More than 100 aged care facilities from the Gold Coast to the Wide Bay region are preparing for the impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is expected to hit south east Queensland on Thursday night.
The predicted Category 2 cyclone will be the first cyclone to make landfall in the region since 1974.
One of the region’s largest operators, Bolton Clarke, has 29 residential homes, 17 retirement villages and over 2,300 home care clients in the affected areas and has commenced activating local business continuity plans to prepare for anticipated impact.
In a memo issued to staff this morning, Group CEO Steve Muggleton outlined the steps the organisation is taking to ensure the safety of residents and staff.
“Emergency food and water stocks have been sourced, maintenance teams are checking all homes have access to fully fuelled generators if backup power is needed, and communication channels with PHNs, LHNs, pharmacies and local disaster management teams have been established,” Mr Muggleton said.
“At each home, surge staff lists and rosters have been drawn up and arrangements for staff to stay overnight if they are unable to travel home have been put in place.
“Individual arrangements have been made for residents dependent on oxygen and CPAP machine, and Maintenance teams have also secured submersible pumps and sandbags for the most at risk homes.”
“Behind the scenes, support teams including maintenance, IT, communications and the National Service Centre are working with operations to ensure clients, residents and families are updated.”
The Department of Health and Aged Care has checklists to help aged care and home care providers to prepare for emergency events, which include reminders to liaise with local emergency services and to provide regular updates to staff, care recipients and families throughout the event.
The Department encourages providers to develop agreements with other service providers for alternative accommodation in the instance that your or other homes need to partially or fully evacuate people receiving care.
It also encourages consideration to transport options for evacuations, recognising that ambulance services may be fully occupied responding to other emergency calls, and alternative transport providers may have limited capacity.
Multiple alternate means of transport, suitable for frail, elderly residents, such as buses, vans or cars, need to be considered alongside access to your site and availability at short notice and 24-hour contact details.
Download the checklist here: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/preparing-for-an-emergency-event-in-aged-care
