There are many important considerations that you must take into account when running a home but arguably one of the most important is infection control. Effectively, this means the prevention of diseases and infections spreading through the home. In most cases, these infections are airborne but through a course of effective and efficient infection control within the care home or nursing home environment it is possible to reduce the risks of passing on infections like the flu.
The first step to ensuring that infections do not spread is to ensure that all team members, including management and those that do not necessarily come into regular contact with patients and residents, are fully trained. Awareness and education are the greatest tools in the fight against the spread of infection and while infection control is often a part of modern nursing and medical training, up to date courses and news of the most recent developments could save lives.
Have best practice processes in place that everybody needs to implement and then ensure that they are implemented. If you require that carers and professionals sanitise their hands before leaving a patient’s room then make sure that everybody is aware of this particular process and how they can best implement it. Hold meetings, put up notices, and provide a handbook if necessary.
If you do require regular sanitisation then you will need to provide hand sanitizer and you should ensure that the bottle is not left empty. Task a member of the team with ensuring that bottles are regularly filled and encourage others to change the bottles when necessary. Hand sanitizer is just one piece of healthcare equipment that can help prevent the spread of infections but it is an important and effective one.
Kitchen staff should always be required to wear the appropriate items like head protection. Items like masks and aprons may be required when dealing with certain cases or specific patients. Eyewear, overshoes, and even bio hazard products can all be purchased too and by combining these items with education, training, and clear and concise best practice guidelines for employees then you can enjoy greater infection control results.