas, to avoid the risk of our care residents coming into contact with those visiting our independent living residents from the wider community.

Hairdressing and podiatry services will be re-introduced from next week. Visiting service providers will undergo our mandatory health screening and temperature checks each time they attend a village, and will observe our hygiene protocols around hand sanitiser and cleaning. They’ll also wear PPE and maintain social distancing as appropriate to the service provided (as regards the number of residents who’ll be permitted in the vicinity at any one time). We’ll be happy to book appointments for residents as required.

With Alert Level 1 being the next stage on our journey out of this COVID-19 situation, we’ll be working on what this might look like for our residential care services so we can move there as soon as it’s safe to do so. We want to be careful to get the balance right between easing our restrictions and ensuring that we can continue to protect our vulnerable residents. We’ll let you know about this once we’re sure we can do it in a way that will safeguard everyone’s health.

Until next time, if you’ve any queries about your loved one’s health and wellbeing, or would like clarification on any issue, please don’t hesitate to contact your Village or Care Manager.

Update to care families

Updated 22 May 2020

We hope everyone’s been enjoying their new-found freedoms since the introduction of Alert Level 2 last week, and trust that you’re now looking forward to hearing how quickly we can move to the next and final level.

We had a flurry of activity and lots of comings and goings in the first few days of re-opening our care homes to visitors. It was wonderful to be able to welcome families back again and to see the smiles on our residents’ faces as they were reunited with their loved ones. Thank you to all our family members for their patience and cooperation with our various signing-in procedures and visitor management system. Due to the number of visitors arriving, we had a few technical difficulties at times, but these have since been resolved and things have now settled down.

We’d like to remind everyone that only visitors who have been nominated either by the resident or their activated EPOA will be permitted entry to the care home, and one designated family member (or close friend) only may visit at any one time. Visits are by appointment only, with the name of the visitor to be provided to the Village or Care Manager in advance for inclusion in our visitor management register. It’s important that we restrict visitor numbers and carefully manage access to the facility over this period, so we can continue to provide a safe environment for our residents and for contact tracing purposes.

Should any activated EPOA not have provided the Village or Care Manager with the names of the two people who’ll be visiting their family member, please may we ask that you do so as soon as possible. We’ve had a few issues this week with prospective visitors arriving who haven’t been on our list of nominated visitors. This puts staff in a difficult position when they’re unable to grant admission, and is unfortunate for those who’ve made the trip to visit their family member to no avail. Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Level 2 is a transition out of lockdown and we hope that it won’t be too long before we can open our care homes to more visitors and relax our restrictions further, once the Government announces the next steps on the nation’s journey out of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, please do continue with your phone check-ins and Facetime video calls, etc, to your loved ones, which residents very much enjoy and always look forward to. If we can help in coordinating or setting these up at all, please do let us know.

You will have heard about the importance of contact tracing and of keeping a record of where you’ve been and who you’ve seen, as this would be helpful to Public Health in tracing anyone who may have come into contact with the virus. There are many different apps you can use to record your movement. The Ministry of Health has created a tracing app — NZ COVID Tracer. This app works by scanning a QR code on a poster at participating businesses and it then keeps track of where you’ve scanned, so you know where you’ve been. For further information on this visit the COVID-19 website.

Thank you again for all your support and understanding of the precautions and safety measures that we’re continuing to take to keep our care homes virus-free. Alert Level 2 is not a return to normal life, so it's up to each one of us to keep our vulnerable seniors protected from COVID-19. Let’s not undermine the great progress we’ve made so far.

Updated 12 May 2020

Update for care families, 12 May 2020

Following this week’s Government announcement that COVID-19 Alert Level 2 will start to come into effect from Thursday, 14 May – and further to our update of 8 May (see below) – we’re now writing to all activated EPOAs or nominated visitors of residents, to confirm the new visiting arrangements for our care homes.

To enable us to continue to provide a safe environment for our residents, to manage visitor numbers and to ensure accurate record keeping for close contact tracing purposes (should this be required), visiting times will be restricted and will be by appointment only, and all visitors will be asked to comply with certain health and safety practices. Your Village Manager or Care Manager will provide the specific details for the care home you wish to visit.

The new arrangements will take effect from this Thursday (the 14^th).  Whilst they may appear overly cautious, it’s important that we remain particularly vigilant at this time, especially since those in the wider community will be increasing their contact with others as they start to resume their pre-COVID activities and daily routines.  It’s therefore necessary that we maintain a precautionary approach, whilst endeavouring to relax our visiting restrictions to some extent. 

