The Infection Control Today® chronic and long-term care facilities page provides news, updates, and guidance on tackling infection prevention in these unique environments, including nursing homes, skilled nursing centers, and assisted-living facilities. This page includes news on cleaning, disinfection, antibiotic stewardship, hand hygiene, isolation precautions, outbreak protocol, and more as administrators and infection prevention teams seek to curb outbreaks of pneumonia, influenza, Clostridioides difficile, urinary tract infections, and skin and soft tissue infections, among others.
February 6th 2025
Fungal infections are a rising global threat, with antifungal resistance complicating treatment. Neil J. Clancy, MD, emphasizes the urgent need for research, better diagnostics, and stronger infection prevention strategies.
How to Obtain Better Hand Hygiene Adherence: Ideas From Health Care Workers on the Floor
September 29th 2022Many studies have been done on how to increase hand hygiene adherence. However, ICT® decided to go to the source and ask the health care workers themselves why they do not always follow hand hygiene.
Fractured Trust: Learning Lessons From COVID-19 to Prevent Monkeypox
September 9th 2022How much information should the public have about infectious diseases? Can the public handle the truth? If the correct information is not given out, will the public believe the medical leaders when another serious disease threatens the public’s health? Ambassador Deborah Birx, MD, continues her discussion with ICT.
Boots on the Ground, or These Boots Are Made for Walking? Some LTC Staff Choose the Latter
September 7th 2022Long-term care facilities were once normally happier places, but COVID-19 changed the individuals working and living there. PPEs, testing, overwork, underpayment, and too many isolations have chased health care workers away and forced the facilities' population to plummet. Can anything be done?
No Catheter. No CAUTI: Urine Management with External Catheters
September 5th 2022Prolonged catheter use is the number 1 risk factor for developing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). External urine collection devices are an alternative to indwelling catheters for managing urinary incontinence.
Infection Preventionist Called on to Rescue Nursing Homes Hit by Omicron
January 24th 2022Linda Spaulding, a member of ICT®’s Editorial Advisory Board, and a consultant, plans to fly out to Hawaii later this week to advise her LTCF clients in that state about how best to get through the current surge.
Changes COVID-19 Brought to Long-Term Care Facilities
December 13th 2021Having an infection preventionist on site or as a consultant to lead infection prevention and control training makes a difference. The ability to screen, isolate, or group patients can save lives. Ongoing testing of residents and staff is critical.