Long-term care facilities face millions of serious infections every year, and since 2010, infection rates have shot from the eighth most common reason for nursing homes to be cited by regulators to the top spot. Four in ten nursing homes that receive the federal government’s highest quality rating of five stars have nevertheless been cited for an infection control violation.
There is no silver bullet for this problem — some spread of disease in congregate settings is probably inevitable — but how we clean and disinfect is among the most important tools facility managers have. Getting this right can mean the difference between health and illness, life and death for residents.
