CLEANING, HYGIENE & LAUNDRY
Hygiene Hotspots
Luke Evershed, group business manager at Nursing Hygiene Group discusses the hygiene hotspots you should be aware of and how to help break the chain of infection.
Ask any care home professional and I’m sure they will agree that one of their main priorities is to deliver a clean and safe care environment.
Not only does this help protect from the spread of germs and viruses, it also creates a homely and comfortable environment for residents to enjoy.
However, with healthcare cleaning and hygiene still a specialist skill, staying vigilant and adhering to best practice guidelines and legalities can result in a significant pressure point for many professionals.
As highlighted in the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the implementation of a stringent cleaning and hygiene policy can help address these issues by minimising the risk of cross- contamination and infection.
To help operators remain compliant with the Act, a good cleaning and hygiene policy needs to address a number of key points. Firstly, it should include a clearly defined cleaning procedure and a well thought out cleaning routine. It should also include guidelines on the correct and most appropriate cleaning products and where to use them.
At the heart of any cleaning routine should be rigorous procedures to address hygiene hotspots. Across a care home these hotspots include food preparation areas, sluice rooms, bathrooms and bedrooms. However, other hotspots for germs and bacteria are the TV remote control, particularly in a communal area,
- 32 -
as well as door handles and light switches where bacteria can survive for up to 24 hours.
A good cleaning policy should also include regular auditing, which in some cases can include inspections using UV technology. This will verify that key standards and procedures are being developed and maintained. The process will also ensure that any policy is applied consistently by everyone and help identify areas where additional training or guidance is required.
Other hotspots for germs and bacteria are the TV remote control as well as door handles and light
switches where bacteria can survive for up to 24 hours.
To ensure operators remain vigilant, and to help prevent cross- contamination, NHG has taken the decision to colour code all of its Sure cleaning products. Uniquely formulated for the nursing and care sectors, each of the 350 Sure products belongs to a different colour grouping. For example, all products recommended for use in kitchen areas are colour-coded blue, while products for communal areas are colour-coded green.
Most recently, NHG has also expanded its cleaning and hygiene range with the introduction of a multi-surface, pre-prepared disinfection wipe. The wipe contains a range of active
biocides designed to target a broad range of micro-organisms found in healthcare environments. The wipes help stop the spread of germs between different surfaces as they are only recommended for a single use on one surface area at a time.
Laundry should also be included in your cleaning policy as bacteria can build up on bed linen and towels and increase significantly if a resident is ill. In this case specialist laundry products should be used to give hygiene reassurance and help kill unwanted bacteria such as C.DIFF and MRSA.
Providing a fresh, clean environment is not only critical to infection control, it also creates a comfortable environment, which helps residents feel secure and happy.
If you are ever in doubt about your cleaning plan, don’t leave it to chance, as the effects could be far- reaching and sadly even fatal.
It is therefore always best to speak to a cleaning and hygiene specialist who can provide expert advice and support.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) essential standards of quality and safety (as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2008) provide further information on cleanliness and infection control. Full guidance is also available in the Department of Health’s publication: ‘The Code of Practice of Health and Adult Social Care on the Prevention and Control of Infections and Related Guidance’.
www.nursinghygiene.com
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50