CLEANING & HYGIENE SICK OF IT!


Liam Mynes, from Tork manufacturer Essity, looks at ways of reducing the risk of norovirus in the care home.


Norovirus cases in January were up more than 100% on last year’s figures, according to the UK Health Security Agency, and this has had a major impact on hospitals and care homes, according to NHS experts.


“Norovirus is a highly contagious condition that spreads rapidly in


care homes and other places where people gather closely together.”


Partly to blame for the upsurge is a new strain of norovirus that has been dominating in the UK. Nicknamed the Kawasaki strain after the Japanese city where it was first detected, it causes a fever and headache as well as the usual norovirus symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea.


Norovirus is a highly contagious condition that spreads rapidly in care homes and other places where people gather closely together. It is particularly dangerous for the elderly because vomiting and diarrhoea can quickly lead to dehydration and even death in extreme cases.


According to NHS recommendations, care home sufferers should ideally be isolated from other residents for at least 48 hours. They should be housed in a single room until they are symptom-free and should use separate towels – and where possible, their own toilet as well. The home may also need to be closed to admissions until the outbreak is over.


Norovirus can be caught by breathing in small particles from the air; coming into contact with contaminated surfaces or by eating foods that have been contaminated by an infected person who has failed to wash their hands.


Hand sanitisers are ineffective against the norovirus which means it is vital that all care home staff members wash their hands with soap and water between patient interactions. And hand hygiene is also important for residents and visitors.


Plentiful supplies of soap and hand towels should therefore be supplied in care home washrooms, wash stations and residents’ toilets so that hand washing and drying can be carried out easily. Soap should be housed in closed cartridges to avoid any risk of contamination before use, and all hand towel dispensers should give out only one towel at a time to ensure that each user only touches their own towel.


Mild soaps and soſt hand towels are ideal in the care home because these are kind to the frequently-washed hands of staff while also being a gentle solution for the delicate skin of the elderly.


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Foam soaps are quick to lather and easy to use – particularly when supplied in a user-friendly dispenser. The dispenser for Tork Foam Soap, for example, has been developed to have a particularly low push force which makes it highly accessible for the frail and elderly, which is why the dispenser has been given the seal of approval by the Swedish Rheumatism Association. Tork Foam Soap is available in Sensitive version which is ideal for frequent use and for delicate skin.


Tork Xpress Hand Towels are also particularly appropriate for care homes because the dispenser gives out towels one at a time to prevent the risk of cross-contamination. The Extra Soſt version of the towels is kind to the hands and will prevent any abrasion or chapping on the part of the user.


Care home staff need to understand the importance of hand hygiene and cleaning to guard against conditions such as norovirus. Essity offers two training modules for this purpose.


Tork Cleaning Training for Long Term Care Homes provides employees with ‘real world’ cleaning scenarios in a safe virtual world and can be customised to fit with local cleaning guidelines. Tork Clean Hands Training for Long Term Care Homes equips staff members with the day-to-day skills they require to secure hand hygiene. It has been developed with leading hygiene experts using the WHO My Four Moments for Hand Hygiene in a residential home environment.


In 2024 it was announced that trials had begun on developing the world’s first norovirus vaccine. Expected to last for two years, the trials will involve 25,000 adults and will focus on those aged 60 and over.


“Foam soaps are quick to lather and easy to use – particularly


when supplied in a user-friendly dispenser.”


The prospect of a vaccine coming on stream is good news for the care sector. But in the meantime, care facilities should step up their hand hygiene regimes and offer comprehensive training to staff in order to reduce the threat of norovirus outbreaks.


www.tork.co.uk/longtermcare www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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