Should any activated EPOA not have provided the Village Manager or Care Manager with the names of those who’ll be visiting their family member, it would be helpful if you could do that at your earliest convenience, so we know who to expect and thus avoid any delays in granting admission to the care homes.

Thank you for your cooperation in adhering to this new system, which is designed purely and simply to protect those in our care and keep them safe from COVID-19.  Please do let us know if you’ve any queries or require any further clarification at all.

Update to care families

As the nation may be moving to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 in the near future, we’re now reviewing how the easing of restrictions might apply to our care homes. Residents and family members will be very glad to hear that we’re considering a partial re-opening to close family or friends, but in a way that will enable us to continue to provide a safe environment for our vulnerable communities.

Whilst we’re still to finalise our thinking on how visitor access will be managed, we envisage the following:

• Visiting hours restricted to certain times, Monday to Sunday
• Visits by appointment only and within specific time slots
• Visits of 30 minutes’ duration only (but with no time restrictions for those visiting residents approaching end-of-life stage)
• A maximum of two family members (or a family member and a friend) to be nominated as visitors for the entirety of Level 2, with visiting restricted to these same two people only for the duration of Level 2
• Only one of the above designated visitors to visit at any one time
• Visitors to sign a health declaration at a central point before entering the care home, have their temperature taken, wear a surgical mask that we will provide and sanitise their hands
• Visiting to be restricted to the resident’s room (meetings not to take place in the communal areas)
• Physical distancing to be maintained as much as possible
• The visiting family member would be able to take their loved one for a short walk outside, providing physical distancing was observed.

We appreciate that families will be eager to visit their loved ones after such a prolonged period of time away. However, in order that we can carefully control visitor numbers and maintain our infection-free environment, we’ll only be able to grant access to one visitor per resident at any time. Visits will be by appointment only, with the name of the visitor to be provided to the respective Care Manager or Village Manager in advance for inclusion in our visitor management register.

In line with best practice, and as advocated by the NZ Aged Care Association, residents or their activated EPOAs should designate a maximum of two people to be their nominated visitors for the entirety of the Alert Level 2 period. These named individuals will be the only persons who’ll be permitted visiting access under our Level 2 precautions (with just one person visiting at any one time). With this in mind, therefore - and prior to the commencement of our new visiting arrangements - please can activated EPOAs provide their Care Manager or Village Manager with the names of those they wish to nominate as visitors. Where there’s no activated EPOA, we’ll ask the resident who they would like to nominate to visit them, and will contact the individuals accordingly. Should a resident be unable to choose, we’ll ask them who they’d like to make that decision on their behalf, and we’ll contact the persons so named.

Following receipt of this information, we’ll write early next week to activated EPOAs and those who’ve been nominated as the designated visitors, to confirm the exact visiting times and the specific safety practices and procedures to be observed whilst visitors are in the care home.   

We’d like to thank you in advance for your understanding in this matter and for your cooperation and support, which will help us to keep our care homes COVID-free and to continue to protect the vulnerable residents in our care. If you’ve any queries regarding any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Finally, with Mother’s Day this Sunday, as our care homes will still be operating under our current restrictions, please do continue with all your phone and video calls, WhatsApp messages and other forms of remote communication. We’ll be delighted to facilitate them as required, so that residents and families can connect with one another and enjoy a catch-up with loved ones on this special day.

Updated 1 May 2020

Update to care families

We’re now into the first week of COVID-19 Alert Level 3, and things continue to go well within our care homes. There are still very firm restrictions in place nationally which are designed to reduce the possibility of the virus getting a stronger foothold within our communities, and we will continue to observe these across our villages.

The Foundation has a duty of care to all its residents and staff, and the thought of the virus entering our safe environments and spreading through our vulnerable community is too dreadful to contemplate. Whilst there may be fewer cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand generally, it hasn’t been eradicated completely, and we’ll now see what the virus will do within the wider community under Level 3. We’re of the belief that this is the danger period – more so than ever – so we won’t be letting our guard down or easing our visitor restrictions prematurely. 

The Selwyn Emergency Management team is currently considering what the lower Alert Levels might look like across the villages, but we’ve not yet determined exactly how things might change. We’ll keep everyone fully informed of any relaxations and easing of restrictions, as soon as we’re certain that we’ll be able to protect everyone’s health and safety to the best of our ability.

