Long-Term Care Center Infection Control
Issues with infection control in long-term care centers have been occurring for years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 2 million infections occur in nursing homes in the United States every year. Often these facilities are helping the most vulnerable patients, with many being elderly, frail, or weak with compromised immune systems. Preventing infectious disease outbreaks is a vital component of managing a resident-focused, high-quality long-term care center. Infection Control Results has years of experience consulting with long-term care centers. Through an assortment of resources, training materials, and professional assistance, ICR can assist you in all aspects of long-term care center infection prevention and control.
On-Site Assessment
Our infection preventionists will assess your current practices with an extensive on-site assessment and gap analysis to help us identify any practices or processes that could be improved. We will:
- Assess your current long-term care center infection prevention program including risk management.
- Review existing documents to ensure your facility is up to date and in full compliance with CMS guidelines and accreditation requirements, as needed.
- Evaluate and rework specific policies to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and standards.
- Share new procedures and train key personnel.
- Deliver a thorough written report with findings and clear recommendations for improvement.
- Provide vital resources for long-term care infection control
Infection Control Results’ on-site assessment service allows you to see gaps in your current long-term care center infection control infection control protocols that you and your staff might not recognize day-to-day.
Education
One of the most valuable resources is your staff. Staff education for long-term care facilities is particularly important due to the variety of services offered and the complex needs of your patients. Since expectations continuously change, it’s crucial that you have an expert on your side to ensure your team is prepared around-the-clock.
Infection Control Results will provide detailed continuing education programs and courses for your team – providers and new hires included. We will visit your long-term care center to offer interactive education. Your team will also have access to webinars. Our team is here to help you every step of the way, from orientation for new employees to long-term care center infection control courses for established team members and key individuals.
Onboarding
Our onboarding program is designed to acclimate new infection prevention specialists into their role. At long-term care facilities, this role is particularly complex, making it even more important that you give them the best training you can to set them up for success. Our program offers not only helpful guidelines and information about accreditation and CMS requirements, but also access to case-by-case telephone consultations with an experienced mentor. Our onboarding program works to fill in the gaps that are frequently left by formal infection control courses
Survey Prep
Long-term care centers are often highly dependent on Medicare and Medicaid funding. The annual survey is required to maintain CMS standards. Survey prep can also be required for accreditation. Our survey prep services are designed to reduce stress and increase your long-term care center’s chances of success. We can help your facility avoid getting cited for CMS F880 violations.
We start with a mock survey so your staff can become familiar with the process, and any issues that may result in failure can be identified. Our team will work with you side-by-side to resolve these hurdles, so you’ll feel confident when survey day arrives.
We will design a customized plan to help meet your goals, and complete an additional site visit, if desired, to see how well our recommendations have been implemented. Additionally, we will also review your current continuing education plan, so your care team can be educated in the best way possible.
HAI Prevention
Infectious disease outbreaks at long-term care centers often hit the headlines. Not only do these outbreaks endanger residents, but staff and visitors can also carry into the wider community.
Our remote healthcare acquired infection surveillance can help by increasing the speed at which HAIs are spotted, so you can take precautions before germs and viruses spread. We will also help you monitor current issues, so you know where to concentrate your infection control efforts.
COVID Protocols
Long-term care facilities have been the centers of outbreaks throughout the pandemic. We will advise you on the most effective disinfectants and hand sanitizers, displaying educational materials, and encourage staff and visitors to take appropriate precautions to keep COVID out of your facility. Adhering to COVID protocols can also help reduce the spread of other infectious diseases and HAIs.
Contact an Infection Control Consultant Today
Protect your residents, staff, visitors, and community by contacting an experienced infection control consultant at Infection Control Results. We are ready to help you improve your long-term care center infection control processes in a well-rounded approach. Whether it’s CMS survey prep, education and onboarding, or COVID protocols and HAI prevention – Infection Control Results is here for you. Schedule your on-site assessment today, so we can help you enhance the day-to-day processes in your long-term care center.
Working With Infection Control Results
To learn more about how Infection Control Results can help your healthcare facility keep your patients protected from HAIs, call us today at 704-207-7046 or request a consultation at the link below.