Medical Records and Administration

Business and administration employees may be both directly and indirectly involved in infection prevention and control strategies in residential aged care.  Reception employees are often the first to see visitors entering the facility, and, as such, they will need to enforce the required infection prevention and control protocols, which are...

Ice Machines

Some aged care facilities use ice-making machines, which, although convenient, can become contaminated with infectious organisms if not used or cleaned appropriately.  The following points must be considered Handling of Ice Wash hands before obtaining ice Do not use your hands to handle the ice Using a smooth-surface ice scoop...

Water Coolers

Water coolers are often used to provide safe, cool drinking water.   However, water coolers are not a fit-and-forget item and a robust process is required to ensure risk management and safe practices are employed. This process should address the following questions Is the water cooler placed in a way that...

Allied Health Services

Allied health employees in residential aged care must comply with the facility's infection prevention and control standards. They should be trained in aseptic methods and infection control relevant to their role. Standard Precautions Hand hygiene, as per the '5 Moments of Hand Hygiene' principles, must be performed before and after touching...

Linen Service

A linen service may be utilised by some residential aged care facilities if there is no laundry service available on-site or the laundry facilities are not big enough for the demand. It is vital that employees who handle dirty and clean linen maintain best practice standards. Personal Hygiene All employees...