Jessie Snowdon, New Zealand Registered Physiotherapist, Director On the Go Physio Limited, March 2022
Two years into New Zealand’s journey with COVID and these days can seem harder than ever. We have endured lock downs and now we are in this strange no-man’s land where it feels for many older adults, that in order to stay safe we must stay home.
Strength is IMPORTANT!
If you are not getting your usual physical activity, or if you have never been that keen on exercise (!) then you should try and build in some structured exercise every day. Exercise can come in many ways – gardening, bowls, walking – and although these are all excellent ways to get in your recommended 150 minutes a week, the real hero of the story is building strength.
As we age we naturally lose muscle strength, and our muscle fibres change – but age is NOT a barrier to improving strength and muscle mass. We know that there is a direct link between strengthening exercises and decreased risk of falls, and we all want that!
How can I strengthen my muscles?
In order to make change you must put your muscles under a certain load…and this means it must be hard! The great news is that you don’t need to spend much time, if you hit the right level of ‘hardness’. You can work through a strength programme in 10 minutes!
We recommend that you start with 10 repetitions of each exercise for a few days, and then find the level at which doing 6-8 of the exercise feels “hard”. “Hard” means that you don’t feel you could do any more without a rest.
When you have established that level you should work through your whole programme then take a 2 minute rest. Then, guess what? Do it all again!
Which muscles should I strengthen?
You should strength the muscles you need for function. This means the ones you need for every day activities like standing up from a chair, walking fast, picking up objects and helping with balance.
The programme below covers off all of these.
Is there anything I should be careful of?
With all exercise you should be aware of and stop if you experience pain in your muscles or joints, chest pain, severe shortness of breath or severe dizziness. Remember though that when you work your muscles hard you can expect to have slight soreness the next day or so, especially when you have just started.
Ok I’m ready! Show me the exercises!
As you are all individuals it is hard to prescribe one set of exercises for everyone. You will need to apply some common sense and ensure you feel safe during each exercise. If you are unsteady, or usually use a walking stick or frame, then ensure you are holding on to the bench or table – or have your frame in front.
Ready….let’s go!
Exercise one – Standing up and sitting down This works the muscles you need to get from a chair but also to bend down, walk, climb stairs – it is an excellent all-round functional exercise.
❖ Start in a firm chair that you know you can stand up from. ❖ Using both hands lean forward and then stand up. ❖ Repeat this 6-8 times.
Easy? Make it harder by…
Speeding up.
Just use one hand.
Use no hands (cross arms across chest).
Sitting on a lower seat.
Holding something heavy in your arms such as bottled water, or some weights.
Exercise two – rising up onto tiptoes As long as you aren’t hanging on for dear life this is an excellent whole leg work out.
You need strong calf muscles to walk and for balance.
❖ Hold onto a steady surface such as a kitchen bench or back of a chair. ❖ Rise up onto your tip toes, as high as you can. ❖ Try to go straight up, not forward. ❖ Repeat 6-8 times.
Easy? Make it harder by…
Decreasing your hand grip so you just use index fingers.
Putting a back pack on with weights such as bottled water in it.
Lift one leg off the ground and take all the weight on one side!
Exercise three – standing on one leg This works the muscles around your hips and is excellent for stability and balance.
❖ Hold onto a steady surface. ❖ Make your left leg strong and gently lift your right. ❖ Focus hard to ensure your hips stay level – your trunk and shoulders shouldn’t move! ❖ Hold for 5 seconds then swap sides. ❖ Repeat 6-8 times on each side
Easy? Make it harder by
Standing for 10 seconds
Decreasing how much you use your hands, change to just index fingers, or no hands!
Exercise four – push ups!
Strong arms are essential for helping you pick up and carry objects, and to push yourself up from a chair, bed or the floor. We often neglect our arms so make sure to include this one!
❖ Stand with your hands against the wall, have a chair next to you if needed. ❖ With fingers spread and arms close to your body allow your elbows to bend so you come closer to the wall. ❖ Breath out and push away back into standing. ❖ Repeat 6-8 times.
Easy? Make it harder by…
Using the bench to lean on instead of the wall.
Increase your speed.
This is an excellent starting point with four functional exercises. If you repeat all these then you should have a good 10-minute daily walk out. If you would like so extra balance exercises then read on!
