Author: Romina Peralta
In the delicate tapestry of long-term care facilities, where the needs of older people weave together with the aspirations of dedicated healthcare workers, maintaining a balance between hygiene, care, and homely comfort poses a unique challenge. At GOJO, we recognise the challenges healthcare professionals face daily in long-term care settings. As we delve into the importance of hand hygiene in these environments, it becomes evident that safeguarding the well-being of residents requires a nuanced approach.
The importance of Hand Hygiene in Long Term Care
Long-term care facilities, often referred to as a second home for the elderly, are confronted with a significant challenge – healthcare-associated infections. The vulnerability of residents to infections, coupled with the intricate dance between hygienic practices and maintaining a homelike atmosphere, underscores the need for effective infection prevention and control measures. Research indicates that hand hygiene is a crucial component of this endeavour, playing a vital role in the reduction of infection rates in non-outbreak settings.¹
Yet, despite the recognised importance of hand hygiene, the compliance of healthcare workers in long-term care facilities is lower than desired.² Determinants such as the unique relationships healthcare workers build with residents, coupled with the desire to create a homelike environment, often pose challenges to adherence. The use of gloves, although beneficial in specific situations, may inadvertently lead to a false sense of security, potentially compromising hand hygiene practices.² Understaffing, high workload, and issues with accessibility to hygiene resources further contribute to the complexity of the situation.²
In navigating the intricate landscape of long-term care, GOJO understands the need for tailored solutions. Our range of hand hygiene products, including soap, hand sanitisers, dispensers, and surface sanitising solutions, is designed with the unique challenges of these facilities in mind. By acknowledging the setting-specific determinants identified in research – from the need for dedicated hand hygiene training to addressing resource accessibility – our products seamlessly integrate into the daily routines of healthcare professionals.
Moments for Hand Hygiene in Residential Homes:
As we reflect on the importance of hand hygiene in long-term care facilities, it's crucial to remember the moments that matter. The “Moments for Hand Hygiene" ³ approach provides a simple yet powerful guide for healthcare professionals in residential homes:
- Before Touching a Patient: Protect the patient against harmful germs carried on your hands.
- Before Performing a Clean/Aseptic Procedure: Safeguard the patient against harmful germs, including their own.
- After Exposure Risk to Body Fluids (and after Glove Removal): Protect yourself and the environment from harmful patient germs.
- After Touching the Patient: At the end of the encounter or when the encounter is interrupted, ensure you and the environment are shielded from harmful germs.
GOJO stands alongside healthcare professionals in long-term care facilities, providing not just products but solutions crafted with a deep understanding of the complex routines they have every day. Hand hygiene is not just a practice; it is a promise – a promise to preserve the delicate balance between care and well-being in the second homes of our beloved elderly.
Sources:
- Bloch, N., Männer, J., Gardiol, C., Kohler, P., Kuhn, J., Münzer, T., Schlegel, M., Kuster, S. P., & Flury, D. (2023). Effective infection prevention and control measures in long-term care facilities in non-outbreak and outbreak settings: a systematic literature review. In Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (Vol. 12, Issue 1). BioMed Central Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-023-01318-9
- Haenen, A., de Greeff, S., Voss, A., Liefers, J., Hulscher, M., & Huis, A. (2022). Hand hygiene compliance and its drivers in long-term care facilities; observations and a survey. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-022-01088-w
- World Health Organization. (2012). Hand hygiene in outpatient and home-based care and long-term care facilities : a guide to the application of the WHO multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy and the “My five moments for hand hygiene” approach.
