Long-Term Care

Prolonged catheter use is the number 1 risk factor for developing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). External urine collection devices are an alternative to indwelling catheters for managing urinary incontinence.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending August 5.

Adding staff is not the cure-all the CMS hopes it is. Higher wages and better government financial assistance would help, but fixing the system is not going to be easy.

COVID-19, and the emotional and physical toll it caused, reached all corners of the globe. At a nursing home in Hawaii, the staff describes how the pandemic has affected them.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 1.

In all areas, infection preventionists took on more responsibilities and expanded the ones they already had, including staff education and employee health.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending June 17.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending June 3.

Adding to their exhaustion because of other diseases rampant worldwide, like influenza and COVID-19, infection preventionists need to understand and recognize the basics of monkeypox as well since it has made its debut in the US.

Patients with home infusion therapy have improved outcomes when home health care agencies and acute care facilities communicate relevant information on their shared patients.

Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc (CBIC) is debuting a new certification for infection preventionists (IPs) who work in long-term care (LTC) settings.

Candida auris environmental contamination is unlikely to be adequately controlled because re-contamination occurs within hours after disinfection.

However, a large-scale randomized controlled trial in health care is needed.

A recent study's results also could indicate how other vaccinations, including COVID-19 and pneumonia, affect patients.

Summary: Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending March 18.

Ratings, ownership, and prior infection control citations of facilities were not consistent outcome indicators.

Key recommendations in the report include normalizing mask wearing and avoiding the supply chain failures.

Investigators used 3 behavior models to study how to increase health care workers’ compliance with infection prevention and control practices.

In a study of 11 LTC facilities, these surfaces were 4 times more likely to register high levels of crAssphage and adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Beneficiaries in both original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans will be able to obtain 8 free at-home COVID-19 tests a month.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending January 28.

Linda Spaulding, a member of ICT®’s Editorial Advisory Board, and a consultant, plans to fly out to Hawaii later this week to advise her LTCF clients in that state about how best to get through the current surge.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending December 17

Having an infection preventionist on site or as a consultant to lead infection prevention and control training makes a difference. The ability to screen, isolate, or group patients can save lives. Ongoing testing of residents and staff is critical.

As COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates head downward, pediatric SARS-CoV-2 rates rise, and nursing homes can again become disaster zones. And remember: Winter is coming.

Infection preventionists across health care settings struggle with a myriad of problems during this pandemic. IPs at nursing homes have it particularly hard.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending September 17.

Linda Spaulding, RB-BC, CIC: “The time to hold nursing homes accountable is not the time when everything’s falling apart, and they don’t know what to do, and there’s nobody there to guide them.”

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending August 20.

The Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act of 2021 bolsters the standing of infection preventionists, but begs the question: Where’s the money going to come from?