Residential Care Residents

COVID-19 update: ongoing precautions when visiting Selwyn care homes

As New Zealand transitions from an emergency pandemic response to treating COVID-19 as another infectious disease to be controlled, we wish to clarify our current infection prevention procedures for visitors to our care homes.

We will be continuing with all our existing precautions and processes for minimising any potential risk of COVID entering our care environments. There are no changes to our current protocols for visitors and staff, with masks and RAT testing continuing to be important measures in preventing transmission of the virus. While you may notice members of staff walking around the village without a mask, anyone entering the residential care setting will be required to ‘mask-up’. Visitors and staff will also need to RAT test before entering the care homes (staff before starting each shift).

The above also applies to visiting health professionals, contractors, volunteers, external providers, etc, who must complete a RAT and wear a mask if they are entering one of the care homes.

We encourage everyone to continue to be vigilant about their own health; anyone starting to develop cold or flu symptoms is requested to stay at home, not visit the village and to take a RAT as soon as possible.

This update follows a recent review of all our infection prevention and control practices by The Selwyn Foundation’s Clinical Governance Committee. As COVID-19 is now always present within the wider community, we would like to thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance in helping to maintain a safe environment for our vulnerable residents.

COVID-19 update: positive cases have been detected at Kerridge care home

A number of our residents have unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19. At this stage, we will not be closing the care home to visitors, but we ask that friends and family who may be visiting over the Christmas and New Year period observe all our important infection prevention and control precautions in order to prevent any further transmission.

As a reminder:

• All visitors are required to have a rapid antigen test (RAT) on arrival and to return a negative result before seeing their loved one. If you are intending to take your loved one off site, you will still need to have a RAT beforehand.
• You must wear a mask. Masks must be worn at all times (when not eating or drinking). We can supply you with a mask, if required.
• Avoid using the common areas. Visiting can take place in the resident’s room; meeting outside is also a great option in this warmer weather.
• Please continue to sign in via our Visitor Management System and observe all the standard COVID hygiene precautions (ie, hand sanitising, coughing/sneezing etiquette).
• No visitor will be permitted on site who is unwell/symptomatic. If you feel unwell at all, please do not visit our care home but postpone your visit until another time.

Those residents who have tested positive are isolating in their rooms; family may visit if they wish, but will need to wear full PPE which will be provided.

We are continuing to closely monitor everyone for symptoms and are working to minimise any further risk of transmission. All our staff are taking daily rapid antigen tests as a matter of routine and must return a negative result before they can start work. Our team members also continue to wear masks.

We appreciate that you will be concerned at this news. If there is any change to the health of your loved one at any point, we will contact you immediately.

Thank you for your cooperation and support of these measures which are designed to protect our residents, staff and visitors from COVID-19 and to avoid having to close the care home. We would be grateful if you would share the above information with any other family members or friends who may be intending to visit over the holiday period.

Household One in the Ivan Ward Centre has been reopened as we now close Household three to visitors until further notice

The two residents in Household One of the Ivan Ward Centre have fully recovered from COVID-19 and Household One is now open to visitors.
Unfortunately we have since identified two unrelated COVID cases in Household Three and are therefore closing Household Three to visitors until further notice.
Our other households will remain open for regular visiting for the foreseeable future.

We continue to follow all recommended infection prevention and control measures and strict cleaning and sanitising procedures. We have tested all our other residents and everyone has tested negative. We will continue to closely monitor everyone for symptoms and are working to minimise any further risk of transmission.

If there is any change to the health of your loved one at any time, we will contact you immediately.

All staff continue to take daily rapid antigen tests and must return a negative result before they can start work. Our team members continue to wear masks and will be wearing N95 masks in the affected household.

If you have an urgent need to visit a resident – or if your loved one is receiving palliative care – please contact us to discuss how we might safely accommodate your visit within our infection prevention and control precautions.

We realise that this will come as a disappointment for family members of residents in Household Three and we apologise for the short notice. Please do let us know if we can help facilitate any calls to your loved one over this period, or if you have a specific query or concern as to their general health and wellbeing.

We will provide an update if there are any changes to our visiting procedures.

