Infection Control in Care Homes

The staff at Cairn are specialists in infection control in care homes.

We recognise that infection control is vital in the care home sector, as many of those who live in care homes are among those most at risk of infection, due to age, existing medical conditions, medication and environment.

However, by observing best practice guidelines, and by making sure that you follow your care home’s infection control procedures carefully, you can help stop infections such as MRSA and C-diff taking hold.

 

Causes of Infection

Infections can be caused by several types of organism. Viruses, bacteria, fungi and spores are all capable of causing infectious diseases. In the care home environment, infection is usually spread via direct contact, poor hand washing technique, or contaminated surfaces such as bedpans or handrails.

Responsibility of Care Home Staff in Infection Control

The staff at your care home have a responsibility to observe infection control guidelines and prevent the spread of infection. This can be done by:

• Confining infected residents to their rooms, with separate toilet facilities.
• Increasing the amount of cleaning carried out, paying special attention to toilet & bathroom areas, handles & handrails, and kitchen surfaces.
• Having residents wash hands before eating and after using the toilet.
• Wearing protective clothing – disposable aprons & gloves should be used, and changed between residents.
• Washing hands thoroughly before and after attending to each resident, before putting on and after removing gloves & protective clothing, after using the toilet or blowing your nose, before eating or handling food and whenever hands are visibly soiled.

Infection Control Products for Care Homes

We supply a range of infection control products to care homes across the UK, to aid you in including cleaning and disinfectant products and hand sanitizers, as well as continence care products such as nappies, pull-ups and bedsheets.

Infection Control Product Training

When you purchase any of our infection control products for your care home, you and your staff will receive full training in the use of these products, tailored to your own requirements. We come to you, so you’ll see how you can use our products in your home, to make cleaning and decontamination easier, reduce costs and prevent infection.

You’ll gain valuable knowledge from our experience of working with NHS and private facilities. You’ll also receive product information sheets and posters for future reference.

 

For more information on infection control in care homes, or about any of our infection control products, contact Cairn’s Care Home Team on 0845 226 0185.