We are looking forward to welcoming families and carers as they visit their loved one in our care.

We have new visiting hours for our acute (hospital) areas:

• Creswick Health: 10:00am-3:00pm
• Daylesford Health: 10:00am-3:00pm
• Kyneton Health: 10:00am-5:00pm

If you would like to visit outside of these times, please contact the nurse in charge at the facility with your request.

On 16 March 2022, the process for visiting acute (hospital) facilities changed.  Please note the following information so you can plan your visits in-line with current Victorian Government requirements.

Current Acute (Hospital) Visitor Requirements at Central Highlands Rural Health:

• All visitors must report to the Customer Service Officer or Reception at the site entrance to complete attestation.
• Visitors over 18 need to be fully vaccinated, or provide a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) on the day of visitation, and wear an N95 mask.
• Visitors under 18 need to be fully vaccinated, or provide a negative rapid-antigen test on the day of visitation.
• Visitors under 16 are permitted entry if they are visiting a patient who has a life-threatening medical condition or is receiving palliative care, or if they are a child, grandchild or sibling of the patient. They are not counted in the number of visitors if they are visiting a patient having end-of-life treatment, or if they are a child, grandchild or sibling of the patient.
• Support visits are permitted in Urgent Care Centres, outpatient settings and wards.
• You may be exempt from entry requirements if you are:
  • a person visiting for the purpose of end-of-life support
  • an essential carer of a resident, or a person nominated by the director of the care facility where undertaking a rapid antigen test is not practicable
  • able to provide evidence of a negative result from a PCR test taken within 24 hours of visiting

You must not visit if you:

• tested positive for COVID-19
• are a household contact
• have COVID-19 symptoms
• are waiting for a COVID-19 test result
• are an overseas traveller or an international aircrew service worker who just arrived in Victoria

What are the principles for care and support visits?

Up to two care and support visits are allowed each day, with no more than two visitors allowed at one time in hospitals.

Subject to meeting the visitor arrangements, a visitor may attend a hospital or care facility to provide essential care and support necessary for the patient’s immediate emotional or physical wellbeing (including mental health support and support for people living with dementia).

A carer refers to any person, including a family member and a person under 18 years of age, who provides support, assistance or personal care to a person with healthcare needs or a mental illness, or a disability resulting from a mental illness.

What must visitors do?

• Visitors must stay in the patient/resident’s room and limit movement around the building, apart from quick trips to the bathroom or to purchase food.
• If the patient is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) must be used by visitors: see Infection prevention and control resources <https://www.health.vic.gov.au/covid-19/infection-prevention-control-resources-covid-19>.
• Health service staff will ensure visitors put on (‘don’) and take off (‘doff’) PPE properly.
• Each hospital or care facility may have different local operating procedures; visitors must also adhere to these directions.

Please contact the nurse in charge if you require further information.

Thank you for your cooperation.