long-term care infection prevention
long-term care infection prevention
By Buffy Lloyd-Krejci , DrPH , MS , CIC , LTC-CIP
As We Head into Fall , Make Proactive Prevention a Priority at Your Facility
As healthcare professionals in the long-term care industry , protecting ourselves and our vulnerable residents from infectious diseases starts with ensuring we ’ re vaccinated .
That ’ s because , while vaccines don ’ t necessarily prevent us from getting a virus in the first place , they do reduce the severity of the symptoms , as my recent experience with COVID-19 shows .”
Summer . It ’ s a time to get away and reset . To enjoy long , lazy days at the pool . And , of course , to BBQ with family and friends . This summer was no exception — but with sunshine and vacations , it brought something unwelcome : the rise of yet another variant of COVID-19 .
I experienced this reality firsthand : I went to Ireland with my siblings in July . While we were there , we all got COVID . I was fully vaccinated and up to date on all the latest boosters . They weren ’ t . And the difference was astounding .
They were sick for almost two weeks . I had a bit of a sore throat and was slightly tired for a few days . And in case you ’ re wondering , yes — they had previously had COVID-19 , but not this variant . Their bodies weren ’ t prepared for the onslaught this new strain brought , while mine bounced back incredibly quickly and never really went down in the first place ( of course , everyone will have a different experience ).
As healthcare professionals in the long-term care industry , protecting ourselves and our vulnerable residents from infectious diseases starts with ensuring we ’ re vaccinated . That ’ s because , while vaccines don ’ t necessarily prevent us from getting a virus in the first place , they do reduce the severity of the symptoms , as my recent experience with COVID-19 shows . At the same time , vaccines also reduce viral load . This isn ’ t only true for COVID-19 , either . Whether you ’ re talking about the flu , rhinovirus , RSV , or some other communicable disease , vaccines play a significant role in reducing both their impact and their spread .
This is important to consider now , especially because this summer saw a lot of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities . Not only that , but vaccination rates among healthcare workers are the lowest they ’ ve been since vaccines became available . Coincidence ? I don ’ t think so .
It ’ s time to accept that COVID-19 is endemic like the flu . I ’ m sorry if people are tired of it or over it . The truth is that it ’ s not tired and over us . We still need to protect ourselves , and just as importantly , we need to protect the people we come into contact with — particularly people like our residents who are at increased risk of illness .
One of the best ways to do this is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) vaccination guidelines . For example , the CDC recommends that all individuals six months or older get a 2024 – 2025 COVID-19 vaccine . They note that this is especially important for individuals 65 or older and those at high risk for severe COVID-19 ( such as residents in long-term care facilities ) or who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 . 1 They also provide specific guidance indicating when an individual is considered up to date with vaccinations and make it clear that if someone has a personal risk of severe
COVID-19 , is at risk of contracting COVID-19 from a family or household member ( or someone else they are in close contact with ), or is living in a community with high levels of COVID , they should consider getting vaccinated as soon as possible .
Similar to their COVID-19 vaccine guidelines , the CDC recommends everyone over six months receive a yearly flu vaccination , ideally by the end of October . They specifically note in their guidelines that vaccinations are essential for healthcare professionals working in longterm care settings , given that these workers regularly come into close contact with people who are most at risk from the flu . 2
The current recommendations for RSV are a little different . CDC guidelines indicate that pregnant people who are in weeks 32 to 36 of their pregnancy during RSV season should be vaccinated , as should people over the age of 60 who are at high risk for the disease . People over the age of 75 should also be vaccinated one time . 3
Proper vaccinations can greatly reduce the impact and spread of a host of communicable diseases . COVID-19 proved how important proactive infection prevention is in protecting vulnerable populations . The problem is that while many people acknowledge that improvements in infection prevention and control ( IP & C ) are still needed , the trend lately has been to revert to a pre-pandemic approach to IPC .
This trend does a disservice to residents and the larger community alike . A far better approach is to stay alert to current and emerging threats . At the same time , leadership at long-term care facilities should continue to emphasize IP & C by shifting to a proactive rather than a reactive approach . This means , among other things , educating staff and residents alike about the importance of prevention and making vaccines available to their healthcare professionals . This approach works : The facilities that do this consistently see low infection rates , which is a testament to the power of prevention .
As summer draws to a close and we head into the fall , make it a priority in your facility to provide mandatory IP & C education to your staff . At the same time , consider running vaccination campaigns so everyone who wants to be vaccinated can be . By taking these steps , you can help mitigate the effects of dangerous diseases and keep your staff and residents healthy and safe .
Buffy Lloyd-Krejci , DrPH , CIC , LTC-CIP , is a leading authority on infection prevention in the long-term care industry . Her firm , IPCWell , delivers in-person gap analysis , training , and support to nursing homes across the country .
References :
1 . Staying Up to Date With COVID-19 Vaccines 2 . Preventive Actions 3 . Immunizations for Respiratory Viruses Prevention
october 2024 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com •
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