An Important Update for SA Members Who Work in Residential Aged Care Facilities

Beginning 27 August 2020, there will be some new restrictions for all personal care workers who work in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) in South Australia. Information about these new RACF restrictions can be found here.

These new restrictions will apply to all South Australian therapeutic massage therapists, remedial massage therapists and myotherapists who work in RAFC and are as follows as outlined by the Department for Health and Wellbeing:

• Restrictions on working across multiple RACF – All personal care workers are only permitted to work at one RACF. If a personal care worker intends to work at a different RACF, there must be 14 days between work shifts at the first and second RACF. At present, these restrictions do not apply to other employees or contractors.
• PPE requirements – A person who provides nursing, medical, allied health or personal care services to residents must wear appropriate PPE, in accordance with Australian Guidelines, whenever a distance of 1.5m between themselves and the resident cannot be maintained.
• Training requirements – All employees or contractors who provide personal care or nursing care to residents must complete COVID-19 infection control training of a kind, frequency and by a date determined by the Department for Health and Wellbeing. [More information about this COVID-19 infection control training will be posted on the SA Health website at a later date so keep an eye on this webpage for more information.]

We will continue to update you on new restrictions as soon as updates become avaliable.