Nursing home staff have a difficult, sacred, and sometimes thankless task: tending to our elderly. A big part of this responsibility is keeping the nursing home clean. With a full suite of cleaning chemicals, sanitizers, and supplies, Sani-Chem empowers your staff to save time on cleaning tasks and give residents a high quality of life.
Regulations and Standards
At the minimum, OSHA requires that any assisted living facilities have written cleaning schedules. Staff are expected to learn and abide by OSHA standards regarding hazardous chemicals and mixing cleaning agents.
They also expect written polices and procedures for:
- Bathroom cleaning processes
- Laundry bin and equipment management
- Cleaning bucket management
- Trash and waste management
Cleaning in assisted living facilities is especially important due to the vulnerability of the residents. Nursing homes in particular are known hotspots for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), including very dangerous pathogens like MRSA. They have also been an epicenter for COVID-19 infections.
What Needs Cleaning in Assisted Living Facilities?
The number one priority in assisted living facilities is disinfection. While sanitizing can be sufficient for certain surfaces or for touch-ups, the sensitivity of nursing home residents necessitates complete disinfection be a part of your cleaning routine. Complete eradication of germs versus merely removing them improves the safety of your staff and residents.
Some areas deserve particular attention:
- High-Touch Areas: doorknobs, cabinet handles, elevator buttons, and other public, frequently used objects are easy vectors for germs.
- Laundry: patients, especially those with limited mobility, can go through bedsheets and garments quickly. These are also gathering spots for MDROs.
- Staff: your staff need ample soap and sanitizer to safely interact with patients, as well as proper PPE.
Basic Tools
Are you a sanitation professional in a nursing home facility? Here’s a short list of the basics you should have on hand:
- Tools: mop and broom heads, handles, and dusters should be easily accessible in all janitorial closets.
- Disinfecting wipes and/or spray: both for nurses and janitorial staff.
- PPE: gloves, masks, shields, and other equipment keep your staff and residents safe.
- Hygiene Products: soap, shampoo, and conditioner, whether it’s for mobile or immobile residents.