In the meantime, our care teams are doing everything possible to make the lockdown easier for residents in whatever way they can. We marked ANZAC Day with commemorative displays, prayers of tribute for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and discussions around what life was like in earlier times, and we continue to hold ‘birthday bashes’ – with families and friends joining by video link.

Whilst our certification audits have been postponed for another year due to the pandemic, the majority of the Foundation’s care homes have now been audited virtually by the DHBs as part of the Government’s COVID-19 review of the aged care sector. We’ve received excellent feedback on all the precautions and guidelines we’ve introduced to manage the situation and on the measures we have in place to respond, should any Selwyn site ever be affected by COVID-19.   

We’ve introduced a precautionary admissions process for new residents coming into our care homes and for our staff who attend to them, and our team members are now also wearing surgical masks as an added precaution (since people may be starting to expand their ‘bubbles’ at home as Level 3 allows). In addition, staff continue to complete a health status declaration prior to starting each shift, which is an important monitoring tool that will alert us to whether we need to put in place further protections for both staff and residents at any stage.

Residents continue to look forward to chatting to their families on the phone, via Zoom, through apps and by all other ways and means. We’re delighted to help make that happen – we have the technology! – so that everyone can keep in touch and hear each other’s news and exciting updates. It means so much. Therefore please don’t hesitate to let us know if we can assist with this at any time.

We very much appreciate your continued understanding and support, as we work to keep this virus out of our safe havens and so protect all those in our care.

Until next time, stay safe.

Updated 22 April 2020

A message to family members in regards to Alert Level 3

Following the Government’s decision to come out of the Level 4 lockdown next week, we would like to clarify that we do not intend relaxing the restrictions that are currently in place as regards visitor access to the care homes.  We’ll be continuing with the same controls, checking and screening practices as per our Level 4 precautions for the foreseeable future, so we can be certain that we’re doing everything we can to protect our residents whilst the virus is still circulating in the community.  

Having closed our care homes to visitors early on, and introduced other strict preventative measures in how we operate, we’ve been very successful to date in shielding all our residents from the virus and preventing the infection from entering our safe environment.  Therefore, as a responsible provider of services to a demographic that’s regarded universally to be the most vulnerable to COVID-19, we see no reason to lift our controls prematurely or to expose our residents unnecessarily to any threat that exists at a wider level.

The Foundation’s Emergency Management team is now reviewing the Government’s Level 3 guidelines in terms of how they relate to other services in our villages, with a view to potentially re-introducing some of activities that had been temporarily suspended.  However, our care homes will continue to be closed to all but our essential workers - with controlled access for those visiting loved ones in their last days of life - and we will maintain ongoing health checking/screening and close contact tracing in terms of our staffing practices.

As Alert Level 3 will allow some extension of people’s ‘bubbles’, we’ll be introducing as an added precaution the use of surgical masks by our staff when they’re attending to a resident within the recommended two metre distance.  This will commence next Tuesday and is merely an extra measure to protect residents, given that our staff may be expanding their personal bubbles at home and might therefore have contact with an increased number of people in the general community.  We’ll fully explain the reasons for this to residents and allay any fears they might have that COVID-19 may be present in the care homes.  If you would like any further clarification around this, please do let us know.

We know that these restrictions are taxing and that it’s very difficult not to be in physical contact with your loved one for such a prolonged period.  Our safety measures are critically important in the fight against COVID-19 and in our efforts to provide a safe, virus-free home for those you’ve entrusted into our care. Be buoyed by the fact that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and we just need to keep up the effort for a few more weeks for the sake of one and all.

To close, we would like to thank our amazing teams for everything they’re doing to help everyone through the lockdown, providing a stable and caring ‘home life’, a safe bubble and keeping everyone’s spirits up.  We know that residents and families greatly appreciate them, too, judging from the wonderful comments and messages of praise and support we’ve received in the past few days.  As always, if we can help in any way at all – to arrange a phone call or Facetime/video chat, or provide an update on how your relative is doing – please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Stay safe.

Updated 15 April 2020

Updates for families and friends

We would like to reassure you that, at The Selwyn Foundation, we've taken - and continue to take - every possible precaution to protect the health of our vulnerable residents.

Please click on the attachment below for our latest newsletter: Protecting our care residents from COVID-19: best practice procedures in place at Selwyn

Updated 9 April 2020

Update to residential care families

As we enter week three of the Alert 4 lockdown period, we’re pleased to report that we continue to remain free of the COVID-19 virus, and our efforts to keep the infection out of our care homes and villages have proved successful to date.

