Barrabill House Information Booklet
When deciding on an aged care home, it is important to find out if the home has the care and services your need.
Our Resident Information Book provides details about Barrabill House. It will answer commonly asked questions about the facility, how to apply to become a resident, and what services are provided by Barrabill House.
Overnight and Extended Admissions
Depending on the severity of your illness, your local GP or Specialist may admit you to the Hospital directly from the surgery or your home at any time during the day or night. Or your admission may be planned for specific treatment.
Your treating specialist or local GP will explain to you the operation or procedure he or she is recommending. If you require surgery your doctor will ask you to complete and sign a consent form. If you have any questions or concerns, please raise these with your doctor. All patients having surgery at Seymour Health are required to attend the Pre-Admission Clinic.
Your Surgeon’s rooms will have advised you of the date of your procedure. You should ring the Hospital AFTER 1.00pm the day before to find out your admission time.
You will be greeted by the receptionist and directed or escorted to the Ward or Day Procedure Unit.
The admitting nurse will introduce themselves to you and explain what you should expect and the proposed plans for your care. You will also be given information about your room, including: layout of your room, call bell, bathroom, television and telephone, operation of electric beds etc. Seymour Health encourages patient and family involvement in patient care with the use of whiteboards at each bed. The whiteboards are utilised as a communication point between the patient, family/carer and nursing/medical/allied health staff.
For your own safety, it is important that you tell us about all the medications you are taking, including non-prescription medications and supplements. Some these products may not be safe for you to take during your admission. While in hospital, please do not take any medicines without consulting your doctor or nursing staff first.
All patients are required to wear a patient bracelet specifying their name, Doctor, etc. Please leave your identification bracelet in place during your stay in hospital.
- Please bring an up to date medication list and any current medications in the packaging as given to you by the Pharmacist
- Toiletries
- Health benefits cards and pension numbers
- Private health insurance fund details
- Medicare card
- Work Cover/TAC/Veterans Affairs full details
- X-rays and doctor’s letters
- Small amount of money for newspapers, magazines, vending machines (snacks and drinks)
- Delivery of newspapers can be organised by the patient or family directly with Seymour Newsagency (5792 1129)
- Physical aids e.g. hearing aids, walking frame, walking stick, crutches
- Sleepwear, dressing gown, slippers
Note: If you are having orthopaedic surgery and require crutches during your recovery time, you can either bring your own or purchase from the Hospital for $45. Due to infection control, crutches may no longer be hired.
- Wheat bags
- Valuables (please do not bring valuables to the hospital, as we cannot take responsibility for these items)
- Hot water bottles
Meals are prepared in the hospital and are designed to provide balanced nutrition. Menus are provided on your breakfast tray each morning. Please fill out and a member of the Food Services team will collect it.
Your doctor may prescribe a special diet. In such cases, we will provide suitable meals.
Meal times
Breakfast 7.50am – 8.00am
Lunch 11.45am – 12.00pm
Dinner 4.50pm – 5.00pm
Visiting clergy are available to see patients at the patient’s request. Patients should ask their nurse or the Ward Clerk to contact their priest, minister or other clergy to arrange a visit.
Surgical Patients – Dental Surgery
All patients admitted for dental procedures are self-funded patients of the visiting Oral Surgeon.
The visiting oral surgeon and the anaesthetist fees are private and are not administered by Seymour Health. Some oral surgeons and anaesthetists may request full or part-payment of their account prior to the procedure. Seymour Health recommends that patients check with their surgeon.
Patients will receive a bill from their oral surgeon and one from their anaesthetist. The anaesthetist account is partially rebated by Medicare.
A hospital bed fee is payable prior to your admission on the day of the procedure.
Depending on the level of health insurance cover, patients with private health insurance, including extras, may be entitled to receive some rebate for the surgeon’s and / or other fees. Seymour Health recommends that you check with your private health insurance fund.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.
Day Patient Information
Phone Seymour Health on 03 5793 6100 AFTER 1.00pm the day before your planned admission to confirm your arrival time
Please be aware that you are required to present at the time advised to you
There may be a delay between your admission time and the actual time of your procedure. This is necessary to allow time for the Anaesthetist to visit you and to ensure all appropriate paperwork is in order and tests completed prior to Theatre.
If you need to cancel or change your appointment, it is essential that you phone Seymour Health and your Surgeon’s rooms as soon as possible. This will enable us to reschedule the Theatre list and offer your place to another patient.