Household One in the Ivan Ward Centre is closed to visitors until further notice

Two of our residents in Household One of the Ivan Ward Centres have unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19 this morning. We have therefore closed Household One to visitors as of this afternoon and for the rest of this week. Our other households will remain open for regular visiting for the foreseeable future.

The two residents are presenting very mild symptoms and are isolating in their rooms. We have tested all our other residents today and everyone has tested negative. We will continue to closely monitor everyone for symptoms and are working to minimise any further risk of transmission.

We appreciate that you will be concerned at this news, but please be assured that we are implementing all recommended infection prevention and control measures and strict cleaning and sanitising procedures. If there is any change to the health of your loved one at any time, we will contact you immediately.

All our staff continue to take daily rapid antigen tests and must return a negative result before they can start work. Our team members continue to wear masks and will be wearing N95 masks in the affected household.

If you have an urgent need to visit a resident – or if your loved one is receiving palliative care – please contact us to discuss how we might safely accommodate your visit within our infection prevention and control precautions.

We realise that this will come as a disappointment for family members of residents in Household One and we apologise for the short notice. Please do let us know if we can help facilitate any calls to your loved one over this period, or if you have a specific query or concern as to their general health and wellbeing.

We will review the situation next Monday and provide an update if there are any changes to our visiting procedures.

COVID-19 update following Government announcements on 12 September 2022

This week that the Government made some significant changes to its response to the pandemic, including removing the Traffic Light framework and other changes to vaccination mandates, isolation requirements and mask guidance.

The Selwyn Foundation has reviewed its COVID-19 protocols in response to the Government changes. While we are pleased to see numbers of cases and hospitalisations reducing, we are still concerned for the welfare of all our residents, and have chosen to take a cautious approach to easing of restrictions for the next few weeks. Key decisions made following our review are:

• Please do not visit if you are unwell/symptomatic. If you feel unwell at all, please do not visit our care home, but postpone your visit until you are symptom-free.
• Please do not visit if you are COVID-19 positive or are a household contact of a positive case. While the Government has removed the requirement for household contacts to isolate, at Selwyn we have chosen to retain this requirement for the next few weeks at least, as an additional protection for our most vulnerable population and your loved one. Please do not visit our care home if you are within the seven day isolation period, having tested positive yourself, or if someone in your household has tested positive.
• All visitors are still required to have a Rapid Antigen Tet (RAT) on arrival. Please continue to have a RAT prior to visiting, even if you are taking your loved one off site. You will need to return a negative result before seeing your loved one. We will review this requirement after two weeks and will seek further guidance on this point in consultation with the Ministry of Health and the wider residential aged care sector.
• Please continue to sign in via our Visitor Management System and observe all the standard COVID hygiene precautions (ie, hand sanitising, coughing/sneezing etiquette).
• Please continue to wear an N95 mask (preferably) or a surgical mask (not a cloth one). Masks must be worn at all times within the care home, to protect our vulnerable residents. This is a compulsory requirement for the aged care sector as a whole. We also strongly encourage you to continue to wear a mask in other settings (when not eating or drinking). We can supply you with a surgical mask, if required.
• We will no longer be requesting information about the vaccination status of visitors.
• Please be considerate of our staff members who are continuing to work to ensure that any potential risk of COVID entering our care home is minimised as much as possible. Our staff will still be wearing masks and will continue to be vaccinated.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support of these measures which are designed to protect your loved one from COVID-19 and to avoid our having to close the care home again. Please share the above information with any other family members or friends who may be intending to visit. 

Restrictions on visitor numbers eased from Tuesday, 16 August 2022

Following rapid antigen testing of all our residents on Monday morning, everyone tested negative. Those residents who had previously been confirmed as having COVID-19 have also tested negative and have fully recovered. We are therefore able to revert to the visiting arrangements that were in place prior to our having to close the centre on 29 July.

We would like to remind you of our important infection prevention precautions that everyone is asked to observe. These will enable us to reduce any potential risk of the virus making its way into the care home again, so we can continue to stay open for visiting as long as possible.

