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Long-Term Care Homes — Infection Control and Prevention

Long-Term Care Homes — Infection Control and Prevention

Antimicrobial Stewardship

Audit Tools (IPAC)

Disinfection and Cleaning

Disinfection and Sterilization of Medical Devices & Equipment

Reusable medical equipment and instruments that are not properly reprocessed may pose risks for transmission of infections in the community and healthcare settings. Proper reprocessing procedures must be implemented to maintain quality of care and to ensure the health and safety of clients and residents.

Equipment and instruments are classified as non-critical, semi-critical and critical and they must be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, or sterilized based on the degree of risk involved in their use. It is essential to select a disinfection and sterilization method that is appropriate and compatible with the instruments.

Reprocessing is a multi-step process that require specialized education and training. Staff responsible must be trained to a level that is needed for the volume and complexity of the instruments to be reprocessed.

Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection

Environmental cleaning is the cleaning and disinfecting of an environment to reduce transmission of infections. It should be performed routinely and consistently to protect all individuals and to provide a safe and healthy environment. It is an important component to infection prevention and control in all types of setting.

Effective environmental cleaning involves selecting the appropriate product, implementing policies and procedures, and providing regular training to staff. Having a clear approach will help staff understand their responsibilities and allow for consistency when performing environmental cleaning.

Long term care and retirement homes should be cleaned regularly (e.g., at least once a day) and more frequently during an outbreak using a health care grade cleaner and disinfectant with a Drug Identification Number (DIN).

Public Health Ontario: Environmental Cleaning

Hand Hygiene

Just Clean Your Hands (educational materials, promotional materials and audit tools) — Public Health Ontario