carpet cleaning
Controlling MRSA in Nursing and Residential Homes.
There is a great deal of concern in nursing and residential homes about the spread and significance of MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and the rising risk that comes with it, Insurance claims. Lesley Ash being just one case.
Increased use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of MRSA and other resistant strains of bacteria. The lines between hospitals and care homes and the spread of MRSA are getting blurred. Care workers must take the same precautions as nurses.
Understaffing and overcrowding are jus two problem areas , basic hygiene procedures are being ignored because care workers are not able to finish one job properly before having to do another six jobs as well. Time constraints means care workers fail to follow infection-controls such as hand washing, cleaning duties, clinical waste disposal, glove-wearing, decontamination and sterilization of equipment and cleaning linen.
Poor hygiene education , As well as more time and resources, better education of staff and vwith regards to cleaning hygine could help prevent the spread of MRSA. Many healthcare workers are not kept up to date with current developments in raising hygiene standards and preventing infection.
Infection Control
The current 800 deaths a year from MRSA cannot be ignored. It’s clear that this situation is crying out for more time and resources to carry out infection-control procedures. It’s vital, then, that managers priorities funding for infection control. In the long run money will be saved
With care homes using carpets for safety reason to protect residents when they fall it follows that they need to be cleaned. Many managers worry about having wet carpets and don’t realized that things have move on and this is no longer a problem.
Deep cleans have been pushed into the publics minds with Gordon Browns millions he set aside for them in the NHS. This makes things easier for use when selling the problem solving ideas to care mangers.
Many of these care homes are at the very top end of the market now and have money unlike the NHS. Many are unsure what to do. They just don’t have the time to educate their own cleaning staff, so calling in outside contractors is the only option.
IF we don’t show that we have answers to the problem then change will come in the form of managers looking at the risks and maybe thinking that ripping carpets up is a less of a risk for them.