• Appointments must be booked in advance; this will ensure we accommodate a safe number of visitors at any one time in the interests of maintaining a COVID-free environment. Please ring us to book a suitable time for you to visit your loved one – you can visit between 9:00am and 5:00pm any day. All visits are for one hour only, except where a resident is critically ill or dying.
• All visitors are required to have a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on arrival – regardless of their vaccination status – and to return a negative result before seeing their loved one. If you are intending to take your loved one off site, you will still need to have a RAT beforehand.
• Please continue to sign in via our Visitor Management System and observe all the standard COVID hygiene precautions (ie, hand sanitising, coughing/sneezing etiquette).
• You must wear an N95 mask. Masks must be worn at all times (when not eating or drinking), even when visiting in an outdoor setting. We can supply you with an N95 mask, if required.
• Visits will take place in designated areas and outside whenever possible unless the resident is critically ill or dying; for vaccinated visitors, visiting can take place in the resident’s room.
• Visitor numbers are limited to two visitors per appointment if visiting inside, and four if visiting outside.
• No visitor will be allowed on site who is unwell/symptomatic. If you feel unwell at all, please do not visit our care home, but postpone your visit until another time.
• Please be considerate of our staff members who are working to ensure that any potential risk of COVID entering our care home is minimised as much as possible. Persons demonstrating an unwillingness to cooperate with the visitor guidelines will be requested to leave the premises.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support of these measures which are designed to protect your loved one from COVID-19 and to avoid our having to close the care home again. Please share the above information with any other family members or friends who may be intending to visit. 

Ivan Ward Centre to re-open for limited visiting Wednesday, 10 August 2022

We have been continuing to test all our residents and staff for any indicators of COVID-19 over the last few days and unfortunately still have a number of active cases in some of our households. However, we are confident that we will be able to safely re-open all households in the Ivan Ward Centre tomorrow to visitors who have made appointments.

Visiting will be restricted to one person at a time, with all visits taking place in residents’ rooms. To protect our residents and staff from any further risk of infection, visitors will be required to take a rapid antigen test before seeing their relative and to wear an N95 mask at all times. Families will be unable to take their loved one off site for the time being, until we can be certain of having eliminated the virus.

If you would like to visit from tomorrow, please ring us in advance to book your appointment. This will help from a planning and resourcing perspective and will ensure that we can continue to maintain a safe visiting environment for all.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance with our safe visiting practices, and we look forward to welcoming back our visitors from tomorrow.

Ivan Ward Centre to remain closed - to be reassessed on Friday 5 August 2022.

Unfortunately the Ivan Ward Centre will need to remain closed to visitors for another few days at least. We have identified a number of new cases since Friday, and it is important that we do everything possible to contain any further spread of the virus.

We are continuing to closely monitor residents for symptoms and are working to minimise any further transmission within our households. If there is any change to the health of your loved one, please be assured that we will contact you immediately.

We will continue to make an exception for family members wishing to visit a relative who is receiving palliative care and will also consider special requests to visit in particular circumstances. If you have an urgent need to visit a resident, please contact us to discuss whether we can safely accommodate your visit within our infection prevention and control precautions.

We will review the situation again on Friday and will advise of any changes to our visiting procedures.

Ivan Ward Centre closed to visitors until further notice

Unfortunately we are closing the Ivan Ward Centre to visitors with immediate effect, as two residents in Household 5 have tested positive for COVID-19 this morning.

The two residents are presenting very mild symptoms. As the residents in the same household are considered to be close contacts, they too are required to isolate and will take their meals in their rooms for the time being.

We appreciate that you will be concerned for the health of your loved one, but please be assured that we are implementing all recommended infection prevention and control measures and strict cleaning and sanitising procedures. We will be monitoring all our residents closely for symptoms and will test every 48 hours to determine further cases. If there is any change to the health of your loved one at any time, we will contact you immediately. All our staff continue to take daily rapid antigen tests and must return a negative result before they can start work. Our team members are also wearing N95 masks at all times.

We will enable visits to residents who are receiving palliative care; family members should contact us to make an appointment beforehand and will be required to wear full PPE and a N95 mask during their visit.

The centre will remain closed to all other visitors over the weekend. We will review the situation on Monday and provide an update if there are any changes to our visiting procedures for the other households.

Any visitors who have been to Ivan Ward in the last few days are advised that they do not need to get a COVID test (unless they are symptomatic), but should continue to monitor for the development of any COVID symptoms.

We realise that this news will be disappointing for you and we apologise for the short notice. Please do let us know if we can help facilitate any calls to your loved one over this period, or if you have a specific query or concern as to their general health and wellbeing.

