Nursing home and long-term care residents have been among the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, due in large part to their compromised immune systems and various comorbidities.
Protecting Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Residents With Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection Services
Nursing home and long-term residents were hit especially hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per The Washington Post;
The novel coronavirus tore through long-term-care facilities for the elderly in spring.
It continued into summer months, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead around the world.
Across 26 countries, elder-care home residents have accounted for an average of 47 percent of recorded coronavirus deaths, according to data collected by the International Long-Term Care Policy Network, a global collaboration between academics and policymakers.
In some nations, including the United States, the data suggests that about 1 in 20 elder-care residents have already died of covid-19 during the pandemic.
As covid-19 cases surge, global study paints grim picture for elder-care homes
Further, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the older a person is, the more susceptible they are to the infection.
Among adults, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk.
Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die.
As you get older, your risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases.
For example, people in their 50s are at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 40s.
Similarly, people in their 60s or 70s are, in general, at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 50s.
The greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - People At Increased Risk - Older Adults
Additional risks increasing the likelihood of infection include numerous comorbidities common among an aging population, including:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from a solid organ transplant
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
- Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Source:
Coronavirus Cleaning Checklist for Long-Term Care and Nursing Home Facilities
Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene in long-term care facilities has, in the past, been challenging.
Sometimes these challenges led to neglect, prompting the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to issue warnings and fines depending on the severity of any given offense.
As a consequence of the increased risk, the number of deaths, and relatively poor performance of long-term care and nursing home facilities regarding the protection of their patients and the training of their staff, OSHA has stepped up enforcement and fines.
Thus far, OSHA has reportedly fined 85 separate facilities for violating COVID-19 regulations put in place in April to protect residents and staff members from the virus.
In addition to adhering to local, State, and Federal guidelines regarding social distancing, masks, and travel, nursing home and long-term care facility managers should:
- Ensure all occupied facility spaces are cleaned daily with a commercial-grade soap-based detergent.
- Disinfect the entire facility at least once per week, preferably with an electrostatic disinfection appliance.
- Employ a day porter to wipe down fomites throughout the day in accordance with the facility's occupancy and use.
- Service and maintain the HVAC system, ducts, vents, and other ventilation systems at a high level of cleanliness and performance.
- Consider employing commercial-grade HEPA-filtered air cleaning systems in spaces commonly occupied by groups.
- Implement hand hygiene requirements among staff, especially before and after coming into contact with immunocompromised residents, and;
- Employ enhanced cleaning and disinfection services through a specialized service provider.
References & Resources
- Nursing Home Cleaning: Protecting the Immunocompromised
- 12 people died in a California nursing home Covid-19 outbreak. Other facilities across the US are reporting infections
- Coronavirus and Older Adults: Your Questions Answered
- Feds fine Bradenton long-term care facility for coronavirus-related violations
Takeaway
Nursing home and long-term care facility residents and staff were hit hard during the pandemic--the full scope of which is still unknown.
A clear path, which includes enhanced cleaning and ongoing disinfection service to protect the residents and staff members has been documented and made available by the U.S. CDC, OSHA, EPA, and State Health Departments.
A proven and cost-effective method for ensuring the highest cleanliness and safety standards is outsourcing daily and specialized custodial services to an experienced service provider.
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
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