WASHROOMS & BATHROOMS
THE SUSTAINABLE CARE HOME
Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity considers the growing awareness of the need for more environmentally-friendly practices and looks at ways in which sustainability can be improved in the care home – and washrooms in particular.
A few short years ago the issues of patient health and safety became the chief focus of care homes up and down the country. COVID-19 cast its shadow over the entire sector as care home staff battled to prevent residents from succumbing to the deadly pandemic.
Workers soon became exhausted during the harrowing battle against an illness that put their own health – and that of their families – at risk. Many decided to leave the profession as a result, and this led to a crippling staffing crisis which continues to create problems for the industry.
But since the start of the decade, another topic has come to the fore in the care sector. Sustainability featured high on the agenda at the latest Caring for Care summit, held in London in July, coming second only to the staffing crisis. In fact, a workshop focusing on ways of unlocking the value of sustainability in the care home was one of the highlights of the event.
It appears that an increasing number of care homes are becoming more environmentally-conscious in general. In April this year it emerged that hundreds of residential institutions in the UK had switched to plant-based cleaning systems in a bid to reduce the number of chemical-based solutions being employed. The new biological cleaners that are increasingly being selected come in recyclable packaging and are claimed to reduce carbon emissions.
“Sustainability featured high on the agenda at the latest Caring for Care summit, held
in London in July, coming second only to the staffing crisis.”
Meanwhile, leading care home provider Care UK has announced its goal to become carbon neutral by 2040 and is taking appropriate measures such as switching to LED lighting, operating a fleet of electric vehicles and diverting waste away from landfill.
The company, which operates more than 160 homes around the UK, has also launched a Generations of Change programme. Set up in March this year, the initiative aims to connect the wisdom of care home residents with the fresh environmental perspectives of children. Young people are invited into residences where they are asked to take part in various hands-on activities focused on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable gardening.
Generations of Change events have already taken place in Care UK properties in Stansted, Bristol, Newbury, Edinburgh and Cambridgeshire.
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www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
These types of initiatives help to change the care home mindset and alert staff and residents to the need to adopt more sustainable practices. But there are other, simpler changes that care homes can adopt to help them to become more sustainable – particularly in the washrooms and bathrooms. A great deal of paper is used in these facilities so it is important that measures are put in place to naturally reduce their consumption, for example.
Hand washing is a vital barrier to infections and outbreaks in the care home so it is important to instil good hand hygiene practices among visitors, residents – and of course, staff members. The hands of care workers need to be washed and dried frequently during the working day and disposable towels are the recommended method because each user is supplied with a fresh, clean sheet of paper and hand-drying is swiſt, thorough and hygienic.
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