How to prepare for a day procedure
- Do not smoke for at least 24 hours before an operation or procedure
- Follow the instructions given to you by the Pre-Admission nurse regarding
– All Medication requirements
– when you should stop all food and drink
– Bowel preparations (if applicable)
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Remove all body piercings
- Do not wear powder, perfume, make up, nail polish or aftershave
- Long hair must be tied back – no clips or clasps
- Contact lenses – bring container and soaking solution
- Hearing aids – bring storage container
- Valuables including jewellery should be left at home
- To assist nursing staff, please only have ONE person telephone to make enquiries about you and advise that person to allow at least four hours after your scheduled admission time before telephoning
- Please organise for a family member or friend to drive you home from hospital as it is illegal for you to drive or operate machinery or make major/legal decisions within 24 hours after administration of an anaesthetic or sedation.
On the day of your procedure, please bring the following items:
- X-rays and other test results if applicable
- Current medications
If at any time you have questions or would like to discuss preparations, please feel free to contact us (Insert link here to Contact Us page)
- Doctor referral letters
- X-rays and other test results
- Current medications in their original packaging
- Telephone numbers of two family members or friends who can be contacted if necessary
If at any time you have questions or would like to discuss preparations, please feel free to contact us.
Hospital Meals
Eating well in hospital is an important part of your recovery and can help you to go home sooner.
Each day you will select your meals for the following day. We will collect your meal selection throughout the day in person.
Food services staff will visit you each day to discuss your menu choices and help if you have any special needs or require a religious/cultural diet.
If you have any concerns or questions about the patient’s nutritional requirements, cultural or religious needs, or if the patient is having swallowing difficulties and has been placed on thickened drinks or texture-modified food, please speak to your nurse or a member of the health care team.
Families and friends sometimes bring in food as a treat for patients or to supplement the existing menu.
You can bring in food for patients as long as the food is safe and the patient is not on a special diet or experiencing swallowing problems.
Please store any food brought into the hospital in a disposable container, and let the staff know about food you bring so that it can be labelled.
There can be a risk of food poisoning when food is not properly prepared, transported or stored. This can have serious consequences for the patient.
For patients who are on normal diets you can bring:
- pretzels, potato chips, dry biscuits e.g. Salada, Savoy, rice crackers, water crackers
- muesli bars, sweet biscuits e.g. Scotch Fingers, Butternut Snaps, Granita, fruit biscuits, biscotti
- fresh and dried fruit
- bread, bread sticks, bagels, unleavened bread
- muffins, cakes, scones, pikelets (no cream)
- boiled lollies, liquorice, mints.
- any food that can spoil if not refrigerated
- raw or cooked meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, oysters
- rice and pasta dishes, casseroles, soups, sauces
- soft cheeses, deli meats, pates
- salads and other items containing dairy products or creamy dressings e.g. coleslaw, potato salad
- sweet dishes containing custard or cream
- sandwiches with potentially hazardous food fillings e.g. meat, fish, poultry, cheese.
Seymour Health cannot accept responsibility for food prepared externally that is given to patients by relatives and visitors.
Leaving Hospital
Before being discharged from hospital, we will work with you and with other relevant health and community service providers to ensure that we understand your anticipated, current or ongoing needs. Through this process we can ensure that we provide safe and appropriate care, discharge or transfer to other facilities.
- You will receive required community service at a scheduled time
- Your local medical officer or GP will receive a report that explains your admission to hospital
- You will receive information about ongoing medical treatment and medication
- When you are admitted to hospital we will ask for your consent to share information with relevant home care services and other health care providers
- We hold a discharge planning meeting that brings together representatives from the hospital and community services
- If necessary, we will organise a meeting with you, your family and the relevant members from the health care providers
- When can I return to work?
- When can I play sport?
- When can I drive?
- Will you give me a written summary of my care to give to my doctor?
- Who will follow up on my care and when will I see them?
- How long do I have to take this medicine?
- Do I require physiotherapy or other rehabilitation services?
- Can I get a medical certificate?
Visitor Information
The following restrictions are now currently in place:
- For permitted purposes only
- Two visitors per day for permitted purposes only, unless for end of life reasons
- A group may exceed the “two visitors at a time” rule if dependents of a visitor are in the group and care for dependents cannot be arranged
Information for Private Patients
Depending on the level of cover that you have and other conditions such as waiting periods and excess, your Private Health Fund will cover part or all of the cost incurred as a private patient.
We recommend that you contact your Private Health Fund to make sure you understand what applies in your particular case.
- Do I have an excess? If so, how much is it?
- Do I have a co-payment? If so, how much is it?
- Is there a waiting period for my proposed/scheduled surgery or procedure?
- What exactly is covered under my policy and what is exempted?