Our wonderful team of staff are doing everything they can to ensure that there’s a sense of normalcy within the homes and are getting on with the usual daily routines and practices, so that our residents feel safe and secure, surrounded by familiar faces and those they know. Staff are also especially focussed on offering an expanded engagement in life programme and on providing a range of enriching and enjoyable activities for residents to participate in, as a counter to any potential feelings of isolation that they might experience. We continue to celebrate residents’ birthdays and other special occasions, with banners, cakes, balloons and general joviality to help compensate for the fact that family are not able to be here. Assisting residents with staying in touch with their loved ones though the use of Apps and IT devices helps keep people’s spirits up, too.

We continue to be particularly vigilant of residents’ health, taking temperatures on a regular basis and closely monitoring for any changes, and we’re also ensuring that everyone receives the influenza vaccination which is important as we approach winter. Although the vaccine won’t protect against COVID-19, it will help protect against contracting flu which can be very serious for older people at this time of the year. If you would like an update on your loved one’s health at any time and on how they’re faring under lockdown, please don’t hesitate to contact your Care Manager. 

We’d like to thank our care teams for all their efforts at this time. The kind acknowledgements and messages of thanks that we’ve received from residents and family members alike have also been greatly appreciated by us all. 

At a wider level, the Foundation has been focussing on how all our Selwyn communities can make the most of their excess spare time and use it productively. You might be interested to know about our new ‘Be well, be kind, be safe’ pages of the Foundation’s website, which you can explore click here and on our dedicated Coronavirus webpages. There are plenty of suggestions and resources for boredom busting, interesting articles and links to podcasts and documentaries, advice on where to find help and support on various issues, tips on staying well, as well as games, ‘how-to’ guides and lots of other fascinating and stimulating content for everyone of all ages. Do have a look and let us know what you think. If there’s anything you think we might add, it would be great to hear about that, too.

In another new initiative, our Chaplaincy team across all the Selwyn villages are now bringing comforting words and messages into our homes through a brief video message each day. Holy Week and Easter are the themes of this week’s reflections and, thereafter, they’ll focus on some broader ideas and aspects of life experience for us to think about. The reflections are available via our website click here, as well as on our Facebook page and YouTube channel (search for ‘The Selwyn Foundation’ or click here. The chaplains hope that both residents and staff will derive some refreshment and encouragement from each ‘thought for the day’.

We’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very safe and stress-free Easter. It will certainly be very different this year. We realise that it’s difficult to be apart from loved ones in such trying circumstances, but we’re sure you appreciate that the range of restrictions in place are intended to protect each one of us who lives or works in our villages.

Should you wish to deliver any items or general supplies for your relative over the Easter period, whilst being mindful of the requirement to stay at home as much as possible, we’ve arrangements in place for you to leave any deliveries within a safe distance, and we’ll then bring them safely to your family member. But rest assured that everyone will enjoy their usual hot cross buns and Easter Eggs regardless, which will be provided in copious supply! Please know that your loved ones are not on their own at this time, but are part of a wider caring community, and we are all here to help and support them in whatever way we can.

Stay safe and well, and be kind.

Updated 3 April 2020

Update to care home families and friends

Everything continues to go well in our care homes, considering the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in.  We continue to be free of the virus, and residents are adapting well to the lockdown situation and the protection measures we’ve taken to try to ensure that no-one contracts COVID-19.  Our staff are doing a wonderful job in making sure that everyone understands the reasons why families are unable to visit, and there are lots of stimulating things going on in the home for residents’ engagement and enrichment. 

We’re quite self-sufficient and safe in our own care bubble!

As an organisation, we’re also taking great care of our dedicated staff, who are so essential in helping to provide continuity and certainty for residents at a time when their contact with the outside world and families is so much more limited.  We’re incredibly thankful for their expert care of our residents and for their commitment to their profession, and we’re working to ensure that they have all the support and resources they need so they can continue their amazing work. 

We’re continually monitoring the situation at our villages generally and reviewing other possible actions that might need to be taken to manage movements and access.  Elsewhere in the villages, everyone is also continuing to practise the ‘the four do’s of safety’:

1. Physical distancing
2. Use of hand sanitiser and good hand washing
3. Minimising the time spent away from home and only going out for essentials
4. Reducing contact with hard surfaces in public places.
   
   

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact your Care Manager if you have any queries about your loved one or need any help whatsoever.  Please be assured that we are here to help in whatever way we can.

