When COVID-19 arrived and changed our landscape, your safety, and that of our clients, was our immediate priority.
To ensure that our clients were able to receive continued care, delivered in the safest possible way, we didn’t hesitate to take the temporary measure of covering the costs for Personal Protective Equipment (surgical masks) that was deemed necessary for service delivery in areas identified by the authorities.
We communicated this process with you on this portal on 17th July and 24th September 2020.
There have been some recent changes to the requirements for PPE in both NSW and VIC which will affect this mask supplement in NSW.
In summary, when delivering in home care services in:
- NSW: No masks are required in aged care in the home, or transitional care.
- VIC: Eyewear is no longer required. Masks ARE still required.
As restrictions have been lifted and masks are no longer required in NSW, Care Connect have reassessed this provision and we will be removing the mask supplement for all aged care and ComPacks/SASH services in areas where we were previously paying it. This will come into effect for any services that are delivered from Monday 14th December, 2020.
The mask supplement will remain in place in VIC for a limited period, under ongoing review – further advice to follow. Please continue to log in to this Provider portal for updates.
Whilst it is good news that restrictions are being relaxed further, we encourage you to please remain vigilant and consistent when it comes to following the correct use of PPE, social distancing and hygiene. Please also continue to implement the screening process. This is essential to ensure that you protect yourself and our clients. Please also follow Commonwealth guidance as well as state and territory government requirements at all times.
Kind regards,
Eileen Keane
General Manager, Service Delivery Partnerships