Essay on Article Analysis: Infection Control in Home Care

Urinary tract infections are one of the most hospital-acquired infections in the country. With so much technology and evidence based practice, why is this still an ongoing problem worldwide? Could it simply be the basics of hygiene or just patient negligence? The purpose of this paper is to identify multiple studies that have been done to reduce or prevent hospital associated urinary tract infections. In these articles you will find the use of different interventions that will aid in lowering the risk of these hospital acquired infections.

As we know, older residents are susceptible to infections because of multi-morbidity, greater severity of illness, functional impairment, cognitive impairment, incontinence, and the presence of frequent short-term and long-term indwelling device use such as urinary catheters and feeding tubes. For infection prevention control program, an effective infection prevention program includes a method of surveillance for infections and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, an outbreak control plan for epidemics, isolation and standard precautions, hand hygiene, staff education, an employee health program, a resident health program, policy formation and periodic review with audits, and a policy

Urinary tract infections are the most common type of healthcare infection, and CAUTI is the 2nd most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection in the healthcare setting. ("Catheter Associated Urinary Tract," 2011). The goal of our facility is to reduce CAUTIs by 50% by the end of the year, measured by the quality department on a monthly basis, and implemented through performance improvement factors including the interdisciplinary team through a strong focus on the nursing leadership team.

4.2: The potential risks of infection within the workplace can be very high in a care home as you are constantly coming into contact with people who may have infections, handling waste material which could be contaminated and working in an environment and with equipment which could be contaminated. This is why it is extremely important to wear the correct PPE and use the correct hand washing procedure and use the correct cleaning products.

In addition, risk assessments should be undertaken for example; each person who has a catheter; PEG feed; pressure sore; or other factor which makes them more susceptible to the risk of infection. Ultimately anyone within the home who can cause infection are subject to risk assessment under the COSHH Regulations and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1992. It is important that infected residents are isolated and infected staff excluded from work, until 48 hours after the symptoms have settled. Management of cases should be planned following a risk assessment, which should consider continence, personal hygiene, overall health, likelihood of physical contact with other residents or their food, the facilities available and the vulnerability of other residents. The local HPU can advise on this process. Infected residents should, if possible, have sole use of a designated toilet or commode as long as their symptoms persist. In the case of a likely norovirus infection, they should keep a designated toilet facility for 48 hours after their symptoms have settled.

The Nurses and Domestic Assistants need to seek advice from the managers and specialist personnel such as microbiologists or the Infection Control Team. They can then repeat the advice to other staff and to the family and visitors of the patient. The managers then get advice from The Department of Health, Databases and the Infection Control Team. They then give advice to the Care and Non-care staff as mentioned above.

SUPPORTING INFECTION AND PREVENTION AND CONTROL ON SOCIAL CARE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 1. Explain how infection prevention policies and guidelines can be applied in own working settings Infection prevention policies and guidelines can be applied by • Providing information that is recent on how to prevent infections. Training staff regularly and making regular supervision relating to health and infection. • Providing the right equipment at all time for staff and service users can go a long way to prevent infection. Also making sure the proper sterilizing of scissors, urine bottles……… • Proper disposal of material used for service users.

Implementation of patient care practices for infection control is the role of the nursing staff. Nurses are responsible for maintaining hygiene, consistent with hospital policies and good nursing practice on the ward and monitoring aseptic techniques, including hand-washing and use of isolation. It is also in their scope of practice to promptly report to the attending physician any evidence of infection in patients under the nurse’s care and initiating patient isolation and ordering culture specimens from any patient showing signs of a communicable disease, when the physician is not immediately available. Limiting patient exposure to infections from visitors, hospital staff, other patients, or equipment used for diagnosis or treatment and maintaining

The patient and their families must be aware of the infection, the source of infection, signs and symptoms, treatments, and measures to apply at home to decrease their risk of receiving an infection. Because geriatric patients are incontinent they may need a catheter in place to help remove their urine. Nurses must perform aseptic technique, wearing proper gloves when inserting or removing device. Another way to help reduce the risk of elderly urinary tract infections would be to avoid or remove catheter soon as possible. Once patients are cleared for discharge they must be aware of the steps to take to insure proper bladder

In this report I will discuss the policy and procedures at a nursing home. I will be specifically looking at infection control during the course of a medication round.

The priority nursing diagnosis of hospital acquired infection is risk for any kind of infection. One of the main goals for each patient in the hospital is the patient will remain free of infection as evidence by absence of heat, pain, redness, or swelling in any area of the patient’s body during each nurse’s shift. (care plan book). Frequently hand washing is the best intervention for preventing infection. Hand washing reduces the risk of transmission of pathogens by inhibiting the growth of or killing the microorganisms. (cb)Proper sterile technique during urinary

Home health care has become an increasingly acceptable and popular form of health care provided to patients for acute, chronic, and terminal illnesses. Home health continues to rise in demand for a variety of reasons. Home health is a cost effective method of providing patients with the care that they require (Phipps, Monahan, Sands, Marek, & Neighbors, 2003, p.154). Patients can receive needed care without the added cost of a hospital stay or an extended hospital stay. This helps to lower the cost for hospitals, insurance companies, public assistance, and the patient. Other added benefits to patients receiving home health care are a decrease in nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections, improved nutritional status, personalization of

Report for priority focus area under infection control standard, for Nightingale Community Hospital. Our hospital is 13 months away from its anticipated next Joint Commission visit (JAHCO).

The issue of controlling and preventing hospital-acquired infections is a major problem in the Healthcare system. Most patients admitted to hospitals are at some risk of contracting a hospital-acquired infection (Paterson, 2012). Some patients are more vulnerable than others; these include the elderly, patients with defective immune systems, and premature babies. Hospital-acquired infections remain a major concern, and they can occur in any care setting, including acute care within hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, clinics, and long-term care facilities (such as nursing homes or rehab centers). Four categories account for 75% of all acquired infections in the acute care

Across the spectrum, patients can acquire an infection through their bloodstream, surgical sites, urinary tract, respiratory, and even gastrointestinal. Per Word Health Organization (WHO), “healthcare workers are often the conduit for the spread of such infections to other patients in their care.” Furthermore, numerous patients may transmit microbes without any noticeable signs or symptoms of an infection which reinforces the need for hand hygiene. (WHO, n.d.). If our facility embraces more proficient approaches for improving hand hygiene this proves we are more open to a closer inspection of our infection control practices in