Aged Care Insite Issue 92 | December 2015 - January 2016 | Page 19

practical living Top 10 touch-points in a resident’s room include: • Doorknobs • Light switches • Basin and taps • Chairs • Bedside tables • Bed (including any railings) • Transport trolleys • Wardrobes • Windows and drapes • Instruments or individual objects, such as medicine cups, remote controls, phones, walking frames. AUDIT AGAINST BENCHMARKS Keep it clean, people Consistent workflow is an important part of lowering the risk of infection and maintaining a healthy facility. HANDLE SPILLS PROMPTLY By Murray McDonald T he costs of poor cleaning go a step further in aged care than in most other commercial sectors. Most sectors understand the importance of occupational health and safety concerns, hand washing and reducing the risk of cross-contamination when cleaning. In aged care, infection control is added to this list. The elderly are some of the most vulnerable in society. They are highly susceptible to infection and disease outbreaks. A part of reducing these risks is consistent cleaning practices and workflow. Infection control requires using hospitalgrade equipment, systems and methods, and correct evaluation measures. Common bacteria that can be found in aged-care environments include VRE, MRSA, C.difficile and gastro. When an outbreak of these types of infections occurs, a domino effect can take place Most aged-care facilities will have some sort of auditing procedure in place. One of the biggest issues with these practices is inconsistent data. This normally happens due to the range of different forms that need to be filled or inconsistent practices among different auditors in a facility. A simple way to ensure a consistent cleaning workflow is to pre-mark all surfaces that require cleaning. There are invisible markers that can be used to mark touch points and key environmental surfaces. Once the mark is placed, they are visible only under a special light. Once areas have been marked, the cleaner goes in. Then a manager or auditor can look for the marks post-cleaning. If marks are still present, key areas have been overlooked. that involves costs such as extra resources, closure of facility areas, extra staff and reputational damage. The following are three key ways facilities can ensure poor cleaning processes are reduced, through a consistent cleaning workflow. PRIORITISE TOUCH-POINTS A report by Singapore General Hospital titled “Impact of a hospital-wide hand hygiene promotion strategy on healthcare-associated infections” found one of the five key elements for reducing MRSA outbreaks was “decontamination of the environment and equipment”. Ensuring that areas and surfaces receiving regular contact are given a deep clean in every resident room, bathroom, kitchen and common rooms will reduce the spread of common aged-care bacteria. Attending to a body fluid spill as soon as possible is paramount to preventing the spread of bacteria and disease. Bestpractice infection control advises going over the spills with a deep clean as soon as it is practical. Body fluid spills on surfaces and floors are common causes of Gastro in aged-care facilities. These spills tend to occur at night, which can make it difficult to deal with them straight away because of the disruption it can cause to sleeping residents. Instead of leaving a spill until the next morning, methods such as diluting the spill with water, absorbing the water with a towel, then going over the area with a steam machine the next morning, are ideal for taking care of a spill as soon as practical. It’s also important to ensure the towel is disposed of effectively to prevent the spread of disease. ■ Murray McDonald is director of Duplex Cleaning Machines and the author of 5 Steps to Chemical Free Cleaning in Healthcare. Go to duplexcleaning.com.au agedcareinsite.com.au 19