Thank you for your understanding at this time.

Important reminder of our COVID-19 visiting protocols

Following the re-opening of Kerridge care home to visitors, we would like to provide this helpful reminder of the important infection prevention precautions that everyone is asked to observe. Please familiarise yourself with these before your next visit. This will enable us to reduce any potential risk of the virus making its way into our care homes, so we can continue to stay open for visiting as long as possible.

• Appointments must be booked in advance; this will ensure we accommodate a safe number of visitors at any one time in the interests of maintaining a COVID-free environment. Please ring us to book a suitable time for you to visit your loved one – you can visit between 9:30am and 4:30pm any day. All visits are for one hour only, except where a resident is critically ill or dying.
• All visitors are required to have a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on arrival – regardless of their vaccination status – and to return a negative result before seeing their loved one. If you are intending to take your loved one off site, you will still need to have a RAT beforehand.
• Please continue to sign in via our Visitor Management System and observe all the standard COVID hygiene precautions (ie, hand sanitising, coughing/sneezing etiquette).
• You must wear a medical/surgical mask at the least, but ideally an N95 mask. Please do not wear a cloth mask as these do not provide adequate protection. Masks must be worn at all times (when not eating or drinking), even when visiting in an outdoor setting. Your assistance in coming prepared with the appropriate mask when you next visit will help protect our residents and staff alike. We can supply you with a surgical mask, if necessary.
• Visits will take place in designated areas and outside whenever possible unless the resident is critically ill or dying; for vaccinated visitors, visiting can take place in the resident’s room.
• Visitor numbers are limited to four visitors per appointment (and two if visiting inside).
• No visitor will be allowed on site who is unwell/symptomatic. If you are symptomatic in any way, ie, experiencing Influenza-like illness such as a sore throat, runny nose, headache, chills/sweats, cough, myalgia/muscle pain, fatigue or fever, please do not visit but stay at home until you return a negative test and have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
• Please be considerate of our staff members who are working to ensure that any potential risk of COVID entering our care home is minimised as much as possible. Persons demonstrating an unwillingness to cooperate with the visitor guidelines will be requested to leave the premises.

Kerridge will re-open to visitors on Monday, 27 June 2022

As we have had no further COVID cases since 17 June, we are confident in being able to take bookings for visits and accepting new admissions from the start of next week. Please ring us to book a suitable time for you to visit your loved one – you can visit between 9:30am and 4:30pm from Monday (exceptions will of course be made for anyone needing to visit on compassionate grounds).

So that we can facilitate a COVID-safe environment for all, visits will continue to be held outdoors (apart from visits to palliative residents), with all visitors – regardless of their vaccination status –required to have a rapid antigen test on arrival and return a negative result before seeing their family member.

In addition to rapid antigen testing, our general COVID visiting restrictions remain in place, with designated areas allocated according to vaccination status. Visitors will be limited to two per appointment if visiting inside, and four if visiting outside. Please would everyone also continue to sign in via our Visitor Management System, wear a mask (when not eating or drinking) and observe all the usual COVID hygiene precautions.

If you are feeling unwell/symptomatic or showing any signs of a flu-like illness, are under investigation of COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone who is under investigation for COVID-19 or is a confirmed case, please do not visit your relative until you receive a negative test result.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation with our important health and safety protocols, and we look forward to seeing everyone again next week.

Kerridge remains closed to visitors for the rest of this week

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Kerridge care home is declining and those residents who have had the virus are now improving. It is important that Kerridge continues to remain closed to visitors for all of this week, to ensure that the infection has been eliminated, but we hope to be able to reopen early next week – assuming no positive cases are detected in the interim.

We understand that this will be disappointing for you, but please do continue with your phone calls, Zoom and Facetime chats, as residents very much look forward to those. Do let us know if we can help in coordinating these calls in any way.

Residents who are well are enjoying going out for walks in the village, supported by staff, and our engagement in life programmes continue around the care home, tailored as necessary for those who are isolating and for the wider resident community.

We are continuing to implement all recommended infection prevention and control measures and strict cleaning and sanitising procedures, and are closely screening residents and staff alike. We will contact families directly, if there is any change to the health of their loved one at any time.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss your family member’s wellbeing at any time. If you are needing to visit your relative on compassionate grounds, we will of course accommodate that within our infection prevention controls.

