by Brianna Crandall — March 10, 2014—The long-term care industry faces a multitude of challenges when it comes to keeping residents happy and healthy, including maintaining cleanliness and reducing the risk of the 1.5 million infections estimated to occur in long-term care facilities each year. Clorox Professional Products Company recently surveyed U.S. adults with a friend or family member in a long-term care facility and found they cite the risk of infection as one of their top concerns, further attesting to these unique challenges.
Long-term care facilities are both a healthcare setting and a home for elderly, often immunocompromised, residents, which means staff are challenged with keeping them healthy and minimizing the spread of infections, while also maintaining a clean, comfortable and home-like environment. Routine cleaning and disinfecting, however, play a big role in helping maintain a healthy and comfortable environment, notes Clorox Professional.
According to the company, the spread of infections in long-term care facilities is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. Infections can easily lead to hospitalizations that expose elderly residents with weakened immune systems to dangerous pathogens and healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). These not only impact their own health, but also have the potential to spread to fellow residents once the patient returns. According to research published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, norovirus outbreaks, in particular, were associated with significant concurrent increases in all-cause hospitalization and mortality in nursing homes.
“Infection prevention is extremely important, yet challenging in long-term care facilities,” said Sherrie Dornberger, RN, executive director, The National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration/Long Term Care. “Residents live in close quarters and interact with clinical staff and often each other every day, which makes transmission of highly contagious germs like influenza, norovirus and even C. diff and MRSA quite easy. This can quickly lead to outbreaks and even hospitalizations. Effective staff education, cleaning protocols and having the right products on hand can make a big difference in minimizing the spread of infection.”
Another challenge is maintaining facility cleanliness, including minimizing odors. Urine odors and stains present two of the toughest challenges when it comes to cleaning any facility, but in long-term care settings the problem is not limited to restrooms, notes Clorox Professional. The prevalence of incontinence means that urine and other bodily fluids can appear in a variety of settings—such as bedrooms, common areas and hallways, as well as on soft surfaces such as cushions, chairs and mattresses.
The results of the recent Clorox Professional survey further underline the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy facility. The survey found that:
- The majority of consumers (71%) cite overall cleanliness as a top factor influencing their decision in selecting a long-term care facility for a friend or family member.
- Half of consumers (49%) surveyed say they are concerned that soft surfaces are not cleaned regularly at their loved one’s long-term care facility.
- Consumers also equate odor to a lack of cleanliness; more than two in five (44%) say that odor influenced their selection of a long-term care facility.
- Infection prevention was also top-of-mind among four in five consumers (79%) who say they are concerned about the risk of infection.
- One in five (21%) say they worry about a risk of infection because the facility does not smell clean.
- More than two-thirds (68%) of consumers say they would be more likely to enroll their loved ones in a long-term care facility if they knew the facility used Clorox products.
To help tackle the unique challenges facing the long-term care industry, Clorox Professional Products Company offers a range of products like Clorox Urine Remover, Clorox 4 in One Disinfectant & Sanitizer, and Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes, all designed to make cleaning easier and indoor environments more comfortable. The company’s Healthcare Web site also offers education and training resources, tools, news and other related resources for the industry.
