Supported Independent Living and Respite

The information below was published on 13 May 2020, and it is still current.

Supported Independent Living

There are state-based changes are state-based changes in our Supported Independent Living (SIL) homes that impact visitors going in to the home to visit customers, and the activities customers can now take part in out of their homes.

Queensland

Family / carers visits can go ahead – they can now be both social visits and visits for ‘care and support’.

Visits will need to be a maximum of two adults at a time. From the 15th May, this will increase to a maximum of five adults at a time. All visits will need to be pre-arranged with staff.

Customers can now enjoy recreational activities with their Aruma staff and/or one person who does not live at the SIL– such as going for a drive or going for a picnic – up to 150kms from their home.

New South Wales

Family / carers (and their dependent children) visits can go ahead – they can now be both social visits and visits for ‘care and support’.

Visits will need to be a maximum of two adults at a time. From the 15th May, this will increase to a maximum of five adults at a time. All visits will need to be pre-arranged with staff.

Customers can leave the SIL to visit another household, such as a parent or sibling. From the 15th May, they can also attend an outdoor gathering of up to 10 people.

ACT

Family / carers visits can go ahead – they can now be both social visits and visits for ‘care and support’.

Visits to Aruma sites are allowed for up to 10 people at any one time. Visits still need to be pre-arranged with staff. Parties are still not permitted.

Customers can leave the SIL to visit another household, such as a parent or sibling.

Victoria

Family / carers can visit a SIL home for ‘care and support’ only.

Customers can leave the SIL to visit another household, such as a parent or sibling. There must be no more than 5 people at that home at one time.

Partners living separately are able to visit each other at home.

Customers can also attend outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people.

The Victorian Government has stated that they deem non-essential car trips as irresponsible.

Care and support visits in Victoria

We’ve done our best to define what “support or care” can include:

1. Family involvement that is part of a behaviour support plan or other documented care plan. Tasks in the care plan should be completed at the SIL and not at another home or community location. These visits can be no longer than two hours. Social distancing (1.5 metre physical distance), infection control and other workplace protocols need to be followed. These visits will occur (where possible) in a designated separate space, which will be cleaned thoroughly before and after each visit. All visitors are to sign in and out, and follow any onsite protocols.
2. Family involvement where a care plan does not exist and Aruma staff are unable to provide services or care. For example, families can provide support with personal care, cooking, cleaning or medical attention in rare circumstances where an Aruma staff member is unable to do so.
3. An approved “out-of-home” activity. This is where a family can take a customer to receive medical care, visit a loved one in hospital, attend a funeral or attend a wedding. Social distancing and all other government guidelines apply to these activities.

If ‘support and care’ can only be done at the family home, then the 14-day quarantine protocols outlined under ‘Movement of customers away from a SIL home’ would be required.

Movement of customers away from a SIL home

For the safety of our customers and staff, if families, carers or guardians that take a customer out for an ‘extended period of time’, we require a 14-day quarantine period before the customer can re-enter their SIL home. At the end of the 14-days, we will require a Statutory Declaration that the 14-day isolation period has been served.

There isn’t a simple definition of ‘extended period of time’. Most outings will be less than an hour or two, but in some circumstances, they may need to be a bit longer. The basic test is whether the time away is longer than is reasonably necessary to complete the activity. Examples of an ‘extended period of time’ include:

• Any overnight stay at a location other than the customer’s SIL home
• Going for long drives not associated with completing an essential task
• Any travel interstate returning from a nominated hotspot or overseas
• Visiting others (other than a partner when in a relationship or to visit a relative in hospital).

We want to make sure everyone remains safe, so please speak to our staff before you visit or decide to take a customer out of their SIL home.

In-home customer support by external providers

Unfortunately, other than approved health services, we have suspended in-home customer support by external providers. Only Aruma staff will provide supports within the house for the time being.

Emergency maintenance visits to a SIL home

The only other visitors to SILs will be emergency maintenance repairs such as plumbing or checking safety equipment. These visitors are to:

• Not come in to contact with any customers
• Sign in and out
• Apply social distancing protocols

Our staff have the right to refuse someone entry to a site if they have:

• Recently returned from overseas. Any person who has returned from overseas is legally obliged to self-isolate for 14 days. Where this has not been carried out, you can highlight the Government requirements and that Aruma could be subject to fines should we not comply.
• Declared that they are unwell on the sign-in sheet.

Respite

All centre-based respite activities have stopped. No new customers will be taken on and we will support existing customers in respite to return home in a practical manner.