the possibility of infection spreading further. Continuous training and development for both management and staff, helps to ensure high standards of hygiene are maintained alongside operational efficiency as well as preventing unnecessary downtime in the facility.


“It’s essential for care


managers to encourage employees to take


sufficient care of their personal health and


hygiene to prevent the spread of illness.”


Above all, don’t neglect the basics of personal hygiene: particularly hand hygiene. Some diseases, like Norovirus, are transmissible for several days and can live on hard surfaces such as door handles and walls. Therefore, cross contamination can be particularly prevalent in communal environments such as care homes. To minimise the spread of bacteria, viruses and therefore illness, hands should be washed thoroughly for 20–30 seconds using soap and water, and then dried properly. But when the modern worker is so time- poor, it can be easy for standards to slip. For example, a survey of 1,000 office workers by Initial Washroom Hygiene found that only 31% claim to wash their hands for more than 20 seconds every time. We would expect this figure to be higher when it comes to care workers; however, during busy periods, adherence to safe hand hygiene practices can drop.


If an outbreak does occur, it’s important that a professional deep clean and disinfectant fogging treatment is carried out. What’s more, employees should not become complacent aſter a deep clean and should ensure standards of cleanliness are kept high. Employee training and constant reinforcement of best hygiene practice is an important driver.


FINAL THOUGHTS Maintaining hygienic and resident- friendly premises extends beyond the use of specialist cleaners and the latest cleaning technologies. It also requires the support of staff in taking personal responsibility for their own hygiene, and in following infection control procedures. By taking these precautions, care homes can ensure they are meeting the standards required both by UK legislation and those expected by their residents.


www.initial.co.uk www.rentokil.co.uk


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