We Continue to Serve the Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic with Trust, Compassion & Care

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic places an added level of complexity and concern for patient care. The current situation significantly affects services and businesses throughout Victoria.

At Total Health Choice, our highest priority is the safety and wellbeing of our patients and our team.

Despite the pandemic, there are still many people in our community that require urgent Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Exercise Physiology services, and are happy to have the service offered to them in their home. This has become even more paramount with the cancellation of many outpatient rehabilitation services and group exercise classes.

Further Information

The Total Health Choice (THP) team is taking the threat from the virus extremely seriously. THP immediately recognised the significant impact that COVID-19 could have on our community.

As a provider of healthcare for the vulnerable community, we have the strictest measures in place in order to maximise safety and comply with the current restrictions. Our team members are adequately trained in COVID Safety policies and infection control practices. We are doing everything we can to help our community get through this.

Furthermore, we are proud to say that as part of our duty of care as healthcare providers we have introduced mandatory vaccination for ALL our team members.

Total Health Choice

Total Health Choice is a COVID safe essential service and we will continue to deliver our services to the vulnerable community with trust, compassion, and care.

We truly appreciate your support through this unprecedented time

Covid-19 Response Plan

  • Purpose

    This Response Plan is in line with the Australian Federal Government national guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is necessary to minimise transmission of COVID-19 within the community.

    Total Health Choice will continue to serve its elderly community and NDIS participants. However, our priority is to focus on preserving the health and safety of the people we are responsible for including our team members, their families and our clients. 

    The development of this plan is to ensure our organisation is well prepared to engage in the national response to COVID-19.

  • Description

    Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses known to cause respiratory infections. These can range from the common cold to more serious diseases. This new coronavirus is named COVID-19. 

    COVID-19 can spread via droplets from person-to-person, usually when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The droplets are heavy, so they settle on surfaces. If you touch a surface contaminated with droplets, such as a door handle, and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth, the virus can enter the body. 

    Although information is changing daily, the common signs of novel coronavirus are:

    • Fever
    • Coughing (Dry Cough
    • Fatigue 
    • Shortness of breath
    • Thick mucus or phlegm being created in the lungs

     

    It’s important to note, to raise awareness and not spread fear, that while COVID-19 exhibits symptoms similar to the flu, it is not as simple as contracting a seasonal flu. Most people have immunity to the flu, there is a vaccine, and the flu spreads more slowly through the community. There is no vaccine against COVID-19, and it is still highly unpredictable with conditions changing daily.

  • Policy & Response Plan

    Total Health Choice will implement our COVID-19 Response Plan to ensure all staff members and contractors are supported if a COVID-19 case is identified within, or connected to, our organisation. Total Health Choice will stop its operations in the following instances:

    • A THP staff member has been diagnosed with COVID-19. 
    • A confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified in a visitor to the facility we provide in-house physiotherapy services  
    • A confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified in an NDIS participants facility or home and we have visited that facility/home in the past 14 days

     

    A staff member will also be asked to discontinue providing services for 14 days if a confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified in the staff member’s home, suburb or local area as a precaution. 

    In the event a THP staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, we will follow all appropriate and current government procedures. We will instruct all staff members and patients/participants who have been in contact and/or have been in the same area as the staff member with COVID-19 to seek appropriate medical advice, to be tested for COVID-19, and to self-isolate for 14 days. 

  • Prevention

    There are preventative measures staff can take to protect themselves from infection and help prevent the spread of infections and viruses to others. These measures include practising good respiratory and hand hygiene, such as: 

    • cleaning hands with soap and water (for a minimum 20 seconds) or alcohol-based hand rubs or sanitisers 
    • avoiding touching your face 
    • avoiding handshaking and other physical greetings 
    • covering your nose and mouth with a tissue or flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing 
    • avoiding contact with anyone who has symptoms such as fever, a cough, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath 
    • staying home if you are unwell 
    • regularly clean shared high-touch surfaces, e.g. tables, benches, doorknobs computers
    • As a standard precaution, stay at least 1.5 metres away from other people coughing or sneezing with flu-like symptoms. 
    • Social distancing in the workplace 
    • Social distancing is critical as COVID-19 is most likely to spread from person-to-person. 

     

    The following actions help reduce risk at work: 

    • Stay at home if you are sick. 
    • Do not attend large gathering
    • Stop handshaking and other physical greetings. 
    • Hold meetings via video conferencing or phone call. 
    • Defer large face-to-face meetings. 
    • Hold essential meetings outside in the open air if possible.  
    • Eat lunch outside  
    • Clean and disinfect shared high-touch surfaces regularly and use hand sanitiser. 
    • Consider opening windows and adjusting air conditioning for more fresh air
    • Wash hands between each patient/participant
    • Wipe down with disinfectant any equipment immediately after use