EXTRA BALANCE EXERCISES
Balance exercises are harder to prescribe as everyone is at very different levels and you need to keep safe! Here are some options for balance work but ensure you are by a sturdy surface and work within your abilities.
Exercise one: Standing still balance ❖ Stand with your feet together, without holding on, for 10 seconds
Easy? Make it harder by…
Turning your head slowly side to side.
Closing your eyes (with care).
Changing your foot position into “step”. Exercise two: walking backwards ❖ Carefully walk backwards alongside your bench. If you normally use a frame or walking stick then ensure you use if for this exercise. ❖ Focus on long, slow steps.
Exercise three: walking in a figure 8
❖ In an open space you can put down two objects (salt and pepper shakers, two water bottles) about 1 metre apart. ❖ Weave around these in a figure 8. ❖ Use your walking frame or stick if this is normal for you.
Easy? Make it harder by…
Moving the objects closer.
Going faster! Congratulations!
You are now carrying out a great exercise plan. If you are able to you should include regular walking at a good pace out in the community. You should also ensure that once you have done your daily exercises you don’t sit down the rest of day. Every 30 minutes you should be up on your feet, even if just for a minute or two. If you would like more advice or and individualised treatment plan then we offer clinic, home and online appointments and would love to help you regain and maintain your strength.
Original Article By: Jessie Snowdon, New Zealand Registered Physiotherapist, Director On the Go Physio Limited, March 2022
In March 2022 Gillian Robinson, HCSL Founder, RN, BN, Lead Auditor spoke virtually at the New Zealand Health IT (NZHIT) conference. Her topic was the Evolution of meeting clients’ needs. In this talk, Gillian covered how HCSL is not only Nurse & Auditor designed software but also has called on direct feedback and input from the aged care sector. This has been essential in shaping the direction of design, development and the future roadmap of a software solution aimed at helping the aged care sector of New Zealand meet its ever-changing needs and regulations, especially in the time of Covid.
With Covid at record numbers in the country, it has increasingly become essential to track your residents movements and days in and out of your facility, for either for Hospital Visits or Social leave.
As a result we have added a new tracking feature to help you record this for all of your residents and include this in our running We’ve deployed into the LIVE system the first of the changes for tracking additional information to help support invoicing.
This came out of feedback from a number of our clients who have expressed a real need for this
This new feature can be found It’s in the resident details page of the resident profile and supports the tracking of any time where the resident is Absent in hospital or out on Social Leave.
It will also show on the resident log if resident are SL (on social leave) or AH (Absent in hospital) and will also auto populate in the evacuation register in HCSL.
For those who were unable to join: On Monday 31st of January, HCSL hosted a free webinar presented by both Gillian Robinson of HCSL and Anna Blackwell Owner Operator of Cook St Nursing care, in which they talked about preparedness for the possible Omicron outbreak in aged care across New Zealand and Anna spoke about how she responded when a staff member had a positive RAT test. They were also joined by Rhonda Sherriff (Clinical Advisor for NZACA and fellow NLG member) Followed by an opportunity for people to ask questions.
Below we have a video of the Webinar, please view and share with whoever you feel it may be of help to.
Gillian, Anna and Rhonda are on the NZACA Nursing Leadership Group and would like to share their knowledge with everyone who is facing this challenge ahead in the ARC sector
https://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Webinar.webp300300Hercules Healthhttps://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hercules-Health-02.pngHercules Health2022-02-10 15:01:482024-09-23 10:36:24Webinar – Omicron Preparedness for New Zealand Aged Residential Care
The Nursing Leadership Group (NLG) is the recognised voice of aged care nursing. The following article written by the NLG which includes HCSL’s very own Director, Gillian Robinson BN, RN has been published in the Nursing Praxis – Journal of Professional Nursing Special Issue: Nursing response to COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand
The coming of age: Aged residential care nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand in the times of COVID-19
For years aged care nursing has been largely overlooked and marginalised from mainstream healthcare. COVID-19 brought both aged residential care and nursing into sharp focus for Aotearoa New Zealand. This paper provides a commentary on the work of executive nurses within the Nursing Leadership Group of the New Zealand Aged Care Association as COVID-19 spread into some ARC facilities in early 2020 and threatened the health and wellbeing of many residents and nurses. The group influenced the agenda and implementation of policies for Aged Residential Care and brought the voice of nursing and residents of aged care to the forefront at national and regional levels.
CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL ARTICLE.
Frances Hughes, PhD, RN, Clinical Director, Oceania, Auckland Anna Blackwell , PGDip, RN, Nursing Director/Owner, Cook Street Nursing Care Centre, Palmerston North Tanya Bish, MN(Hons), BCom, RN, Clinical Director, Metlife Care, Auckland Cheyne Chalmers, MMgt, RN, Chief Operating Officer, Ryman Healthcare, Christchurch Katherine Foulkes, PGDip, RN, Clinical Services Director, Bupa, Auckland Lynda Irvine, RN, Head of Clinical Services, Summerset Group Holdings Ltd, Auckland Gillian Robinson, BN, RN, Director, Health Care Compliance Solutions Ltd, Christchurch Rhonda Sherriff, RN, Managing Director, Chatswood Retirement Village, Christchurch Virginia Sisson, PGCert, RN, Operations Manager, The Selwyn Foundation, Auckland
Reference: Hughes, F. A., Blackwell, A., Bish, T., Chalmers, C., Foulkes, K., Irvine, L., Robinson, G., Sherriff, R., & Sisson, V. (2021). The coming of age: Aged residential care nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand in the times of COVID-19. Nursing Praxis in Aotearoa New Zealand, 37(3), 25-29.
https://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-coming-of-age.webp300300Hercules Healthhttps://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hercules-Health-02.pngHercules Health2021-12-23 10:48:362024-09-23 10:37:48The coming of age: Aged residential care nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand in the times of COVID-19
As you will be aware, assisted dying will be legally available in New Zealand from November 7 when the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019 comes into effect.
The introduction of assisted dying means that a person with a terminal illness who meets the eligibility criteria can request medication to relieve their suffering and end their life.
The Act sets out the legal framework and a high-level process for accessing assisted dying, including strict eligibility criteria and safeguards.
Assisted dying is not a replacement for palliative care or health care services more generally. It provides another option for people with a terminal illness in certain circumstances.
Assisted dying remains illegal until 7 November 2021. The Ministry of Health will be responsible for the Act and has an implementation programme underway to implement the assisted dying service.
This may impact hospitals, care facilities and retirement villages across the country in an entirely new way, so we at Healthcare Compliance Solutions Ltd have been following the Ministry of Health’s guidance along the way, to ensure our policies and procedures help our new and existing clients through the process, as best as possible.
If you would like to learn more about how Healthcare Compliance Solutions can help you and your orgnisation.
https://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/End-of-Life-Choice-Act-implementation.webp300300Hercules Healthhttps://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hercules-Health-02.pngHercules Health2021-10-29 11:29:002024-09-23 10:57:59End of Life Choice Act implementation – 7th Nov 2021
Gillian Robinson – HCSL Director was recently featured in the latest copy of Lead Magazine. Giving you an insight in to Gillian herself and what had lead her to where she is today, and where to next.
The New Zealand Aged Care Association Education Trust is planning the next series workshops with a focus on the revised Health and Disability Sector Standards 2021.
The standards will be mandated and implemented from February 2022.
There are significant changes to these standards and compliance will be a challenge for many facilities.
Gillian Robinson.
Our very own Gillian Robinson, Director Healthcare Compliance Ltd and Nursing Leadership Group member will be keynote presenter and will discuss how you can adjust policies and processes on your site to meet the new and revised standards. Her presentation will also cover how you implement the necessary standards and what education staff will require to meet the standards. This will include governance and operational challenges.
Rhonda Sheriff, NZACA Clinical Advisor will present on Managing current staffing challenges that include staff shortages in ARC. With the borders closed, immigration challenges, pay anomalies and increasing workloads, now more than ever we are facing staffing difficulties in our sector. Let’s identify strategies that help mitigate risk in our sector and ensure safe care delivery to residents.