Update 31 March 2020

Update to family members, 31 March 2020

We are now in the second week of our lockdown period and everyone has settled into the new way of life within our care homes without the usual comings and goings of our regular visitors.

Our diversional therapists and activities coordinators are focussed on providing a busy programme of engagement in life interests and activities, and making sure that everyone’s involved in the everyday happenings of the homes, that they have companionship, enjoy their daily routine and continue to feel part of a wider, caring community of residents and staff. 

Residents are still able to enjoy activities such as seated exercise sessions, quizzes, current affairs, sing-a-longs, social games, special interest groups, ladies’ group, men’s club, walking groups (assisted by staff), movies and Happy Hour – and much more besides!  Our care homes are always very bright and colourful, but even more so now that our staff have lovely new tunic tops to wear in an array of colours, adding to the lively and vibrant atmosphere.

Our chaplains play an essential role in all The Selwyn Foundation’s care homes and – across our village sites – they’re continuing with regular services for groups of ten residents or fewer, and are resourcing interested people to continue with some form of music and prayers.

We’re also working on keeping our residents in touch with their families, by providing virtual access through a wide range of channels. These include, for example, FaceTime accessed on our nurses’ iPhones with families calling at a pre-arranged time, and emails from family which we can then read out to the resident (this is very popular with residents, and thank you to families for all the interesting and fun updates in your messages). Families can also connect using ‘WhatsApp’ on their iPhone or by video through ZOOM (we have iPads that can facilitate this).  This week, our chaplains are also being equipped with the capability to connect virtually with residents via tablets and FaceTime or Jabber, which will enhance the level of support they can provide beyond that of an ordinary phone call.

We understand that family members will be anxious to hear about how their loved one is doing over this lockdown period, so please do let us know what your preferred method of contact is, and we’ll do everything we can to make it happen.  We’re also looking at how we can provide specific clinical updates to families on a weekly basis, but you can contact us at any time if you’d like additional reassurance that your parent or loved one is well and in good spirits.

We hope that all our residents’ families are keeping safe and well and are also getting used to this new way of life, as we unite to eradicate this virus from New Zealand.  As always, if you have a particular query or concern, please don’t hesitate to contact the care manager at the relevant facility at any time.

Update 26 March 2020

Protecting our residents from COVID-19/Coronavirus

As we have now entered the COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown period, with the Government advising that everyone must stay at home to prevent spreading the infection, we wish to assure family members of our residential care residents that our care homes are the safest place for your loved ones to be at this time. 

We appreciate that you will be concerned at the prospect of not being able to see your family member for a number of weeks.  Our villages are currently free of COVID-19 and, by closing our care homes to all non-essential visitors, we are endeavouring to prevent the situation where the virus is brought in from the outside community.  

Our villages and the Selwyn central laundry constitute an essential service, with all nurses, caregivers and support teams continuing to work as rostered and doing all they can to ensure that residents are safe, comfortable and content within our warm and caring environment.  Our teams are working to the Foundation’s pandemic management plan, and we have introduced a wide range of precautions and protective measures as regards our practices and procedures.  Carers are highly trained in infection control; they are equipped with the required personal protective equipment to provide care to vulnerable older people, are screened each day and have their temperatures checked to ensure that they are healthy and free of any symptoms.

We are providing our team members with every support possible at both a professional and personal level.  Key initiatives have been implemented, such as employing our trusted casual Bureau staff on a longer, fixed-term basis to support staffing needs as necessary, and asking colleagues aged 70+ or who have an underlying medical condition to work from home or undertake alternative tasks at home, so that they can protect themselves from the virus.  The Foundation is continuing to look at ways and means of supporting the health and welfare of staff as they deal with the stresses and strains of the current situation, like everyone else in New Zealand, whilst coming to work to provide essential services for our residents.   

In addition, as an organisation, we are following all Government advice and legislation, as well as that of our industry bodies – the NZ Aged Care Association and Retirement Villages Association.  We are sharing knowledge and best practice with other providers within the sector and keeping abreast of developments overseas. Therefore, you can be sure that we are doing everything possible to keep the infection out of our care homes, which will be a safe haven for our residents.

During this lockdown period, should family members wish to receive an update on how their loved one is doing at any stage, do not hesitate to contact the relevant facility care manager.  Families are of course welcome to phone and speak to their relative at any time, and we will also assist with keeping them in touch through the aid of technology.

