Cleaning Nursing Homes for Health

Cleaning Nursing Homes for Health

Cleaning for health in specialized facilities that cater to elderly immunocompromised patients, such as long-term care and nursing homes, has never been more vital.

Cleaning Nursing Homes for Health - Palmdale, Lancaster, Bakersfield, Fresno, Valencia

Cleaning Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities for Health

COVID-19 has taken an especially hard toll on elderly immunocompromised residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing and retirement homes.

According to a recent interview published by AARP;

The grim reality is that for the elderly, COVID-19 is almost a perfect killing machine.

In our facilities, the average age is 84, and everyone has underlying medical conditions.

So when you combine those factors together, we are dealing with perhaps the greatest challenge that we ever have had.

Families Anxious Over Loved Ones in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living

A critical component in halting the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases is proper hand hygiene--an area where these facilities have fallen short in the past.

According to a 2012 article published by online industry magazine, CleanLink;

Recent reports indicate that the percentage of nursing homes cited for deficiencies in hand hygiene has risen in recent years.

In fact, inspectors from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid found such deficiencies in fewer than 7.4 percent of nursing homes from 2000 to 2002, but by 2009 found them in close to 12 percent.

Some states did better: Hand hygiene citations in Pennsylvania in 2009 came from just 6 percent of facilities.

Some fared much worse: Michigan that year was at 15 percent.

Nursing Homes Falter On Hand Hygiene

Other significant concerns include the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, norovirus, and respiratory infections, including influenza and rhinovirus, which lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of nursing home residents each year.

C.diff is one concern, but infections related to antibiotic-resistant organisms, norovirus, and respiratory infections are a few others.

Any of these illnesses can and do kill already sick and frail elderly residents.

Every year an estimated 388,000 deaths due to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) occur in U.S. nursing homes.

The fact that nursing homes have evolved into post-acute skilled nursing facilities has increased the potential for the spread of HAIs.

Then there is also cold and flu season, which rampantly spreads viruses and respiratory illnesses amongst the immunocompromised residents.

Fighting Infections Through Proper Disinfection

Additionally, nursing homes and long-term care facilities suffer from more mundane issues as well, especially odor control.

Almost every nursing home has trouble with severe urine odor in resident bathrooms — most often, those used by male residents.

Most homes have restrooms that serve two resident rooms, with each room housing two men.

The source of the problem is obvious — four octogenarians trying to hit one small target 15 times during the night.

Over time, urine is absorbed into the grout, or if the floor is a VCT (vinyl composition tile) floor, it can work its way under the tile, forming a bacterial colony that constantly spews noxious odors.

Taking Care of Business: Odor Control

 

Healthy Cleaning and Disinfection Practices for Nursing Homes

When it comes to protecting the health and safety of immunocompromised residents of long-term care facilities, what surfaces are cleaned is just as important as how they are cleaned.

Additionally, hand hygiene should be a top priority coordinated between facility managers and custodial staff.

Finally, as with all such facilities, cross-contamination prevention must take precedence in all things.

Cross-contamination is one of the biggest concerns in hospitals because the spread of viruses and bacteria from room to room or person to person can quickly balloon from a minor problem to a full-blown disease outbreak.

While cross-contamination can lead to devastating circumstances when people with compromised immune systems are exposed, cross-contamination is also a threat to anyone who crosses the facility’s threshold.

Preventing Cross-Contamination: A Prescription for Clean

To provide for the healthiest environment that considers everyone's safety:

  • Deep clean restrooms regularly with a no-touch spray and vacuum scrubbing system that penetrates deep into the grout and removes the odor-causing bacteria and the urine it feeds on.
  • Disinfect germ hotspots regularly--daily during cold and flu season or an outbreak--with a no-touch electrostatic disinfection appliance.
  • Use EPA certified Safer Choice products to reduce occupant exposure to toxic chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions and respiratory issues.
  • Implement strict cross-contamination controls through the use of smart cleaning tools and processes.
  • Ensure custodial staff always wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.
  • Provide residents with easy to access and use hand sanitizer and liquid-foaming soap.

 

References & Resources

 

Takeaway

Cleaning long-term care and nursing home facilities with immunocompromised residents is pretty much the same as cleaning and disinfecting in a hospital or surgery center.

The custodial staff must be courteous and conscientious of the risk presented by over or under applying disinfectant with the need to avoid cross-contaminating surfaces at all costs.

The equipment and procedures necessary to ensure the health and safety of everyone, including staff and residents, is best left in the hands of trained and dedicated professional service providers, underscoring the benefits of outsourcing vs. an in-house team.

If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!

In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253

In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059

In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253

In Palmdale CA, or Lancaster CA, call (661) 371-4756


Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Southern Valley

Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Southern Valley