Rhonda Sherrif
The workshops are planned for the following dates:
Tauranga – Wednesday, 24 November 2021 – Cubro Head Office
Dunedin – Monday, 29 November 2021 – The Forsyth Barr Stadium
Christchurch – Tuesday, 30 November 2021 – Tait Technology Centre
Wellington – Monday, 6 December 2021 – Te Rauparaha Arena
https://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Workshops-for-Managers-in-Aged-Care.webp300300Hercules Healthhttps://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hercules-Health-02.pngHercules Health2021-10-05 11:49:002024-09-24 04:26:17Workshops for Managers in Aged Care
Right now there are a lot of discussions happening around New Zealand asking “Can employees in aged care be required to get the vaccine?” Associate Jaenine Badenhorst of Rainey Collins Law has cleared up some of the confusion, with some of the below facts, as of September 07th 2021.
In Brief
Under the New Zealand Government’s vaccine campaign, it is not mandatory for employees to be vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. Employers can therefore not require their employees to be vaccinated, unless it is necessary for health or safety reasons for a particular role.
If an employee works in a role where the risk of exposure to Covid-19 is higher and/or the consequences of contracting Covid-19 is more serious, the role may demand employees who are vaccinated to fill it. Due to the likely risk to the Health and Safety of aged individuals, it is highly likely to be reasonable for employers to require aged care worker roles to be filled be vaccinated individuals.
Health and Safety Laws
Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) owe duties, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (“the HSW Act”) to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the Health and Safety of its workers, patrons, customer and clients.
Covid-19 poses a risk to the Health and Safety of others, and therefore PCBUs are required to undertake a risk assessment in their particular work environment, so that they can implement safeguards and protocols to eliminate or reduce that risk.
Health and Safety risk assessments must be done in consultation with workers, unions, and other relevant representatives.
If a Health and Safety risk assessment of a particular role indicates that vaccination is necessary to comply with Health and Safety obligations, an employer may require whomever fills that role, to be vaccinated.
It is important to note that rather than any ‘employee’ requiring vaccination, it is the particular ‘role’ that requires a vaccinated employee to carry it out.
When is vaccination likely to be required for the performance of a role?
Under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021, some work at the border can only be done by vaccinated workers. Employers in this case need not do individual Health and Safety risk assessments, as all work covered by the Order must only be done by vaccinated workers.
It is possible further Orders could be made to require other roles to be filled only by vaccinated individuals. In the absence of an Order, it will be up to each PCBU to make a decision for their work place, based on the Health and Safety risk assessments they have completed.
At present, PCBUs in the aged care sector will have to individually assess each role to determine whether it should to be filled by a vaccinated person for Health and Safety reasons.
Health and Safety risk assessments will typically require vaccination if a role involves a high likelihood of exposure to Covid-19 in the workplace and/or significant consequences to others in regular contact with the individual performing that role. Examples will include roles where employees have lots of contact with customers and clients or other employees, especially where contact will be with vulnerable people.
Workers in aged care roles are likely to have contact with many individuals each week, and these individuals are likely to be more seriously affected by the impacts of Covid-19 if they contract it. It is therefore highly likely that many aged care worker roles will require vaccinated individuals to fill them, so that PCBUs are compliant with their obligations under the HSW Act.
In each case, however, the PCBU must assess the risk on a case by case basis. It is also important for the PCBU to consult with the workers in these roles, to help the PCBU assess the risk and ways to best eliminate or minimise it.
Recruiting new employees:
An employer may require vaccination for new employees, however this must be reasonable for the particular role.
Additionally, employers must take care to ensure they are not unlawfully discriminating under the Human Rights Act or affecting the right to refuse medical treatment under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
Does an employee have to tell their employer if they have been vaccinated?
If an employee refuses to inform their employer of their vaccination status, the employer may assume that employee is not vaccinated in order to manage its Health and Safety obligations. If an employer makes this assumption, it must inform the employee of its intention to do so, and what the possible consequences may be.
What if vaccination is refused?
If an employee refuses vaccination following a risk assessment that identifies it as necessary for the employee’s role, an employer may consult with their employee to change their work arrangements, duties or leave, or restructure their work or employment conditions.
Redundancy or dismissal should be considered as final options after changes to the employee’s duties or redeployment to other roles have been considered. Without consideration of all reasonable alternatives, dismissal of an employee who refuses to be vaccinated will nearly always be unjustified.
