Advocating for a federal co-ordinator to ensure staffing numbers and personal protective equipment supply is adequate across all aged care homes within the region is top of Ms Sheed's agenda.
Ms Sheed said she had consulted with the local aged care sector and was not happy with what she was hearing.
“Staffing is a critical issue,” Ms Sheed said.
“We could not fill all our local health positions before the pandemic — and this situation has been greatly exacerbated by both the virus and the restriction measures.
“I would like to see the Federal Government appoint someone to come in and have a look at facilities’ needs and staffing requirements to ensure there is a pool of people in the region ready to assist in caring for our elderly residents in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak,” she said.
Ms Sheed understands a number of aged care facilities across the district share staff, leaving "little in the way of a reserve should a site’s workforce be required to isolate”.
More than 20 Shepparton Villages staff went into self-isolation last week after two staff members and one resident contracted coronavirus.
Shepparton Villages’ interim chief executive Greg Pullen backed Ms Sheed's calls.
“Staffing has been an issue at Shepparton Villages over the past week or so, and we have needed to call on GV Health and contracted cleaners to help out, and we are very grateful for this support,” Mr Pullen said.
“There is no doubt that if there are further COVID-19 infections that require staff to isolate, we will really struggle — hence what Suzanna Sheed is suggesting is sensible,” she said.
Federal Member for Nicholls Damian Drum said the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission was closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Victoria and providing support to aged care services in managing the increased risks of a COVID-19 outbreak.
“This includes closely monitoring and supporting services with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 outbreak in collaboration with health authorities; undertaking assessment contacts with all aged care services across Australia to assess COVID-19 readiness including compliance with infection control requirements; undertaking site visits based on an assessment of risk; and continuing to closely monitor all services currently subject to compliance action,” Mr Drum said.
Mr Drum said the commission had also established an Infection Control Monitoring Team in Victoria to conduct unannounced spot checks on PPE use and infection control arrangements but said priority was being given to visiting residential aged care services in the greater Melbourne metropolitan region.
The national cabinet is due to meet on Friday to consider the results of an urgent audit of aged care preparedness across the country.
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