Thank you for your understanding and support in these unprecedented times.  If there is anything at all that we can help with, please do let us know.

Update to family members, 24 March 2020

Following yesterday’s announcement by the Government advising that New Zealand has now moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and will be moving to Level 4 from 11.59pm on Wednesday, 25 March, for a minimum of four weeks, we wish to remind families that our care homes are now closed to all visitors except for those whose loved ones are receiving end-of-life care.

It is important that everyone now stays home to reduce their risk of contracting the virus.  Therefore, please can we ask that family members do not come to the care home or expect their loved one to meet with them outside the doors of the facility or in another part of the village site, as this could put our other care residents at risk. 

Our care partners will be able to assist any residents who would like to go out for a breath of fresh air, and we will be providing additional activities and engagement in life programmes to prevent any feelings of isolation or loneliness.  We will also be looking at using technology to keep our residents in touch with their family members, such as video calls.  And, of course, family can phone their loved ones at any point.

We will do all we can to keep this infection at bay and to support our residents during this uncertain time. But everyone has a part to play in this national effort. Please help us to protect your loved ones, our other residents, our staff and New Zealand from the devastating effects of this virus. 

Should you have any particular concerns as to you loved one’s health at any time, please do not hesitate to contact the facility care manager. 

Due to the latest update by the Government advising people over 70 and those with compromised immune systems to stay at home as much as possible due to the Covid-19 risk, we wish to advise families that we are now cancelling visiting hours for all our care homes. Our care homes are now closed to all visitors.   

This new safeguard takes effect immediately and applies to all family members – with the exception of close family whose loved ones may be approaching end-of-life.

Please contact your Care Manager, if you would like to discuss the situation as it applies to you and your family member.

We would like to thank you for your patience and understanding given these difficult circumstances, as we work to protect all those in our care from this escalating health risk.

Updated 18 March 2020

Advice to families of our care home residents

To help prevent COVID-19 affecting our village communities, we are taking additional precautionary measures to protect our vulnerable residents.

Effective today (18 March), we will be temporarily closing our care homes to all visitors, with the exception of close family members who meet our screening requirements for admission. 

On a practical level, this means that our front entrance doors will now be locked at all times (other secondary entrances were closed last week) and the doorbells are to be used.  We will be speaking personally to each individual family member on their arrival, to enquire whether they have recently returned from any overseas destination or if they are displaying any cold or flu symptoms.

Should people’s health declaration or recent travel history potentially represent a risk to residents, we will unfortunately be unable to admit them to the premises for the time being.  In this event, we will assist in facilitating alternative methods of contact for families.

In addition to close family members, only essential contractors (such as visiting healthcare practitioners and physiotherapists) and chaplains will be permitted entry to the care homes, having been screened on arrival as above to assess their health status, etc.  We have also introduced similar precautions in relation to our permanent and casual staff, in addition to temperature checks.   

Grandchildren will still be welcome to visit, providing they are fully supervised at all times and parents ensure that good hand hygiene is observed.  

Regrettably, friends of our care home residents, non-essential contractors and volunteers will not be permitted access, regardless of whether they are feeling well, have not travelled overseas or have not been in contact with anyone who has recently returned from abroad. 

If family members have recently returned from any overseas destination, or if they have been in close contact with others who have returned from an international trip, we are requesting that they do not visit their loved ones living at Selwyn for 14 days post the arrival date, to make sure no symptoms emerge.  Equally, if they are suffering with cold or flu-like symptoms, they should not visit until they are clear of the symptoms. We encourage people to stay home, avoid public gatherings and events, and cover their mouth and nose when sneezing with disposable tissues and then wash their hands.

Should further prevention measures be necessary in due course, we may decide to reduce visiting hours to the care home, but we will endeavour to give families as much advance notice of this as possible.

Whilst we recognise that families may wish to have their loved ones with them at this time, we would recommend that residents continue living at our Selwyn care homes, as our staff are highly trained in infection control procedures and will continue to provide the highest level of care within the context of our outbreak/pandemic management plans.  

We will be offering additional engagement in life programmes and other activities to support our residents’ sense of wellbeing over this period and to counter any potential feelings of social isolation or loneliness.   

The health and wellbeing of our residents are our primary concern, and we will do our utmost to protect all those who are vulnerable in our care. 

We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and will review our procedures and advice to families according to the latest Ministry of Health guidance.

If the partial closure of our care homes represents particular difficulties for families, they will be welcome to discuss their specific situation with their relevant Care Manager.