Course Access
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Hi Everyone,
Train the Trainer webinar – Thank you everyone for your attendance and contributions. We had a blow out number attend- over 400. So wonderful to see our aged care sector collaborating and learning.
Thank you to Perri Waddell
Question unanswered during the session: Please everyone be welcomed to answer any or all of the questions – identify the question by the number in your response.1. If we have outbreak in aged care like more than 5 resident tested positive for COVID and staff too – are we able to get surge team from govt to help with outbreak and staffing ?
2. In a non outbreak situation, would the linen skip be kept in the corridor? Is this a breach of infection control, as the others, such as residents can touch access the skips?
3. Is it a good idea to post funny IPC posters on walls in aged care facility for residents visitors, as well as for staff, to look at to refresh their knowledge?
4. How is the sector planning to train staff to be a lead IPC home care in future?
5. Is doffing to be attended inside the residents room?
6. In aged care we don’t have access to resident’s AIR also finding it hard to get the details from IPC team from hospital – Any chance we could get the access to AIR That would be really handy?1. If we have outbreak in aged care like more than 5 resident tested positive for COVID and staff too – are we able to get surge team from govt to help with outbreak and staffing ?
Thank you for submitting this question to the Train The trainer Webinar (18/6/25) Q&A.
There is no hard and fast rule for accessing a surge team. The Dept of Health and Ageing- see https://www.health.gov.au/topics/aged-care/managing-infectious-respiratory-disease/managing-COVID-19-in-aged-care#:
States under the heading Workforce planningYou should have a workforce management plan to ensure continuous care and services. You are responsible for ongoing delivery of safe, quality care to residents in the event of an outbreak.
Aged care workers should not attend work after testing positive for COVID-19 for at least:
• 5 days if they have no symptoms and can provide a negative COVID-19 test
• 7 days if they have no symptoms and no fever for 24 hours with testing not required.
Temporary surge workforce support is available to eligible aged care homes:
• impacted by a COVID-19 outbreak and having critical workforce shortages
• with evidence that existing partnerships and recruitment channels have been exhausted
• in a MM 3 to 7 location.6. In aged care we don’t have access to resident’s AIR also finding it hard to get the details from IPC team from hospital – Any chance we could get the access to AIR That would be really handy?
Thank you for submitting this question to the Train the Trainer webinar (18/6/25).
The great news is- Yes- Recent changes have been made to enable providers to access their clients details on AIR- See the ACQSC’s recent Clinical Advice (27/5/25) https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/news-publications/clinical-alerts-and-advice/improving-access-vaccination-records-aged-care#:~:text=Not%20being%20able%20to%20easily%20access%20an,access%20to%20the%20Australian%20Immunisation%20Register%20(AIR).&text=Make%20sure%20your%20recording%20and%20reporting%20is,required%20timeframe%2C%20and%20as%20required%20by%20legislation.Access the AIR on behalf of your organisation
Hope that makes life easier for us all.
Perri Waddell3. Is it a good idea to post funny IPC posters on walls in aged care facility for residents visitors, as well as for staff, to look at to refresh their knowledge?
Thank you for this question posted to the Q&A from the Train the Trainer webinar (18/6/25).
I love this approach. Keep the flow of information fresh and engaging. With appropriate consent you could use residents/families or staff as your ‘models’ for your posters. Another quick point on posters- consider how IPC friendly your posters are- can you display them in clip frames that can be easily wiped down to clean or laminated on a pin board. Avoid blu-tacking/celloptaping posters to glass and walls- it can be difficult to remove the blu-tack/cellotape which in turn can harbor microorganisms.
Have fun with this and feel free to share your creations with us!
Warm regards
Perri Waddell4. How is the sector planning to train staff to be a lead IPC home care in future?
Thank you for this excellent question posted to the Q&A from the Train the Trainer webinar (18/6/25).
With regards to accessing training there is nothing to prevent providers from enrolling staff on a recognised IPC course. Whilst there may not be a specific regulatory requirements for Home Care to have an IPC lead on the roster, the new act and standards and the current Aged Care IPC guidelines have clear guidance on the responsibilities of providers in terms of having a workforce with various capabilities, including IPC. Below is an excerpt related to cleaning in Home Care as it relates to training. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/The-Aged-Care-Infection-Prevention-and-Control-Guide.pdf
A big consideration for Home Care is that staff have risk assessment skills- the Home Care setting brings a range of variables to be considered.
My suggestion would be to determine how best you can support safe care for your clients and staff, regardless of where the sector is at- this page will provide further information:
https://www.health.gov.au/topics/aged-care/managing-respiratory-infection/infection-prevention-and-control-in-aged-careI hope that gives a bit more information and I wish you well with this.
Perri Waddell5. Is doffing to be attended inside the residents room?
Thank you for this question posted to the Q&A from the Train the Trainer webinar (18/6/25).
As a rule of thumb- all PPE, except a mask for airborne transmissions, are doffed on exiting the residents room. The doffing station should be as far from the infectious source as possible. For airborne transmissions only remove the mask once you are in the doorway or anteroom or outside the contaminated room. Regardless of where PPE is doffed, strict mask doffing practices must be adhered to as well as strict hand hygiene, high touch cleaning and tight waste management- no overflowing bins etc. Remember PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls and needs to be used in conjunction with other control measures, especially environmental controls- environmental cleaning/air flow and administrative controls- staff practices with the use of PPE- especially doffing safely.
Table 5 on page 30 of the Aged Care IPC Guide explains this well- see https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/The-Aged-Care-Infection-Prevention-and-Control-Guide.pdf
All the best and I hope this helps.
Perri Waddell2. In a non outbreak situation, would the linen skip be kept in the corridor? Is this a breach of infection control, as the others, such as residents can touch access the skips?
Thank you for this question posted to the Q&A from the Train the Trainer webinar (18/6/25).
As with all things IPC, there is no hard and fast rile- except for standard precautions! Many situations require the IPC lead to undertake a risk assessment before making recommendations for a particular practice. Table 5 on page 30 of the Aged Care IPC Guide explains this well- see https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/The-Aged-Care-Infection-Prevention-and-Control-Guide.pdf
Unless you have individual skips for each resident’s room, then have the skips placed at the doorway of the room being attended to at the time. Not inside the room with other’s dirty laundry in the skips. Immediately after use the skips should be emptied, cleaned and stored in a safe space away from the main living area- eg the utility hallway or similar. In an area where residents may touch skips, consider the risks- is this a resident who wishes to put their own laundry in the skip or is this someone living with a cognitive deficit who may inadvertently touch contaminated items? Depending on the situation at hand different approaches may be needed.
This is a great example of the critical thinking and problem-solving skills aged care nurses and IPC leads require- and it is what keeps the job so interesting.
All the best
Perri Waddell
