Working to prevent illness and infection within a care home is no simple task. It takes a keen eye to identify when risks may develop, and then take effective action. Even more important is the ability to take pre-emptive measures when infection is not yet present.
To understand just how pivotal these actions are, professionals should realise the speed at which common infections can spread through the care home. It is then possible to plan for actions to be taken when an infection risk is identified.
Understanding transmission
The speed at which viral infections can overwhelm care services was seen first-hand with the Coronavirus pandemic. The main factors for this included missed opportunities for diagnosis, care services being generally under pressure, delays in outbreak control measures, and the location and proximity of residents. Whilst Coronavirus is not as big an issue as it once was, the pandemic made clear the prominent concerns for potential future outbreaks.
Transmission can occur in many different ways – physical contact, contamination of bodily fluids, contamination of everyday objects, and airborne infection, amongst others – depending on the type of infection. Each will require unique actions to protect all residents and staff. In many cases, preventative measures such as good ventilation and regular surface cleaning will be preferred, but just as important is the ability to react carefully once an illness or risk of it is identified in an area of the care home.
To minimise infection spread, it’s imperative to identify and isolate the source quickly. The earlier an outbreak is acknowledged, reported and acted upon, the fewer residents and staff will become ill. In the earliest stages of an infection outbreak, the source could be limited to one area, room or patient in a care home, which can then define the response measures employed.
The lifespan of an infection
The viability of airborne respiratory viruses has previously been under-recognised due to a lack of understanding about the production and movement of contaminated aerosols. It is now known that they can travel greater than six feet, remaining infectious in the air from minutes to hours at a time. Similarly, many types of airborne infection remain a threat once settling on inanimate surfaces, or abiotic surfaces, depending on the type of infection and the surface material.
Bacteria can thrive and remain an active threat for hours, days, or even weeks on an abiotic surface. Influenza virus, for example, can present a risk for up to four weeks, but severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Coronavirus (CoV) – the virus that was subject to an infamous outbreak between 2002-2004 – can remain infective for just nine days.6
This has several implications for the care home team and blurs the line between reactive and preventative infection control. Comprehensive cleaning of the care home, especially frequented areas, is paramount to minimise the risk of bacteria lying in wait to develop an infection. Once an infection is observed and the care home team takes appropriate action – whether supporting a resident with anti-viral pharmaceuticals or isolating an individual until they have recovered – the process of surface cleaning and air ventilation should be in full swing. Even once the infection is thought to no longer be a threat, optimal infection control practices should never cease.
Ultimate protection
Throughout the care home, best practices will include effective hand hygiene measures, even when gloves are used as PPE. Staff should also observe the safe disposal of sharps and general cleaning of the care home to the highest possible standards. This should be carried out regularly with appropriate surface cleansing adjuncts.
The solutions chosen to meet each requirement to prevent illness, must be high-quality and reliable. Initial Medical provides a range of products to support care home staff. These include the High Level Surface Disinfectant Cleaners, VIRUSKILLER™ Air Purifiers and the UltraProtect™ Hand Sanitiser. The latter is an alcohol-free hand sanitiser that kills 99.99% of germs including Swine Flu, MRSA and Norovirus and is effective against Coronavirus.* It is dermatologically proven not to dry out or crack the skin, supporting care home staff and their residents when working to prevent and minimise the spread of infection.
Care homes are especially susceptible to the spread of infection due to the close proximity of residents and staff, but to prevent illness, many steps can be taken to protect each individual. Staff should confidently implement cleaning policies that work to eliminate harmful threats even before they are identified.
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