Stay Healthy By Recognizing Pneumonia Symptoms

The Importance Of Hand Sanitizer In Long-Term Care Facilities

by Hector Holland

Hand sanitizer is key to keeping residents in long-term care facilities healthy and safe. By using hand sanitizer, residents and staff can help prevent the spread of illness and disease. 

Frequent handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection. However, in long-term care facilities, hand sanitizer is equally important. Hand sanitizer helps to kill germs and bacteria that can cause illness.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using hand sanitizer whenever you:

  • Enter a room
  • Take vital signs
  • Administer a shot
  • Pass out medicine
  • Change bed linens
  • Change a brief
  • Perform wound care
  • Touch a roommate
  • Use medical equipment
  • Leave a room

Both a wall-mounted dispenser and a hand sanitizer container with a pump are convenient for this.

Hand sanitizer has alcohol in it to kill germs. This is especially important in long-term care facilities because the residents are especially vulnerable to germs and infections. While COVID-19 spread quickly in long-term care facilities at the start of the pandemic, other common germs have long-plagued this community, including: 

  • Influenza. While the average adult may be able to bounce back from the flu, it can be deadly for residents of a long-term care facility. 
  • Staphylococcus aureus. This bacteria can cause infections ranging from a simple skin rash to life-threatening conditions, such as blood poisoning or pneumonia.
  • C. Difficile. Often referred to as simply C. diff, this infection can spread rapidly in nursing homes, causing severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. It is spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, such as door handles or countertops. 
  • Scabies. Another disease that can spread rapidly in long-term care settings is scabies. This is a skin condition caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin, causing intense itching, pain, and scarring for staff and residents alike.

The simple act of using hand sanitizer is a key part of preventing the spread of these and other illnesses.

There are a few things to keep in mind when using hand sanitizer. First, it is important to remember that the CDC recommends using a hand sanitizer with 60 to 95 percent alcohol. Second, it is important to rub the hand sanitizer all over your hands, including between your fingers and on the back of your hands. Finally, let the hand sanitizer dry on your hands before you touch anything else. This helps to hand sanitizer to work and smothers the germs.

Using hand sanitizer in long-term care facilities can help protect the most vulnerable population from becoming sick. Following these simple guidelines can make a big difference in keeping residents healthy and safe. 

Contact a local hand sanitizer supplier, such as Desinfectant Ges, to learn more. 

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