As a critical pillar of the UK’s social infrastructure, care homes look after some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and naturally place a lot of emphasis on infection control and prevention.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this focus has never been more important – the UK Health Security Agency’s Vivaldi study, which analysed antibody and cellular immune responses to Covid-19 in around 340 care homes, shows that residents and people who work in care homes have higher rates of infection versus the general population.
Care home residents are also more likely to be admitted to hospital or die from the disease.
While rapid medical advances and new treatments are now helping carers manage the most severe cases, developing new standards of infection prevention and effective care remains a priority for all of us. But we must also recognise the difficulty of applying safety measures in supported living services and Extra Care housing.
In these facilities, care teams are expected to support people to follow best-in-practice social distancing, isolation and hygiene practices, while being asked to help minimise the impact on residents’ wellbeing when introducing changes to routines, choices, preferences and freedoms.
Where people are unable to maintain measures that reduce the spread of Covid-19, providers must ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken to mitigate risks to people and care staff, which includes helping people to follow guidance on self-isolation.
Caring for people living with dementia is different again
For many reasons, infection control is even more challenging in dementia care.
Firstly, people living with dementia are much less likely to understand the need to isolate, and could easily face difficulties while taking preventative measures and/or being isolated from people.
As face masks can impair social cognition (how we store, process and use information about other people) in older adults and people living with dementia, care staff are less likely to wear masks that could otherwise offer some protection.
Providers also have a duty to minimise restrictions on people living with dementia to make sure that their support can be maintained safely. And while carers can take reasonable steps to mitigate the risks of having visitors who may catch and spread infection, there is still a greater risk.
Where they are responsible, providers should work closely with relevant housing providers, people and visitors to plan visiting times and limit the number of people needing to access communal areas. Similarly, good planning will help to makes sure effective cleaning can take place.
Providers can also encourage people and visitors to avoid contact with people they aren’t specifically visiting, and minimise contact with staff.
Innovating for infection control in dementia care
When it comes to minimising operational disruption, infection outbreaks and high energy costs, there’s never been a more urgent time for the sector to innovate and consider its approach to infection control, particularly in more vulnerable dementia care.
Through the sterile equipment products and services range, JLA is already providing HEPA filtration systems to hospitals and clean room environments across the UK, and can now offer this technology to our care home customers. Our filtration units use 50% less energy than competitor products, and deliver effective results thanks to medical grade HEPA14 filter, along with a molecular gaseous contaminated carbon filter.
Combining the highest efficiency particulate and molecular filtration in one compact floor-standing unit, our air filtration units capture the smallest, most harmful contaminants – including those we can’t see.
And because these filtration systems improve air quality and reduce odours without the need for additional ventilation, customers are able to keep windows closed, which means savings on heating – handy at a time of extremely high costs.
The benefits of our air filtration units
A JLA portable commercial air filtration unit delivers powerful benefits right out of the box:
- Limits infection spread – removes bacteria and viruses from the air
- Instantly improves air quality – unit pulls dirty air in and replaces it with clean, filtered air free of harmful contaminants and pollutants
- Saves energy – reduces the need to open windows for ventilation and fresh air
- Reduces staff absence and costly agency fees – keeping staff well and able to work
- Protects care continuity – preserve the resident and staff on-going relationship
- Quickly eliminates odours – the activated carbon filter removes odours from the air
- Boosts CQC ratings – so you enjoy real peace of mind
- Differentiates your care home – by demonstrating that you’re innovating and thinking differently
- Protects vulnerable residents without restricting or negatively impacting their wellbeing
If you’d like to learn more about the ways JLA air filtration units can protect your residents, staff and visitors, please get in touch today.
Helen Buchan, Infection control expert
Helen has been with JLA for seven years, and makes sure our customers enjoy the right mix of products and support, from installation right through to planned maintenance.
Learning, research and development are central to Helen’s role – having led extensive testing of our products, she has an unrivalled understanding of what works best for our customers.
Helen also has deep insight into the ever-shifting regulations that impact all the sectors we serve. Working closely with our sales, marketing and operational colleagues, she understands customers’ needs and makes changes or introduces new products where necessary.
Awards and accreditations
• Panel member for BIM4Housing
• Nominee for Influencer of the Year at the Women in Fire Safety Awards 2023
• Won the Spirt of JLA Award 2022
