Getting back into the community safely.

July 29, 2020 12:09 am

There have been a lot of restrictions on our lives over the past few months and we are all watching closely to what is going on in our state and community as this newsletter goes out. This can seem daunting and at times information overload. While we need to be listening to all of the advice and guidelines, we can become very anxious about what we should be doing.

So how do we get back into our community safely?

We need to consider our own circumstances and balance the risk and the safety of any activities you are considering. The guidelines for older people returning to activities are based on the Aged Care Charter of Rights – it is about being aware of any risks and making a choice based on the information we have. It will be important to return to some of your activities, but in a safe way.

Things to consider:

  • How many cases are in your own community?
  • Have we been or will we be in contact with anyone from a known hotspot?
  • What are our personal risk factors? Age, health, smoking.
  • What is the activity you are seeking? Is it indoor or outdoor? How many people will be there? Are they known to you? How much physical contact is required in this activity?

The main things we must do to keep us safe when we are leaving the house are:

  • Maintain our SOCIAL DISTANCING
  • Practice good HAND HYGIENE – with hand sanitiser and hand washing
  • Have good COUGH ETIQUETTE

If we are unwell, you must take all symptoms seriously – you should get tested and isolate until you are cleared of illness and no longer have symptoms.

If you have conditions that put you at an increased risk or having serious consequences of having COVID-19, it would be a good idea to have a COVID-19 action plan.

You can talk to your doctor about developing one. It will give you a plan for what to do when there are no cases of COVID-19 in your community, when there are a few cases and when we are located in a hotspot. Hopefully we will never need to act on these plans, but they are there to help with our decision making if these situations arise.