Just Clean Your Hands For Long-Term Care Homes

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Health care associated infections (HAIs) can have a signifi-cant impact on the health of residents in long-term care facilities and their overall quality of life.

A recent study at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Long-Term Care, in Toronto demonstrated the higher the

Four Moments of Hand Hygiene

In the resident’s environment, where care is taking place – the essential indications of hand hygiene can be simplified into 4 moments:

The Just Clean Your Hands program was created by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) to help hospitals overcome the barriers to proper hand hygiene and improve compliance. An effective hand hygiene program can reduce the burden of illness and associated costs in long-term care homes.

Transmission of Organisms

In an average day, caregivers and healthcare workers do a range of tasks with many residents and patients. Simple tasks like helping a resident become more comfortable in bed can result in thousands of microorganisms being transferred onto the hands of the caregiver. Without a proper hand hygiene protocol – those microorganisms can be easily transferred from one resident to another.

Hand hygiene works and it works differently dependent on the method used. Alcohol based hand rubs with at least 70-90% alcohol, kills organisms in seconds and is the preferred method when hands are not visibly soiled. Addi-tionally, soap and water with friction will remove these organisms and wash them down the drain.

residents, staff, volunteers and family members clean their hands before and after these group activities to reduce the spread of micro organisms.

So what’s the bottom line? Simply put, “Improving hand hygiene compliance saves lives.” In fact, an increase of hand hygiene adherence of only 20% can result in a 40% reduction in the rate of healthcare associated infections.

The MOHLTC Just Clean Your Hands program contains all the necessary tools to help improve hand hygiene and compliance including a step-by-step implementation guide, training and education materials. For more information on the Just Clean Your Hands Program for Long Term Care, visit the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care website at www.health.gov.on.ca

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hand hygiene compliance rate the lower the norovirus attack rate - meaning fewer people with diarrhea or vomiting.

Hand hygiene is universally accepted as the single most impor-tant way to prevent the spread of infections and outbreaks – while reducing the need for expensive, time consuming precautions.

1. BEFORE initial resident / resident environment contact2. BEFORE aseptic procedures3. AFTER body fluid exposure risk4. AFTER resident / resident envi-ronment contact.

In long term care homes, residents gather for shared or group activities, such as meal time and social activi-ties. It is recommended that