All Care Home owners know that there are certain legal requirements with regards to health, safety and hygiene, but taking extra care of clients and staff above and beyond the call of duty will always be well received. The Department of Health last published Infection Control Guidelines for Care Homes in June 2006 and worryingly, they aren’t as strict as many believe they could be.

The guidelines stipulate that Care Homes should produce a written policy that details the roles and responsibilities of personnel should there be an outbreak of disease or infection – and with the recent outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus, this is something that all care home owners should be aware of. The registered manager has the responsibility to report suspected outbreaks to their local Health Protection Unit, which may include Norovirus, Clostridium Difficile and Influenza, but there are ways of preventing these outbreaks from reaching ‘red alert’ stage. 

Jim Taylor, Chief Executive of SaniGuard International, knows only too well how quickly these infections can spread and the damage they can cause to not only the patients, but to a home’s reputation and the costs. “The spread of an infection such as Norovirus, which causes approximately 90% of epidemic non-bacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the world, can really be quite harrowing for those affected physically, but for those who may find the blame landing with them, it can be equally as unpleasant.”

Jim Taylor points out that taking extra care could be all it needs to prevent patients and staff from falling foul to infections. “General cleaning of care homes is fine, but these methods don’t combat bacteria and viruses on frequently touched and difficult to clean surfaces and that is where the problem lies. Items such as carpets, curtains, computer keyboards, light switches and TV remotes invariably have bacteria and viruses embedded in them and they need to be thoroughly disinfected to ensure the least possible chance of infection.” Saniguard’s dry-on-contact spray can be used on all surfaces including fabrics and electronic devices. 

The infection control guidelines state that curtains need only to be washed at least every six months, but these are items that are handled daily by a variety of different people and could harbour millions of bacteria.  Some bacteria can thrive on curtains for up to 9 days and skin scales which can lodge in fabrics can live up to 6 months, meaning by the time the curtains are laundered they are already a hot-bed for infection.  Saniguard’s dry-on-contact fogger can be activated in a room and will disinfect all surfaces, including fabrics, within 15 minutes, making it ideally suited to both public areas and patients’ rooms.  

Hand washing is the fastest and most common way to stop germs from spreading, as cleansing destroys pathogens and prevents disease from escalating out of control. As soon as someone has washed their hands and then touches a contaminated surface, the cycle will start all over again, so it’s important that the two go hand in hand. Jim concludes that a two-pronged approach is necessary, “By coupling good hand hygiene policies with effective disinfection of frequently touched and difficult to clean surfaces, care homes can establish effective infection control.”

Jim Taylor is CEO of SaniGuard International
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