Any changes, dismissals, or risk assessments must be carried out in good faith.
If there are concerns in your business in relation to employees receiving the Covid-19 vaccination, it is wise to speak with a professional experienced in the area.
https://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/stop-today.webp300300Hercules Healthhttps://herculeshealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hercules-Health-02.pngHercules Health2021-09-07 10:48:002024-09-24 05:00:52COVID-19: Can employees in aged care be required to get the vaccine?
Stay up to date with the latest news, insights and updates from Hercules Health.
Staying strong while staying Independent
NewsWritten By
Jessie Snowdon, New Zealand Registered Physiotherapist, Director On the Go Physio Limited, March 2022
Two years into New Zealand’s journey with COVID and these days can seem harder than ever.
We have endured lock downs and now we are in this strange no-man’s land where it feels for
many older adults, that in order to stay safe we must stay home.
Strength is IMPORTANT!
If you are not getting your usual physical activity, or if you have never been that keen on
exercise (!) then you should try and build in some structured exercise every day. Exercise can
come in many ways – gardening, bowls, walking – and although these are all excellent ways
to get in your recommended 150 minutes a week, the real hero of the story is building
strength.
As we age we naturally lose muscle strength, and our muscle fibres change – but age is NOT
a barrier to improving strength and muscle mass. We know that there is a direct link between
strengthening exercises and decreased risk of falls, and we all want that!
How can I strengthen my muscles?
In order to make change you must put your muscles under a certain load…and this means it
must be hard! The great news is that you don’t need to spend much time, if you hit the right
level of ‘hardness’. You can work through a strength programme in 10 minutes!
We recommend that you start with 10 repetitions of each exercise for a few days, and then
find the level at which doing 6-8 of the exercise feels “hard”. “Hard” means that you don’t
feel you could do any more without a rest.
When you have established that level you should work through your whole programme then
take a 2 minute rest. Then, guess what? Do it all again!
Which muscles should I strengthen?
You should strength the muscles you need for function. This means the ones you need for
every day activities like standing up from a chair, walking fast, picking up objects and helping
with balance.
The programme below covers off all of these.
Is there anything I should be careful of?
With all exercise you should be aware of and stop if you experience pain in your muscles or
joints, chest pain, severe shortness of breath or severe dizziness. Remember though that
when you work your muscles hard you can expect to have slight soreness the next day or so,
especially when you have just started.
Ok I’m ready! Show me the exercises!
As you are all individuals it is hard to prescribe one set of exercises for everyone. You will
need to apply some common sense and ensure you feel safe during each exercise. If you are
unsteady, or usually use a walking stick or frame, then ensure you are holding on to the bench
or table – or have your frame in front.
Ready….let’s go!
Exercise one – Standing up and sitting down This works the muscles you need to get from a chair but also to bend down, walk, climb stairs – it is an excellent all-round functional exercise.
❖ Start in a firm chair that you know you can stand up from.
❖ Using both hands lean forward and then stand up.
❖ Repeat this 6-8 times.
Easy? Make it harder by…
Exercise two – rising up onto tiptoes
As long as you aren’t hanging on for dear life this is an excellent whole leg work out.
You need strong calf muscles to walk and for balance.
❖ Hold onto a steady surface such as a kitchen bench or back of a chair.
❖ Rise up onto your tip toes, as high as you can.
❖ Try to go straight up, not forward.
❖ Repeat 6-8 times.
Easy? Make it harder by…
Exercise three – standing on one leg
This works the muscles around your hips and is excellent for stability and balance.
❖ Hold onto a steady surface.
❖ Make your left leg strong and gently lift your right.
❖ Focus hard to ensure your hips stay level – your trunk and shoulders shouldn’t move!
❖ Hold for 5 seconds then swap sides.
❖ Repeat 6-8 times on each side
Easy? Make it harder by
Exercise four – push ups!
Strong arms are essential for helping you pick up and carry objects, and to push yourself up from a chair, bed or the floor. We often neglect our arms so make sure to include this one!
❖ Stand with your hands against the wall, have a chair next to you if needed.
❖ With fingers spread and arms close to your body allow your elbows to bend so you
come closer to the wall.
❖ Breath out and push away back into standing.
