title: Role of environmental cleanliness and decontamination in care homes.
abstract: While it is widely accepted that the environment has an important role in transmission of healthcare-associated infections, there has been a paucity of empirical investigation in this area to date, and the majority of published literature relates to acute settings. People living in care homes come into contact with a communally used environment and communally used equipment daily. Equipment may include hoists, hoist slings, clinical monitoring equipment, commodes and shower chairs. In care homes, primary responsibility for decontamination lies with the healthcare team, most of whom are not nurses. The challenge for nurses working in care homes is their accountability for the provision of safe and effective care.
authors.affiliation: Four Seasons Health Care, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cousins
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D009735:Nursing Homes; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: care homes; decontamination; environmental cleanliness; equipment; hand hygiene; healthcare-associated infections; infection control