CLEANING & HYGIENE


Protecting the Vulnerable


Sepsis is causing increasing concern in hospitals, but how serious is it in care homes? Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity looks into the dangers that sepsis represents to our vulnerable elderly in long-term care and considers what can be done to protect them.


Sepsis is responsible for an estimated 52,000 UK deaths a year, according to the Sepsis Trust.


Data collected last summer revealed that the number of sepsis-related deaths occurring in hospital or soon aſter discharge had jumped by a third compared with the previous 12 months.


Sepsis occurs when the body has an adverse response to an infection. It can lead to organ dysfunction, shock and potentially death.


Hospital patients are particularly vulnerable to infections because they oſten have a compromised immune system and are surrounded by people who are ill. The older they are, the higher the risk of infection since the immune system weakens with age.


So, does this make care home residents vulnerable to sepsis? The answer is yes, according to the Sepsis Alliance.


Besides being less capable of fighting off infections than younger people, elderly care home residents are also more likely to be reliant on devices such as urinary catheters, ventilator tubes, ports and IV drips. Invasive devices such as these introduce an opening into the body through which germs may enter.


Older people also tend to have frail skin which means they may develop scratches or skin tears very easily – and these can quickly become infected. Those who are bed-bound or who spend long periods of time sitting down may contract pressure ulcers, which are among the most common sources of infection in care and nursing homes.


Additionally, residents who have difficulty swallowing are prone to inhale food or drink which could lead to aspiration pneumonia.


The NHS is making great strides in stepping up the fight against sepsis in hospitals. In September 2018, it launched the SoS Insight Dashboard tool which measures the number of “at- risk” patients admitted.


However, the care sector appears to have fallen through the net as far as sepsis awareness is concerned. In its paper entitled “Getting it right”, NHS Health Education England highlights primary care and care homes as the clinical areas where gaps in sepsis training provision are most likely to occur.


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Vigilant care staff can help to prevent infections or treat them early. The Sepsis Alliance advises that all sores should be monitored for signs of infection and cleansed thoroughly between dressing changes.


People who work in care facilities should wash their hands between patients or residents; observe isolation protocols and wear gloves, gowns, and/or masks where necessary. They should clean all rooms and objects according to the facility’s protocol and they should isolate any residents who show signs of illness.


The Alliance adds that friends and relatives should avoid visiting when ill - even with a cold - and should wash their hands upon entering the facility. They should report any signs of open wounds, infection or illness in the resident to the care home staff.


Now that the NHS has identified a potential lack of sepsis awareness in the care sector, hopefully the situation will improve. In fact, there are signs this is happening already.


For example, the Sepsis Trust has developed an e-learning module for community care workers which has been developed in conjunction with the North West Coast Academic Health Science Network. This is freely available on the UK Sepsis Trust learning platform.


Meanwhile, individual authorities are finding new ways to tackle the problem. For example, Lancashire County Council offers free sepsis training sessions for staff in the county’s residential and nursing care homes.


In May 2018, The World Health Organisation (WHO) made sepsis the central theme of its SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign in a bid to raise awareness of the condition. We at Essity backed the WHO campaign by launching our own three-step call to action: Think hygiene. Act to prevent. Care for patients.


While this advice was aimed mainly at hospitals, it is vitally important that care homes are not forgotten.


Tork offers a range of hand hygiene products for use in the care sector including mild soaps, soſt hand towels and soſt toilet paper. These are housed in user-friendly dispensers that are easy to use and designed to prevent the risk of cross-contamination.


www.tork.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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