Kerridge care home at Selwyn Village remains closed to visitors

Unfortunately, Kerridge will remain closed to visitors for the rest of this week. We have identified a number of new cases in the last few days, and it is important that we do everything possible to contain any further spread of the virus.

We are continuing to implement stringent infection prevention and control measures and strict cleaning and sanitising procedures throughout the care home, in line with Selwyn’s comprehensive protocols, as well as rigorous monitoring and observation of our residents. We are rapid antigen testing all residents who prove positive and their close contacts every 48 hours. Our staff members are undergoing RAT testing and temperature screening before they start each shift and are wearing full PPE and the recommended N95 masks. Staff must also change into their uniform at work and change out of it before they leave Kerridge.

We have also introduced cohort nursing for those residents who are isolating in their rooms and have rostered additional staff to ensure this separation of duties. We will of course contact families if their loved one subsequently tests positive and will also provide an update once a resident returns a negative result.

Our diversional therapists are continuing to provide one-on-one engagement in life activities to isolating residents, with activity programmes also taking place in two of the care home wings for those residents who are not symptomatic. We are very happy to arrange family calls on FaceTime, etc, according to your requests. Please contact our administrator or diversional therapists to book calls to your family member and we will assist in facilitating these.

We understand that you will naturally be concerned for the health and wellbeing of your loved one. Please be assured that we are doing everything practical to contain this highly contagious virus and to protect your family member from potential infection.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any query as to your loved one’s health at this time.

Kerridge care home to remain closed to visitors

Unfortunately Kerridge rest home remains closed to visitors for the time being, as we identified another positive case yesterday. 

Please be assured that we’re continuing to closely monitor those who have symptoms, and we have also increased the frequency of our observation checks of our wider resident community. We will contact you immediately if your loved one appears to become unwell at any point (or if any existing symptoms develop further). Those residents who are symptomatic are being cared for in isolation within their rooms.

All members of staff continue to complete rapid antigen tests prior to each shift, and we have implemented enhanced infection prevention and control measures throughout the care home.

We appreciate that it is very disappointing not to be able to visit in person, but please do continue to maintain contact with your loved one through phone/FaceTime, etc, and we’ll do all that we can to assist with that.

Exemptions to the visiting restriction will of course be made on compassionate grounds.

We will undertake further RAT-testing of all residents on Friday and will write to you then with an update.

Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. If you have a specific query or concern as to your family member’s health, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Kerridge care home closed to visitors until further notice

A number of residents in Kerridge care home have received positive rapid antigen test results. The next of kin of these residents have been contacted. As a result we are closing closing Kerridge care home to all visitors with immediate effect until further notice.

All staff continue receive daily rapid antigen tests and must return a negative result and be asymptomatic before they will be allowed to start work. All staff continue to wear N95 masks whilst at work.

We are monitoring residents closely for symptoms and are testing every 48 hours to determine further cases.

Visual checks and physical examinations of residents will take place twice a day to check vital signs and oxygen saturation levels. This is in addition to the regular observations that we carry out on a routine basis.

We appreciate that you will be concerned for the safety of your loved one, but please be assured, we have strict protocols in place. We will contact you immediately if your loved should appear to have symptoms or receive a positive result from a rapid antigen test.

We apologise for this short notice. We will keep you appraised of the situation as more information comes to hand and expect to provide an update on Tuesday.

Another resident in Sarah Selwyn Hospital tests positive for COVID-19

Despite our rigorous screening of visitors who have had to undergo a rapid antigen test before visiting their loved ones and staff also before commencing work, we wish to advise you that another resident in Sarah Selwyn has tested positive for COVID-19. All contacts of that resident have been retested and have returned negative results. We are still trying to determine the source of the infection.

This resident is in isolation and their next of kin have been contacted.

At this stage Sarah Selwyn remains open to visitors within the designated visiting hours. All visitors will be tested prior to entry.
All staff will continue to receive daily rapid antigen tests and must return a negative result and be asymptomatic before they will be allowed to start work. All staff continue to wear N95 masks whilst at work.

Residents showing flu-like symptoms will be isolated immediately, undergo a rapid antigen test and monitored closely.
Should any further residents test positive, we will need to close Sarah Selwyn again.

