Effective from 24 October 2023

Protocol Owner: Coronavirus Response Team

These protocols are for services where contact can be minimised or eliminated. This may be because of a known infection or illness, including COVID-19.

Important: If the Member is a confirmed case of COVID-19, you must also follow the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure - Scenario 4.

Workers must also familiarise themselves with Five Good Friends Infection Prevention and Control Workflow, and follow the procedures of the site they are entering.

• Consider first if you are well enough to provide the service. If you are not contact your Helper Coordinator.
• Sanitise hands upon arrival to the Member's home or prior to entering the premises.
• Allow Member to open the door and step back to allow you to enter allowing for safe social distancing of 1.5 metres for the duration of the visit.
• Where the visit is primarily social consider:
  • Open air areas such as a deck, verandah or patio.
  • Limit the areas where you sit, i.e*.* do **not move throughout the residence.
• Where the visit is for meal preparation follow all safe food handling guidelines in the Five Good Friends e-learning suite.
• Where the visit is for cleaning follow all infection control guidelines in the Five Good Friends e-learning suite.
• Where the visit is for transport:
  • Practice physical distancing by separating yourself by 1.5 metres from Members when practicable. Members should sit in the back seat when travelling to achieve as much separation as is reasonably possible. Place a towel or other washable item on the seat for the Member to sit on.
    • If a Member is unable to sit in the back seat, you can have the Member sit in the front seat if needed, e.g. Member needs constant monitoring or has physical limitations that do not allow the Member to sit in the rear seat.
  • If physical distancing measures introduce new health and safety risks (e.g. because they impact communication), you need to identify and manage those risks too. You should regularly monitor and review the implementation of physical distancing measures to ensure the Member remains safe.
  • Set the air conditioning on 'fresh' air not recirculating or leave windows open.
  • Clean high-touch areas regularly, e.g. door handles and seat belts.
  • Ask the Member to handle their own bags where possible.
  • If a Member spreads droplets (e.g. by sneezing, coughing), clean surfaces wearing gloves with disinfectant solution/wipes so that the potential spread of infection can be minimised.
• Sanitise/wash hands between tasks during the visit.
• Sanitise hands upon completing service and leaving premises.
• Enter notes from visit into Five Good Friends App.
• Contact Five Good Friends if there are any immediate risks that cannot be safely managed.

References and Related Documents