Laundry management
usually feature a one way valve fitted into the drum to ensure infected water exits through the waste system. Alternatively, other larger commercial models have a break tank to prevent the backflow of dirty water.
Quality and safety
One care home inspection highlighted the need for a more effective response to concerns raised by staff and users, and regular quality and safety audits by the care home manager as a result. Although not limited to laundry, once they were introduced, this was one of the areas to benefit.
When a person raised concerns about the poor labelling of laundry items, which might have impacted their correct laundering, the manager held supervisions with staff to reinforce their responsibilities and changes were made to the labelling of items as a result. This example illustrates the importance of reviewing how well laundry processes are being adhered to. While there appeared to be a labelling system in place, it was unsatisfactory, leading to potential risks. One final case highlighted a number of equipment and process issues that led to action being required on cleanliness and infection control. This included a lack of
access to PPE and hand washing facilities in the laundry, increasing the chances of staff becoming infected or carrying infections out of the laundry and into the rest of the home. It also highlighted the use of washing machines that were inadequate for laundering both standard linen and soiled items.
The recommendation here was to introduce washing machines with a sluice function as well as changing the layout of the laundry room to include storage of PPE and proper hand washing facilities. This case highlights the importance of ensuring all of the equipment needed for infection control in the laundry is available, used and fit for purpose. In the case of washing and drying machines, this includes sluice features, barrier washers and machines that can guarantee sustained high temperature washes that are required to kill bacteria.
Conclusion
In summary, while there is no specific published guidance on what a compliant care home laundry should contain, the cases discussed provide real examples of where laundry equipment and processes have had a negative impact on an assessment outcome. In addition, reviewing your laundry in line with the
CQC’s published key lines of enquiry is a useful exercise when thinking about all of the areas in which laundry provision might have an impact. These have been summarised in the table.
TCHE
Clare Long
Clare Long is a business account manager for care in the professional division at Miele. She has an extensive background within the sector, having worked closely with hundreds of care homes during their laundry installations alongside Miele’s partners.
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • January 2019
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