Depending on the level of health insurance cover that you have, your Private Health Fund will cover all or part of the costs involved. If you have an excess or if your policy won’t cover the full cost, Seymour Health may cover all out-of-pocket expenses for private patients.
No out-of-pocket private expenses is not applicable to those procedures excluded by your health fund.
We recommend that you contact your Health Fund in advance to check what applies in your particular case.
Click here more information about Public vs Private admissions.
All patients admitted for dental or non-insured procedures are admitted as private patients.
The hospital bed fee is payable prior to your admission to the hospital on the day of the procedure. Patients with private health insurance may be able to claim this bed fee from their health insurance provider. A form (H21) will need to be completed as part of the preadmission process, prior to your procedure.
You will receive an account from your surgeon and another one from your anaesthetist. The surgeon and the anaesthetist fees are private and not administered by the hospital. Some surgeons and anaesthetists may request full or part payment of their account prior to the procedure. We recommend that you check with your surgeon.
The anaesthetist account is partially rebated by Medicare.
Depending on the level of cover, patients with private health insurance may be entitled to receive some rebate for the surgeon’s fee and/or other fees. We recommend that you check with your private health care insurance fund.
If you are a visitor to Australia who does not hold a Medicare card or is not from a country which has reciprocal rights with Australia, you are classified as a “Medicare Ineligible Patient”. Please click here to access the Fact Sheet for further information.
Useful links
Public or Private?
Seymour Health respects your choice to be treated as either a private or public patient.
| Private Patient | Public Patient |
|---|
| You will receive the highest possible standard of care | You will receive the highest possible standard of care |
| You will be admitted to a private room (if available) | You will receive a shared room or a single room accommodation |
| You will be treated by your own doctor or the Visiting Medical Officer on-call to treat you in hospital | You will be treated by your own doctor or the Visiting Medical Officer on-call to treat you in hospital |
Theatre patients, you may have all medical costs
associated with your procedure at this hospital as a
private patient met by Medicare, your private health
insurance fund and Seymour Health; as not all visiting Surgeons participate in this arrangement, patients should check with the Admissions Officer on 5793 6192 prior to admission | You will incur no costs from Seymour Health as a public inpatient |
Out of pocket expenses and compulsory excess
payments will be met by Seymour Health for most
private admissions of Australian residents | |
Seymour Health (with your consent) will claim
your medical costs and pay the balance amounts owing | Please advise the person admitting you if:
• You are a DVA cardholder or are currently employed by the Army, Navy or Air Force
• Your admission is the result of a motor vehicle or motor cycle accident – you may be eligible for TAC classifications
• Your admission is the result of an accident or injury at your workplace – you may be eligible for Workcover
We can assist you with the lodgement of your claim. |
There are many health insurance providers throughout Australia and many different types of health cover. As Seymour Health is a public hospital, even the most basic level of health insurance will cover you if you elect to be treated as a private patient.
When admitted to Seymour Health, you will be asked if you have private health insurance and wish to use it. The information is recorded on your computer file to assist staff with your admission and subsequent discharge.
As well as the benefits listed above, every time you use your private health insurance, you are providing significant benefits to Seymour Health. Using your private health insurance helps us to:
- maintain a high standard of service
- upgrade our facilities and equipment
- attract and retain services and staff for the Seymour and surrounding community
We have a limited number of single rooms in the General Ward. These rooms are primarily allocated to patients based on medical need. However, we will always endeavour to allocate private patients to single rooms where available. Local telephone calls are free for all patients.
Patient Privacy
Seymour Health is committed to protecting your privacy. We comply with all applicable Victorian legislation relating to confidentiality and privacy regarding information about your health and other personal details.
In addition, Seymour Health has strict policies and protocols with respect to the collection, use, disclosure and storage of patient information. Only authorised personnel have access to your information.
Information is collected during your (or your child’s) visit to hospital or when you have care or services provided in the Nursing Home or at one of our community services. This information is retained as part of your record and is updated at each visit or service provision.
All patient information is protected under the Victorian Information Privacy Act 2000. This Act sets the standards for the way in which Victorian government organisation and statutory bodies collect and handle your personal information. This information is held within the Hospital, Barrabill House and Community Services in a variety of electronic and paper forms, the majority of which comprise medical and personal records.
Information is not transferred to other individuals or health agencies without the individual’s consent.
To ensure continuity of care and reduce duplication, we ask that you give us consent to transfer relevant information to other services within Seymour Health or to other external health agencies as part of the referral process. You may withdraw your consent at any time.
- Getting access to your medical records
- Privacy Policy
- Victorian Health Privacy Principles
If you have any questions regarding privacy, feel free to contact the Health Information Manager on 5793 6187 or contact us.
