NSW aged care Covid case, death and vaccination rates revealed in government data

The peak body for aged care homes has called for help to handle staff shortages in the current Covid wave, as data reveals the sector’s vaccination rate and the centres with the most deaths.

Aged care providers across NSW continue to grapple with worsening Covid outbreaks and climbing death numbers, as the peak body desperately calls for more help to curb staffing shortages.

The latest weekly federal health department figures revealed more than half of all NSW aged care homes were battling outbreaks as of Friday night. In the past week 22 facilities reported new outbreaks, taking the total number of active outbreaks in NSW aged care homes to 344.

Over the same seven days, the number of deaths linked to the current outbreak in NSW rose to 130, an increase of 20 per cent. That was across 72 aged care facilities – up from 64 the previous week.

The new data comes as new data released by the federal government reveal more than 80 per cent of residents in most NSW aged care homes have had four Covid jabs.

The aged care homes with the most deaths linked to the current outbreak were Autumn Lodge Hostel on Macksville on the state’s mid-north coast and Anglicare Nuffield Village in Castle Hill.

The Autumn Lodge facility reported one more death in the week to July 29 to total 10 in the current outbreak. Thirty new cases were recorded for a total of 86 active cases.

Nuffield Village has five deaths associated with the current outbreak, while cases climbed from 56 to 66 in the week to July 29.

New data shows roughly 80 per cent of aged care home residents have had their fourth vaccine dose

Blacktown Nursing Home has had the third highest number of deaths associated with the current outbreak, with six. The number of cases linked to the current outbreak also skyrocketed, from 55 cases to 92, over the week.

Rounding up the ten facilities with the most deaths were Brian King Gardens, Castle Hill with four deaths and 62 cases linked to the current outbreak; Bupa Kempsey in West Kempsey (four deaths and 44 cases); Tingira Hills Care Community, near Lake Macquarie, (four deaths and 81 cases); Eloura in Quirindi, near Tamworth (three deaths and 39 cases); Feros Village Bangalow (3 deaths and 37 cases); IRT Sarah Claydon in Milton (three deaths and 80 cases) and Pembroke Lodge in Minto (3 deaths and 19 cases).

The federal government recently announced support provided by the Australian Defence Force across Australia to help with staff shortfalls would be extended two months past the planned end date of late August.

The Aged & Community Care Providers Association chief executive Paul Sadler welcomed the decision, but said the winter wave was “ratcheting up the pressure” on aged care staff and having a major impact on their availability.

The peak body for aged care staff has called for more help

He said thousands of aged care workers were already infected and warned August was a “high risk period” for facilities.

“ACCPA is concerned that anywhere up to two-thirds of aged care homes could be affected by active outbreaks over coming weeks,” he said.

The concerns come as separate government data reveal aged care homes across the state had an average vaccination rate – eligible residents who had their third dose more than three months ago but not including those vaccinated following an infection – was between 80 and 89 per cent.

Federal Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said the information would be updated weekly and would drive further vaccination rates in the sector.

“I strongly encourage aged care providers to continue to organise fourth doses as soon as residents are eligible, to ensure they have maximum protection,” Minister Wells said.

The health and aged care department confirmed the vaccination information was drawn from the Australian immunisation register. A breakdown of vaccination rates for every aged care facility can be found on the federal health department’s website.