TLC Healthcare to help speed up aged care vaccinations in Geelong

BY JAMES TAYLOR

TLC Healthcare has been appointed by the Department of Health to vaccinate thousands of aged care residents across Geelong and Melbourne who were unable to be immunised during the initial vaccination program.

TLC – which operates Homestead Estate in Wallington, Warralily Gardens in Armstrong Creek and The Belmont in Belmont – will assist other aged care providers with the ongoing vaccination of their residents and staff against COVID-19 and influenza.

As of next week, TLC’s immunisation team will work with the Department of Health to deliver 18,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to the residents and staff of aged care homes.

“TLC’s strong working relationship with the Department of Health will see us take our successful vaccination program to the next level,” chief executive officer Lou Pascuzzi said.

“Over the next five weeks, TLC’s immunisation team will be visiting more than 100 residential aged care homes to assist with the vaccination of residents and staff who were not able to receive their doses from the Aspen Health immunisation teams.

“In awarding this contract to TLC, the Department of Health has recognised that our strategy of incorporating medical centres into our network of aged care homes was ground-breaking. This is a major win for TLC, and proof positive that our integrated care model is one that works to benefit our residents, the community, and the aged care industry as a whole.

“Our TLC immunisation team consists of very experienced doctors and nurses, who understand the unique challenge of vaccinating residents and staff in an aged care setting. TLC has the facilities, experience and expertise to deliver large-scale vaccination programs.

“This is yet another example of how TLC’s handling of COVID-19, and the vaccination roll-out, is becoming the blueprint for future pandemic responses.”

Throughout the recent COVID-19 outbreaks, all 11 of TLC Aged Care’s residential aged care homes across Geelong and Melbourne have remained free of COVID-19.

TLC vaccinated all of their 1,500 residents and 2,000 staff and contractors by April. On February 22, Homestead Estate residents and staff were among the first people not only in Geelong but also in aged care to receive the first dose of vaccine.