You can also make your complaint to:
Health Complaints Commissioner
Level 26 570 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
1300 582 113
hcc@hcc.vic.gov.au
www.hcc.vic.gov.au
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
GPO Box 9819 Melbourne Vic 3001
1800 951 822
audit.feedback@agedcarequality.gov.au
www.agedcarequality.gov.au
Your Health Care Rights and Responsibilities
“The basic rights of human beings for independence of expression, decision and action, and concern for personal dignity and human relationships are always of great importance. During sickness, however, the presence or absence of these rights become a vital, deciding factor in survival and recovery. Thus, it becomes a prime responsibility of health care facilities to endeavour to assure that these rights are preserved for their patients. In providing care, health care facilities have the right to expect behaviour on the part of patients and their relatives and friends, which considering the nature of illness, is reasonable and responsible.”
Seymour Health welcomes your feedback, you will find the feedback form here (Insert link to Feedback Form). You can submit this form once completed to Chief Executive Officer, Seymour Health, Bretonneux Street, Seymour 3661, marked “In-Confidence”. Alternatively, click on the Contact Us link at the bottom of this page and submit your comments or complaint by email with “In-Confidence” in the subject line. Your feedback is always welcome.
Click here (Insert link to Charter Rights and Responsibilities) for Your Rights and Responsibilities as a patient at Seymour Health.
As a resident of an aged care facility you have the same rights as every other member of the community.
You also have additional rights because you live in residential care. For example, the right to make decisions about your lifestyle, the right to live safely and the right to complain if you are not satisfied.
The Charter of Resident’s Rights and Responsibilities is a document that describes, in general terms, your rights and responsibilities. For example, the right to quality care, the right to privacy and the right to complain. You can access a copy of this document by clicking here. (Insert Charter Rights and Responsibilities here)
When you move into an aged care facility you must be offered a resident agreement. These agreements cover such things as the services that can be provided, how daily fees are calculated and your rights and responsibilities.
To download the Aged Care complaints form in PDF format, please click here (Insert Complaints form Aged Care here). The completed form can be lodged in the feedback box at Barrabill House, emailed to info@seymourhealth.org.au, or posted to Seymour Health, 1 Bretonneux Street Seymour Vic 3660.
Community Services and Allied Health providers and the community Rehabilitation Service have also developed documentation responding to Rights and Responsibilities of clients and these should be referred to and read in conjunction with policies that refer more patients in and acute hospital setting.
Contact us
Freedom of Information
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act 1982), you have the right to access your health record held at Seymour Health, including records held at Ambulatory Care Centre, District Nursing Service, Post-Acute Care, Lower Hume Palliative Care, Barrabill House Nursing home and Social Support Group.
Your request must be submitted in writing – either in the form of a letter or a completed FOI Access Request form. Please note that requests cannot be processed without some form of identification such as current Passport, driving licence etc.
All requests should be addressed to:
FOI Officer
Seymour Health
Bretonneux Street
Seymour Vic 3660
or via email to info@seymourhealth.org.au to have the appropriate forms sent to you.
You can also contact the FOI officer on telephone (03) 5793 6100 or fax (03) 5793 6338.
A patient, legal representative, or insurance company may apply under the FOI Act. If a person other than the patient applies, we must have the written consent of the patient, or in the case of a deceased patient, the written consent of the next of kin.
Different options for accessing your medical records
You have a number of options available to you regarding how you access your records:
- Inspection of the original health record under supervision and/or accompanied by an explanation by the health service provider (specific part or whole of the medical record)
- or provision of a photocopy or summary (if you agree) of a specific part or whole of the medical record
- or both of the above
If you wish a copy of the record to be posted, the postal address should be provided with your application.
To process your request we require the application fee as specified in the Access Request Form. Other costs that may apply include:
- 20 cents per page for photocopying
- $20 search fee (if applicable)
- $5 per quarter hour in respect of supervision of inspection of medical record only
- $25 per quarter hour (max $80), for providing supervision and explanation of the contents
- $25 per quarter hour (max $80), for providing an accurate summary of requested medical record
- There may be further costs involved with postage of the copy of the record (if not collected personally)
Once we receive your FOI application/Access request form and the FOI application fee, we have a maximum of 30 days to process your request.
If a decision is made to decline your request, you will be notified in writing of this decision. Upon approval of your request, we will also send you a receipt for your application fee and a further invoice listing any additional charges associated with your application.
If your request is urgent, please indicate this on your application form.
For more information, please contact Seymour Health Freedom of Information Officer by email at info@seymourhealth.org.au or telephone (03) 5793 6100.
