Localised HealthPathways information

Important information for health professionals is available on your local HealthPathways site: ACT & Southern NSW or Illawarra Shoalhaven. HealthPathways is a free online tool for health professionals aimed at improving patient care by providing local up-to-date assessment, management, and referral options. The mobile-friendly platform supports clinicians to make the right decisions, together with patients, at the point of care.

In addition to comprehensive clinical information, the HealthPathways sites now contain a number of COVID-19 specific pathways including information regarding changes to telehealth, assessment, ongoing management, and local COVID-19 referral services. There is also a suite of pathways specifically relating to Older Adults' Health and Older Persons' Health.

You can access ACT & Southern NSW HealthPathways or Illawarra Shoalhaven HealthPathways via your computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.

Useful resources for the aged care sector

• NSW Health Advice for aged care services
• NSW Health Residential aged care facility outbreak management
• NSW Health Outbreak Management Governance Structure
• NSW Health Incident Action Plan
• COORDINARE Tip sheet with advice and suggested actions for GPs with residents in aged care.
• Australian Government Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission COVID-19 are you alert and ready?
• Australian Government Department of Health COVID-19 guidelines for infection prevention and control in residential care facilities
• Australian Government Department of Health First 24 hours: managing COVID-19 in a residential aged care facility
• Australian Government Department of Health Guidelines for outbreaks in residential care facilities
• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Outbreak management planning in aged care
• Australian Government Department of Health Protocol to support joint management of a COVID-19 outbreak in a residential aged care facility (RACF) in NSW 23 June 2020
• Australian Government Department of Health Use of personal protective equipment in aged care
• Australian Government Department of Health Wearing personal protective equipment in aged care video
• Australian Government Department of Health When to use personal protective equipment in aged care flowchart
• NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) quick reference guide Caring for adults with COVID -19 in the home
• NSW Health / ACI Managing delirium during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) Guidance for symptom monitoring in health and aged care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak
• NSW Health Secondary Triage Information for NSW Ambulance and residential aged care facilities (RACFs)
• NSW Health Secondary Triage Information for residents and their families
• CDNA National Guidelines for COVID-19 outbreaks in RACFs 

Useful resources to support end of life care are also available on the End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) website. ELDAC provides information, guidance, and resources to health professionals and aged care workers to support palliative care and advance care planning to improve the care of older Australians.

Training module for health care sector

The Department of Health has developed a 30-minute online training module on how to protect yourself and the people you are caring for from infection with COVID-19.

This training is for care workers across all health care settings. An aged care specific module is also available. Click here to register for the training.

Webinars about COVID-19 planning in RACFs

View recent webinars for GPs on local planning and response to a COVID-19 outbreak in a RACF co-hosted by COORDINARE and Local Health Districts:

• Southern NSW, 8 September 2020. Click here.
• Illawarra Shoalhaven, 3 September 2020. Click here.

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) facilitated a webinar on the Clinical Aspects of COVID-19 in RACFs on 4 June 2020, which you can access here.

Watch Dr Tas Dr Tas Karakaidos GP,  Director Illawarra Aged Care, give GPs practical advice on preparing to manage residents in aged care facilities during a COVID-19 outbreak, which you can access here. The video is an exert of a longer webinar that aired on 3 September 2020.