❖ Repeat 6-8 times.
Easy? Make it harder by…
This is an excellent starting point with four functional exercises. If you repeat all these then
you should have a good 10-minute daily walk out. If you would like so extra balance
exercises then read on!
EXTRA BALANCE EXERCISES
Balance exercises are harder to prescribe as everyone is at very different levels and you need to keep safe! Here are some options for balance work but ensure you are by a sturdy surface and work within your abilities.
Exercise one: Standing still balance
❖ Stand with your feet together, without holding on, for 10 seconds
Easy? Make it harder by…
Exercise two: walking backwards
❖ Carefully walk backwards alongside your bench. If you normally use a frame or walking
stick then ensure you use if for this exercise.
❖ Focus on long, slow steps.
Exercise three: walking in a figure 8
❖ In an open space you can put down two objects (salt and pepper shakers, two water
bottles) about 1 metre apart.
❖ Weave around these in a figure 8.
❖ Use your walking frame or stick if this is normal for you.
Easy? Make it harder by…
Congratulations!
You are now carrying out a great exercise plan. If you are able to you
should include regular walking at a good pace out in the community. You should also
ensure that once you have done your daily exercises you don’t sit down the rest of day.
Every 30 minutes you should be up on your feet, even if just for a minute or two.
If you would like more advice or and individualised treatment plan then we offer clinic,
home and online appointments and would love to help you regain and maintain your
strength.
Original Article By: Jessie Snowdon, New Zealand Registered Physiotherapist, Director On the Go Physio Limited, March 2022
The Evolution of Meeting Client’s Needs
NewsThe Evolution of Meeting Client’s Needs
In March 2022 Gillian Robinson, HCSL Founder, RN, BN, Lead Auditor spoke virtually at the New Zealand Health IT (NZHIT) conference. Her topic was the Evolution of meeting clients’ needs. In this talk, Gillian covered how HCSL is not only Nurse & Auditor designed software but also has called on direct feedback and input from the aged care sector. This has been essential in shaping the direction of design, development and the future roadmap of a software solution aimed at helping the aged care sector of New Zealand meet its ever-changing needs and regulations, especially in the time of Covid.
New Feature – Tracking Social & Hospital Leave
NewsWith Covid at record numbers in the country, it has increasingly become essential to track your residents movements and days in and out of your facility, for either for Hospital Visits or Social leave.
As a result we have added a new tracking feature to help you record this for all of your residents and include this in our running We’ve deployed into the LIVE system the first of the changes for tracking additional information to help support invoicing.
This came out of feedback from a number of our clients who have expressed a real need for this
This new feature can be found It’s in the resident details page of the resident profile and supports the tracking of any time where the resident is Absent in hospital or out on Social Leave.
It will also show on the resident log if resident are SL (on social leave) or AH (Absent in hospital) and will also auto populate in the evacuation register in HCSL.
Webinar – Omicron Preparedness for New Zealand Aged Residential Care
Clinical Resources, NewsFor those who were unable to join: On Monday 31st of January, HCSL hosted a free webinar presented by both Gillian Robinson of HCSL and Anna Blackwell Owner Operator of Cook St Nursing care, in which they talked about preparedness for the possible Omicron outbreak in aged care across New Zealand and Anna spoke about how she responded when a staff member had a positive RAT test. They were also joined by Rhonda Sherriff (Clinical Advisor for NZACA and fellow NLG member) Followed by an opportunity for people to ask questions.
Below we have a video of the Webinar, please view and share with whoever you feel it may be of help to.
Gillian, Anna and Rhonda are on the NZACA Nursing Leadership Group and would like to share their knowledge with everyone who is facing this challenge ahead in the ARC sector
The coming of age: Aged residential care nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand in the times of COVID-19
NewsThe Nursing Leadership Group (NLG) is the recognised voice of aged care nursing. The following article written by the NLG which includes HCSL’s very own Director, Gillian Robinson BN, RN has been published in the Nursing Praxis – Journal of Professional Nursing Special Issue: Nursing response to COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand
The coming of age: Aged residential care nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand in the times of COVID-19
For years aged care nursing has been largely overlooked and marginalised from mainstream healthcare. COVID-19 brought both aged residential care and nursing into sharp focus for Aotearoa New Zealand. This paper provides a commentary on the work of executive nurses within the Nursing Leadership Group of the New Zealand Aged Care Association as COVID-19 spread into some ARC facilities in early 2020 and threatened the health and wellbeing of many residents and nurses. The group influenced the agenda and implementation of policies for Aged Residential Care and brought the voice of nursing and residents of aged care to the forefront at national and regional levels.
CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL ARTICLE.
Frances Hughes, PhD, RN, Clinical Director, Oceania, Auckland
Anna Blackwell , PGDip, RN, Nursing Director/Owner, Cook Street Nursing Care Centre, Palmerston North
Tanya Bish, MN(Hons), BCom, RN, Clinical Director, Metlife Care, Auckland
Cheyne Chalmers, MMgt, RN, Chief Operating Officer, Ryman Healthcare, Christchurch
Katherine Foulkes, PGDip, RN, Clinical Services Director, Bupa, Auckland
Lynda Irvine, RN, Head of Clinical Services, Summerset Group Holdings Ltd, Auckland
Gillian Robinson, BN, RN, Director, Health Care Compliance Solutions Ltd, Christchurch
Rhonda Sherriff, RN, Managing Director, Chatswood Retirement Village, Christchurch
Virginia Sisson, PGCert, RN, Operations Manager, The Selwyn Foundation, Auckland
Reference: Hughes, F. A., Blackwell, A., Bish, T., Chalmers, C., Foulkes, K., Irvine, L., Robinson, G., Sherriff, R., & Sisson, V. (2021). The coming of age: Aged residential care nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand in the times of COVID-19. Nursing Praxis in Aotearoa New Zealand, 37(3), 25-29.
End of Life Choice Act implementation – 7th Nov 2021
Clinical Resources, NewsAs you will be aware, assisted dying will be legally available in New Zealand from November 7 when the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019 comes into effect.
The introduction of assisted dying means that a person with a terminal illness who meets the eligibility criteria can request medication to relieve their suffering and end their life.
The Act sets out the legal framework and a high-level process for accessing assisted dying, including strict eligibility criteria and safeguards.
Assisted dying is not a replacement for palliative care or health care services more generally. It provides another option for people with a terminal illness in certain circumstances.
Assisted dying remains illegal until 7 November 2021. The Ministry of Health will be responsible for the Act and has an implementation programme underway to implement the assisted dying service.
This may impact hospitals, care facilities and retirement villages across the country in an entirely new way, so we at Healthcare Compliance Solutions Ltd have been following the Ministry of Health’s guidance along the way, to ensure our policies and procedures help our new and existing clients through the process, as best as possible.
If you would like to learn more about how Healthcare Compliance Solutions can help you and your orgnisation.
Contact Us
HCSL Newsletter – October 2021
NewsRegistered Nurse, Quality Auditor, Director, Author, Wife, Mum, Sister, Friend
NewsGillian Robinson – HCSL Director was recently featured in the latest copy of Lead Magazine. Giving you an insight in to Gillian herself and what had lead her to where she is today, and where to next.
Workshops for Managers in Aged Care
NewsThe New Zealand Aged Care Association Education Trust is planning the next series workshops with a focus on the revised Health and Disability Sector Standards 2021.
The standards will be mandated and implemented from February 2022.
There are significant changes to these standards and compliance will be a challenge for many facilities.
Our very own Gillian Robinson, Director Healthcare Compliance Ltd and Nursing Leadership Group member will be keynote presenter and will discuss how you can adjust policies and processes on your site to meet the new and revised standards. Her presentation will also cover how you implement the necessary standards and what education staff will require to meet the standards. This will include governance and operational challenges.
Rhonda Sheriff, NZACA Clinical Advisor will present on Managing current staffing challenges that include staff shortages in ARC. With the borders closed, immigration challenges, pay anomalies and increasing workloads, now more than ever we are facing staffing difficulties in our sector. Let’s identify strategies that help mitigate risk in our sector and ensure safe care delivery to residents.
The workshops are planned for the following dates:
Tauranga – Wednesday, 24 November 2021 – Cubro Head Office
Dunedin – Monday, 29 November 2021 – The Forsyth Barr Stadium
Christchurch – Tuesday, 30 November 2021 – Tait Technology Centre
Wellington – Monday, 6 December 2021 – Te Rauparaha Arena
CLICK HERE for more info.
