Infection prevention and control
How cleaning accreditation aligns with care goals
Patty Olinger, executive director of the US-based Global Biorisk Advisory Council, sets out industry best practice to ensure care homes are thorough yet efficient in its approach to cleaning accreditation
According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), there are more than 15,500 care homes in the UK with an estimated total occupancy of more than 450,000 people. Care homes pride themselves on being welcoming environments for residents, their loved ones and staff members. Unfortunately, 2020 saw a new
pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, make its way into residential care and nursing homes. According to the Office for National Statistics, there have been around 42,000 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales since March 2020. The virus is continuing to infect people, including some of the most vulnerable elderly living in care homes. With so much at stake, facilities
want assurance that their protocols are protecting their residents and employees. Thankfully, by following an expert-led, third-party review of a facility’s cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention programme, care and nursing homes can overcome the challenges of the past 18 months and improve their readiness for biohazard risks. One avenue that facilities can
explore is formal, performance- based accreditation. By reviewing the methods currently in use for cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention as well as industry best practices and compliance with essential standards and regulations, care homes can establish a holistic approach that upholds safety for residents, employees and visitors.
A struggle of unprecedented scope Care homes have faced many never- before-seen challenges during the pandemic. Facing alarming transmission and death rates, they have had no choice but to pivot and swiftly implement new and strict safeguards. Many facilities have requested extra government funding to support efforts such as Covid-19 testing among residents, enhanced cleaning, and tighter rules regarding visitors to the facilities. Extra precautions, training in infection
prevention and control, and new protocols require additional investments for which facilities may not have budgeted. Many care homes are rightly concerned about the long-term costs that the pandemic and future outbreaks might have on profits and their ability to provide the level of care to which they are committed. Staying staffed properly during the pandemic has also been difficult, as caregivers are susceptible to contracting and spreading the virus to others. Staff, whether in caregiver, cleaning and
August 2021 •
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maintenance or administrative roles are continually leaving and re-entering care homes, potentially bringing the virus to residents’ doorsteps. When employees become ill, it can be challenging for care homes to operate as effectively in their absence, especially if the facility is dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak. Finding a way to protect staff and in turn, the residents of care homes, is a top priority. This becomes even more of a challenge when care homes have difficulty sourcing proper PPE.
The need for and value of accreditation Thus, minimizing the risk and size of outbreaks in care homes is crucial, as it can save countless lives. So how can care homes prevent or better manage current and future biorisk threats? Accreditation is gaining ground in
facilities around the world because of the clarity and consistency it brings to cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention processes. In addition to helping facilities clean and disinfect
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