Our healthcare system has recently seen, and will continue to see, significant changes. There are particular implications for long-term care facilities but, overall, healthcare costs are increasing, the...
Piloting antimicrobial stewardship efforts in long-term care
Aug 19, 2015
Antimicrobial stewardship is a team effort, particularly in pediatric long-term care.
Workers, get your flu shots
By
Liza Berger
Sep 01, 2009
This week, an infection control group issued a new, more urgent message about employee vaccinations: Facilities should require flu vaccinations for workers with direct contact with patients. And employees...
Triclosan hand soaps banned in healthcare: What should LTC facilities do next?
By
Megan DiGiorgio MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC
May 30, 2018
With a manufacturing cut-off date quickly approaching for soaps containing triclosan, long-term care facilities currently using them may be unsure of what to do next. Here are three steps they should take.
The Aedes mosquito and human hands — are they related?
By
Martie Moore
Jul 22, 2016
Imagine you are on a train and the conversation around you is about the seven deadly summer diseases. You eavesdrop because you’re a bit scared you might be exposed to one of them.
C. diff spotlight: Vaccine trial and caregiver checklist
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 07, 2013
Back in June, I declared medication to be the long-term care topic of the summer. But this week, a different topic has stolen the spotlight: Clostridium difficile.
The call for action to prevent norovirus
By
Martie Moore
Sep 17, 2014
It all started with a gathering. My family had lost a loved one. Some of us flew, others drove but whatever it took, we came together to celebrate the life of our loved one. Within 48 hours after the service,...
Decrease infection transmission risk to increase engagement
May 04, 2018
Long-term care facility employees have a responsibility to ensure an optimal healthcare environment to enable resident recovery, respite or relief, and environmental cleanliness is crucial to confer a...
Close the infection loop to reduce outbreak risk
May 12, 2014
The readmission scores of nursing homes will be posted to the Nursing Home Compare website beginning in 2017, and the VBP program will begin Oct. 1, 2018. For the first time, facilities will not just face...
CDC releases HAI Data: How are we doing?
By
Jacie Volkman, MPH, CIC
Jul 16, 2014
For many years, healthcare institutions have been focused on different ways to decrease HAIs, as federal reimbursement initiatives loomed. So, what does this report card tell us? We’ve come a long...