4 May 2021

Springvale Manor, a Whanganui residential and dementia care facility, has had 100 per cent uptake of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine, for both staff and residents.

Manager Agnes Rado-Williamson says the high uptake is due to people being informed and having an “open door policy” so staff, residents and whānau can ask about the vaccine at any time.

“We consulted GPs and educators, put on education sessions to talk about the pros and cons of the vaccine and gave out information,” says Agnes.

Shelley Agar (COVID-19 vaccinator), Rose Bourne (registered nurse, WDHB), Jenna Jacob (registered nurse, Springvale Manor Rest Home) and Julia Blaire (district nurse, WDHB) with Pat Cooper (resident) centre.

Springvale Manor also worked with Hospice Whanganui to ensure people receiving end-of-life care were vaccinated. For some residents with severe dementia, getting the vaccine meant talking to families who have enduring power of attorney.

“We were really happy about the information sessions from the DHB staff, which helped us plan both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines for our staff and residents.”

Agnes says just because COVID-19 is not in the New Zealand community currently, it does mean “we can let our guard down” and as part of Springvale Manor’s pandemic plan, staff take the temperature of every visitor.

During the initial COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, Agnes said getting ready was difficult from a logistics perspective, but says the team has gained a lot of experience.

“At the beginning we needed to be proactive, before the Ministry of Health guidelines were released. We went into lockdown earlier because of our vulnerable residents.”

As a result, Agnes and the team have robust procedures for all levels of lockdown and have used technology to their advantage.

“We now have push notifications to mobiles for staff and are using iPhones and iPads to communicate,” she says.  

“COVID-19 doesn’t just affect people’s health but changes family dynamics and tests people. I am very proud of the professionalism shown by our staff.”

If you want to know more about the COVID-19 vaccine for your organisation, please contact Nicola Metcalfe nicola.metcalfe@auckland.ac.nz