CLEANING & HYGIENE Healthy Hands


As restrictions end and Covid complacency creeps in, Chris Wakefield, Managing Director UK & Ireland, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, discusses how to continue influencing good hand hygiene behaviour.


Cleaning and hygiene have always been imperative in nursing and care homes. Aſter all, they prevent the spread of germs, which is critical in settings that house the elderly and vulnerable.


Awareness of the role they play in infection control soared during the pandemic, as did the use of sanitisers and disinfectants accordingly. However, two years on, coronavirus fatigue is setting in. Restrictions have been liſted, warmer weather has arrived, but the virus is still in circulation – so complacency must be avoided at all costs.


Springtime is synonymous with cleaning and new beginnings, so now marks a good time for care home managers to review the equipment, products, and practices and ensure that they influence positive hand hygiene behaviour.


OUT WITH THE OLD Soap and sanitiser dispensers are widely found in care homes – but are they up to the task demanded of them? Check that all dispensers are clean and in good working order, no matter how recently they were purchased. Many dispensers that were installed during the pandemic were substandard and are now broken or unappealing, which can prevent people from cleaning their hands effectively.


Due to the frequency with which they are used, care homes require high quality, robust dispensers, which are built to last. Those with smooth, flat surfaces enable easy cleaning and some have additional features that address common service issues. For example, the PURELL ES8 Dispenser has an innovative ‘AT-A-GLANCE’ refill design, making it easy to monitor product levels with one quick look. It also benefits from continuous touch-free dispensing, thanks to its integrated energy on the refill technology, eliminating any hassle of having to change the battery, or worry of it wearing out.


Touch-free dispensers make a good choice for nursing and care homes, by virtue of being so simple and intuitive to use. What’s more, they release the exact amount of soap or sanitiser required, reducing potential wastage and mess, and are the most hygienic of all dispensers. By their very nature, hands do not need to come into direct contact, removing a touchpoint that could potentially harbour bacteria.


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SAFE SOLUTIONS


Aſter reviewing equipment, comes product selection. In care settings, the formulations of soap and sanitising solutions are critical. The risks of making the wrong choice can be high. Inadequate efficacy or skin irritation that leads to poor user compliance can allow germs to be spread throughout a facility.


Above all, the product selected must be effective. Look for products that conform to hospital norms EN 1500, EN 14476, and EN 12791, which provide assurance that they are safe for use in healthcare settings, and check the contact times. Short contact times mean that users are more likely to benefit from the full germ-killing power of the product.


Secondly, considering how oſten care workers must clean their hands as well as the delicate condition of residents’ skin, product formulations must be gentle. If the balance of ingredients is not right, skin can quickly become dry or irritated, which can have a negative impact on compliance. It’s therefore essential to select a hand sanitiser with moisturising properties to help protect skin health, such as PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub.


It’s all too easy to slip into bad habits, but we cannot afford to become complacent – especially in settings that home some of society’s most vulnerable. Encourage good hand hygiene practice by installing functional, easy-to-use dispensers and supplying effective but mild soap and sanitising solutions. Taking these proactive steps will help managers to keep their premises safe and protect the health of both staff and residents.


www.gojo.com www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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