HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL HYGIENE
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Healthcare institutions tend to be populated by a wide range of people with very varied needs, so Stephen Wright of SCA, looks at the solutions to the differing washroom conundrums of medical staff, patients and visitors.
When providing consumables for the washrooms of a particular facility, the choice is often relatively straightforward, as, in all likelihood, people using the same facility will have similar requirements. A typical airport or service station will be used by large numbers of travellers in a hurry, for example, which means that high-traffic systems that are quick and easy to use should be provided.
A smart office, on the other hand, would probably be used by lower numbers of professional people who may well take pride in their surroundings. In this type of environment, attractive dispensers and high quality consumables are a good option, since these will demonstrate a higher level of care.
But healthcare institutions are an unusual case, where a “one size fits all” approach simply won’t work; healthcare professionals, patients and visitors all have different requirements and profiles, which means that a range of needs must be considered when equipping the washrooms of a hospital.
Good hygiene is of course vital in any washroom – healthcare or otherwise
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– in order to prevent the spread of infections and viruses. This means that effective hand hygiene facilities should be made available in plentiful supply throughout the institution, but the systems in washrooms aimed at patients also need to be user-friendly, intuitive and easy to operate, as some patients will be elderly or frail.
Basic white washroom dispensers are often supplied in healthcare facilities, but for the older, visually-impaired patient, these may be hard to spot against the typically white washroom walls.
A foam soap system would work well here, though some push-button dispensers require a certain amount of force in order to access the soap inside. This might be a challenge for an elderly patient with weak hands, arthritis or rheumatism, so a solution such as the Tork Extra Mild Foam Soap system is ideal, since it comes
in a dispenser that has been designed to be quick and easy to use, even for people with low hand strength. The Tork Foam Soap Dispenser is also available in a touch-free version, with Intuition™ sensor for enhanced hygiene and ease of use.
Basic white washroom dispensers are often supplied in healthcare facilities, but for the older, visually- impaired patient, these may be hard to spot against the typically white washroom walls. Here, dispensers in a contrasting colour – such as Tork Elevation washroom dispensers in black – will help to make the units easier to locate.
Noisy jet air dryers would not be appropriate in the washrooms of a hospital ward, since these could alarm vulnerable patients while also disturbing the sleep of any others within earshot. Tork Soft Singlefold Hand Towels provide a quick, easy and hygienic method of drying the hands, and the fact that the towels are pleasantly soft to touch means that they will help to encourage good hand hygiene practices.
In an A&E department, hygiene is again imperative; here, there will
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