Please be assured, we have strict protocols in place. We will contact you immediately if your loved should appear to have symptoms or receive a positive result from a rapid antigen test.

Sarah Selwyn has re-opened for visiting today

We have been successful in preventing any further spread of COVID-19, with no cases reported in the last few days, so are confident in taking bookings for visits and accepting new admissions. Please ring us to book a suitable time for you to visit your loved one – you can visit this afternoon up to 4:30pm, and between 9:30am and 4:30pm from tomorrow (exceptions will of course be made for anyone needing to visit on compassionate grounds).

So that we can facilitate a COVID-safe environment for all, visits will continue to be held outdoors (apart from visits to palliative residents), with all visitors – regardless of their vaccination status –required to have a rapid antigen test on arrival and return a negative result before seeing their family member.

In addition to rapid antigen testing, our general COVID visiting restrictions remain in place, with designated areas allocated according to vaccination status. Visitors will be limited to two per appointment if visiting inside, and four if visiting outside. Please would everyone also continue to sign in via our Visitor Management System, wear a mask (when not eating or drinking) and observe all the usual COVID hygiene precautions.

If you are feeling unwell/symptomatic or showing any signs of a flu-like illness, are under investigation of COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone who is under investigation for COVID-19 or is a confirmed case, please do not visit your relative until you receive a negative test result.

As New Zealand is now opening its borders, the Ministry of Health advises that there may be an increase in flu cases this season. Omicron is also still a threat, so it will be doubly important to protect vulnerable communities and the health system. Our residents have received their flu vaccinations and – in the general community – everyone over 65 can get the free flu vaccine, as well as those with compromised immune systems. The Government has also widened eligibility for the free vaccine to include Māori and Pacific people aged 55 and over. As with protecting against COVID, having the flu vaccine is our best form of defence and will save lives, and I would encourage as many people as possible to have the vaccination if they can.

Sarah Selwyn hospital to remain closed to visitors until next Monday, 30 May 2022

Sarah Selwyn will unfortunately remain closed to visitors until next Monday, 30 May - assuming we have no new cases over the weekend. A number of residents have tested positive this week, and it is important that we do everything possible to reduce any risk of further transmission.

We understand that this will be very disappointing for you and that you will be concerned for your loved one. Please be assured that we are doing everything possible to contain this highly contagious virus and to protect your family members from potential infection.

We have introduced additional infection control measures and are continuing to closely monitor all our residents for any early indicators of the virus. We will contact you immediately if your loved one appears to become unwell at any point (or if existing symptoms develop further).

Whilst we appreciate that it is no substitute for visiting in person, we would ask that you continue to maintain contact with your family member through phone/FaceTime, etc, and we will do all that we can to assist with that.

Sarah Selwyn Hospital COVID-19 update

Sarah Selwyn will continue to be closed to visitors for the time being, to allow for an appropriate number of days’ isolation to pass so we can ensure everyone’s health and safety.

All residents who have returned a positive test are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. The virus has affected residents whose rooms are on the ground floor, and we’re working to contain any possible spread through cohort nursing and enhanced infection prevention and control measures.

Please be assured that we’re continuing to closely monitor those who have symptoms, and we have also increased the frequency of our observation checks of our wider resident community.

We will contact family immediately if a loved one appears to become unwell at any point (or if any existing symptoms develop further). In the meantime, please do continue to maintain contact with your family member through phone/FaceTime, etc, and we’ll be happy to assist with that as required.  Exemptions to the visiting restriction will of course be made on compassionate grounds.

We would hope to be able to re-open for visiting early next week, but we’ll confirm that nearer the time. Thank you for your understanding and support.

If you have a specific query or concern as to your family member’s health at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sarah Selwyn Hospital closed to visitors until further notice

Despite our rigorous screening of visitors who have had to undergo a rapid antigen test before visiting their loved ones and staff also before commencing work, we wish to advise you that we are closing Sarah Selwyn care home to all visitors with immediate effect until further notice.

A number of residents have received positive results from rapid antigen tests. The next of kin of these residents have been contacted. We are still trying to determine the source of the infection and will keep you abreast of the situation.