COVID-19: Can employees in aged care be required to get the vaccine?
NewsRight now there are a lot of discussions happening around New Zealand asking “Can employees in aged care be required to get the vaccine?” Associate Jaenine Badenhorst of Rainey Collins Law has cleared up some of the confusion, with some of the below facts, as of September 07th 2021.
In Brief
Under the New Zealand Government’s vaccine campaign, it is not mandatory for employees to be vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. Employers can therefore not require their employees to be vaccinated, unless it is necessary for health or safety reasons for a particular role.
If an employee works in a role where the risk of exposure to Covid-19 is higher and/or the consequences of contracting Covid-19 is more serious, the role may demand employees who are vaccinated to fill it. Due to the likely risk to the Health and Safety of aged individuals, it is highly likely to be reasonable for employers to require aged care worker roles to be filled be vaccinated individuals.
Health and Safety Laws
Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) owe duties, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (“the HSW Act”) to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the Health and Safety of its workers, patrons, customer and clients.
Covid-19 poses a risk to the Health and Safety of others, and therefore PCBUs are required to undertake a risk assessment in their particular work environment, so that they can implement safeguards and protocols to eliminate or reduce that risk.
Health and Safety risk assessments must be done in consultation with workers, unions, and other relevant representatives.
If a Health and Safety risk assessment of a particular role indicates that vaccination is necessary to comply with Health and Safety obligations, an employer may require whomever fills that role, to be vaccinated.
It is important to note that rather than any ‘employee’ requiring vaccination, it is the particular ‘role’ that requires a vaccinated employee to carry it out.
When is vaccination likely to be required for the performance of a role?
Under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021, some work at the border can only be done by vaccinated workers. Employers in this case need not do individual Health and Safety risk assessments, as all work covered by the Order must only be done by vaccinated workers.
It is possible further Orders could be made to require other roles to be filled only by vaccinated individuals. In the absence of an Order, it will be up to each PCBU to make a decision for their work place, based on the Health and Safety risk assessments they have completed.
At present, PCBUs in the aged care sector will have to individually assess each role to determine whether it should to be filled by a vaccinated person for Health and Safety reasons.
Health and Safety risk assessments will typically require vaccination if a role involves a high likelihood of exposure to Covid-19 in the workplace and/or significant consequences to others in regular contact with the individual performing that role. Examples will include roles where employees have lots of contact with customers and clients or other employees, especially where contact will be with vulnerable people.
Workers in aged care roles are likely to have contact with many individuals each week, and these individuals are likely to be more seriously affected by the impacts of Covid-19 if they contract it. It is therefore highly likely that many aged care worker roles will require vaccinated individuals to fill them, so that PCBUs are compliant with their obligations under the HSW Act.
In each case, however, the PCBU must assess the risk on a case by case basis. It is also important for the PCBU to consult with the workers in these roles, to help the PCBU assess the risk and ways to best eliminate or minimise it.
Recruiting new employees:
An employer may require vaccination for new employees, however this must be reasonable for the particular role.
Additionally, employers must take care to ensure they are not unlawfully discriminating under the Human Rights Act or affecting the right to refuse medical treatment under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
Does an employee have to tell their employer if they have been vaccinated?
If an employee refuses to inform their employer of their vaccination status, the employer may assume that employee is not vaccinated in order to manage its Health and Safety obligations. If an employer makes this assumption, it must inform the employee of its intention to do so, and what the possible consequences may be.
What if vaccination is refused?
If an employee refuses vaccination following a risk assessment that identifies it as necessary for the employee’s role, an employer may consult with their employee to change their work arrangements, duties or leave, or restructure their work or employment conditions.
Redundancy or dismissal should be considered as final options after changes to the employee’s duties or redeployment to other roles have been considered. Without consideration of all reasonable alternatives, dismissal of an employee who refuses to be vaccinated will nearly always be unjustified.
Any changes, dismissals, or risk assessments must be carried out in good faith.
If there are concerns in your business in relation to employees receiving the Covid-19 vaccination, it is wise to speak with a professional experienced in the area.