Sep 25, 2020

Most aged care homes have not had infection control checks

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has not inspected the infection control practices of three out of every four aged care homes across Australia, according to recent data.

In August, infection control spot checks were expanded to be nation-wide, after initially focussing only on Victoria and New South Wales. The spot checks provide an opportunity for the Commission to observe the infection control practices of aged care homes.

Even in Victoria, where 614 residents of aged care facilities have died due to COVID-19 and nearly 2,000 have contracted the virus, only 216 spot checks have been conducted, according to data supplied by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission as of 24 September, the equivalent of approximately 27 per cent.

In New South Wales, 197 homes had been assessed, approximately 22 per cent of all homes in the state.

Nation wide, the commission had completed 720 spot checks.

The low rates of spot checks have raised concerns about a shortage of staff within the commission to conduct such inspections.

Janet Anderson PSM, Commissioner of the Commission, told HelloCare, “The Commission is working closely with the Commonwealth Department of Health and the Government to ensure that it has the resources needed to continue its critical role in oversighting the quality and safety of aged care services, and support its ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Weak points: Incorrect use and disposal of PPE, hand washing

The purpose of the inspections is to “observe infection control practices, and ensure that staff, management and visitors are adhering to safe personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols, and safe infection control arrangements.”

During the spot checks, assessors test each home’s procedures against the Communicable Diseases Network Australia’s guidelines for COVID-19 Outbreaks in Aged Care Facilities.

After each visit, assessors will provide a written summary about areas the home can improve on.

So far, the Commission has identified instances of incorrect use and disposal of PPE, inadequate infection control signage, and poor hand hygiene practices.

According to a report in The Australian, Kathy Eagar, director of the Australian Health Services Research Institute at the University of Wollongong, said she would expect “infection-control inspections to focus on high-risk homes”.

She said the fact that deaths from infections such as gastro and the flu among aged care residents had fallen this year showed poor infection control had been a problem in the sector for some time.

Image: ljubaphoto, iStock.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

New COVID management plan supports sector but meets criticism

This week, the Federal Government released its National COVID-19 Health Management Plan for 2023 as case numbers soar and the country braces for its first Christmas without restrictions since 2019 - but it has already been met with criticism. Read More

How did nurse with COVID-19 continue working in nursing home?

  The Queensland health minister has launched an independent inquiry into how a nurse continued to work at a Rockhampton nursing home while infected with COVID-19. “A lot of people have asked me over the last few days how a nurse could be working at a nursing home while she was positive with coronavirus,” the... Read More

Provider pays retention bonus to all aged care staff out of own pocket

  An aged care provider on the NSW Central Coast will dip into its own coffers to ensure all direct and non-direct care staff benefit from the government’s aged care retention bonus. Two months after writing to the Minister for Aged Care about the unfairness of the Retention Bonus for Aged Care Workers, the Board... Read More
Advertisement