All staff will continue to receive daily rapid antigen tests and must return a negative result and be asymptomatic before they will be allowed to start work. All staff continue to wear N95 masks whilst at work.

Residents are also receiving daily rapid antigen tests and we are monitoring residents closely for symptoms.

Visual checks and physical examinations of residents will take place twice a day to check vital signs and oxygen saturation levels. This is in addition to the regular observations that we carry out on a routine basis.

We appreciate that you will be concerned for the safety of your loved one, but please be assured, we have strict protocols in place. We will contact you immediately if your loved should appear to have symptoms or receive a positive result from a rapid antigen test.

We apologise for this short notice. We will keep you appraised of the situation as more information comes to hand and expect to provide an update within 48 hours.

Kerridge House will re-open to visitors tomorrow (13 April 2022)

We have been successful in preventing any further spread of COVID-19 within Kerridge House Rest Home since our original three cases. Given this we are now confident in taking bookings for visits from tomorrow morning and accepting new admissions. Please ring us on 09 845 0733 to book a suitable time for you to visit your loved one between 9:30am and 4:30pm (exceptions will be made for anyone needing to visit on compassionate grounds). 

So that we can facilitate a COVID-safe environment for all, visits will continue to be held outdoors (apart from visits to palliative residents), with all visitors – regardless of their vaccination status –required to have a rapid antigen test on arrival and return a negative result before seeing their family member.

In addition to rapid antigen testing, our general COVID visiting restrictions remain in place. If you are feeling unwell/symptomatic or showing any signs of a flu-like illness, are under investigation of COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone who is under investigation for COVID-19 or is a confirmed case, please do not visit your relative until you receive a negative test result.

As New Zealand is now starting to open its borders, the Ministry of Health advises that there may be an increase in flu cases this season. Omicron is also still a threat, so it will be doubly important to protect vulnerable communities and the health system. We will be arranging flu vaccinations for our residents later this month and – in the general community – everyone over 65 can get the free flu vaccine, as well as those with compromised immune systems. The Government has also widened eligibility for the free vaccine to include Māori and Pacific people aged 55 and over. As with protecting against COVID, having the flu vaccine is our best form of defence and will save lives, and we would encourage as many people as possible to have the vaccination if they can.

Precautionary closing of Kerridge House to all visitors with immediate effect

Three residents in Selwyn Village's Kerridge care home have returned positive rapid antigen test results for COVID-19. While we undertake further surveillance testing, we are closing the care home to all visitors with immediate effect and until further notice as a precautionary measure.

The residents concerned are now isolating and taking their meals in their rooms for the time being. No other residents are displaying symptoms at this time, but we are now conducting rapid antigen testing (RAT) of all residents. All our staff members have been undergoing testing routinely before every shift.

Our care home will also be closed to all non-essential personnel, including volunteers and external service providers such as the hairdresser and podiatrist.
We are liaising with the Auckland District Health Board on our infection control and prevention procedures and our approach to minimising any further possible transmission.

If we can assist family members with facilitating contact with their loved one remotely, please do let us know. Exemptions to the visiting restriction will of course be made on compassionate grounds.

We continue to monitor residents closely for symptoms and will contact you directly if your loved one appears to become unwell at any point.

There will be no changes to our visiting requirements for the foreseeable future

Following the changes to the COVID-19 Protection Framework announced by Government on Wednesday, we wish to clarify that there will be no changes to Selwyn's visiting procedures for the foreseeable future. We will be retaining all our existing infection prevention and control precautions under the Red traffic light setting, as they have been most effective to date in helping us protect our residents and reduce the risk of potential spread of any infection.

Therefore, please would all visitors continue to wear a medical/surgical mask – even when visiting in an outdoor setting, and, of course, if you need to come into the care home at any point.

Vaccine Passes must be used at least until Tuesday, 5 April. We will notify you thereafter if we will be introducing any changes to this requirement, but we note that premises will still be able to use the system if they choose to do so. Please continue to sign in via our Visitor Management System. Although scanning of QR codes will no longer be required from midnight tonight, everyone is encouraged not to remove the COVID-19 tracer app from their phone just yet in case it may be needed again in the future.

All visitors will still be required to have a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on arrival – regardless of their vaccination status – and to return a negative result before seeing their loved one. Our staff will also continue to be RAT-tested prior to starting every shift, as will our external service providers and volunteers. Vaccine mandates will remain in place for all our teams, as required by the Ministry of Health.

All our other visiting protocols will remain: appointments are to be made in advance; visits will take place in designated areas and outside whenever possible; visiting is limited to four visitors per appointment (and two if visiting inside).

Most importantly, if you are symptomatic in any way, ie, experiencing Influenza-like illness such as a sore throat, runny nose, headache, chills/sweats, cough, myalgia/muscle pain, fatigue or fever, please do not visit your family member but stay at home until you return a negative test and have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours.

The Government will decide on 4 April whether all or parts of the country can move to the Orange traffic light setting, and we will update you, should there be any changes to our visiting procedures.

If you have not yet had your COVID-19 vaccination or booster, please consider doing so as soon as possible, as vaccination is our best tool in preventing infection and reducing community transmission and hospitalisation rates.

As always, thank you for your assistance in ensuring that we maintain a safe environment for all those in our care.

Ivan Ward Centre reopens to outdoor visiting only, from Monday, 21 March (with revised visiting times)

From Monday, 21 March 2022 residents of all households, including our Brian Wells House memory support unit, will be able to receive visitors, as we have had no new cases of COVID-19. 

To ensure a COVID-safe environment for all, visits will be held outdoors (with the exception of visits to palliative residents) and will be by appointment only.

Please also be aware that our visiting hours will also change from Monday, and we ask that you visit your loved ones between 9:30am – 4:30pm only. The revised visiting times are consistent with those of our other care homes at Selwyn Village and are an important part of our overall infection prevention measures, especially in light of the large number of Omicron cases still being reported throughout Auckland.

As per the new visitor screening precaution that was recently introduced, all visitors – regardless of their vaccination status – will be required to have a rapid antigen test on arrival and return a negative result before seeing their loved one. Should you return a positive result, you will unfortunately be unable to visit until you subsequently receive a negative PCR test.

In addition to rapid antigen testing, our general COVID visiting restrictions remain in force.

If you are feeling unwell/symptomatic, are under investigation of COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone who is under investigation for COVID-19 or is a confirmed case, please do not visit your relative until you receive a negative test result.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation with our important health and safety procedures.

The Ivan Ward Centre remains closed

The Ivan Ward Centre at Selwyn Village remains closed to visitors for the time being, as we still have a number of residents with COVID-19.

All residents who have returned a positive test are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.

Please be reassured that we’re continuing to closely monitor everyone for symptoms and will contact family members directly if loved ones appear to become unwell at any point. In the meantime, please do continue to maintain contact with your family member through phone/FaceTime, etc, and we’ll be happy to assist with that as required.

Exemptions to the visiting restriction will of course be made on compassionate grounds.

Thank you for your understanding and support at this time. If you have a specific query or concern as to your family member’s health at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sarah Selwyn Hospital reopens to visitors (with revised visiting times), whilst Ivan Ward Centre remains closed

We have been successful in preventing the spread of COVID-19 amongst our residents of Sarah Selwyn Hospital, with no new cases detected over the weekend or yesterday. As we are only managing the original case (whose symptoms are extremely mild), we are confident in welcoming visitors and new admissions from today (8 March 2022).

Unfortunately at this time, the Ivan Ward Centre remains closed to visitors.

Visiting hours at all care homes in Selwyn Village are now to be consistent between 9:30am – 4:30pm only (with the exception of those needing to visit on compassionate grounds). We are putting this in place whilst COVID-19 remains a threat to the health and safety of our residents and staff, and particularly in light of the recent dramatic rise in the number of Omicron cases reported throughout Auckland.

As per our new infection prevention control recently introduced, all visitors – regardless of their vaccination status – will be required to have a rapid antigen test on arrival and return a negative result before seeing their loved one. Should you return a positive result, you will unfortunately be unable to visit until you subsequently receive a negative PCR test.

In addition to rapid antigen testing, our general COVID visiting restrictions remain in place. If you are feeling unwell/symptomatic, are under investigation of COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone who is under investigation for COVID-19 or is a confirmed case, please do not visit your relative until you receive a negative test result.

Thank you for your ongoing patience, we will advise you once the Ivan Ward Centre is able to accept visitors.