Elise Campbell, Senior Project Officer1, Dr Jan Gralton, Senior Advisor 1
1Infection Prevention and Control Program, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 255 Elizabeth Street Sydney, NSW 2000, hai@safetyandquality.gov.au
Abstract:
Effective IPC is central to providing high-quality aged care for all older people and a safe working environment for those that work in aged care settings. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted challenges associated with the implementation of some IPC practices in aged care, such as visitor restrictions and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). A risk-based approach is essential in aged care to ensure a balance between the appropriate management of infection risks, the delivery of broader clinical and non-clinical care, compliance with local requirements, older person wellbeing and availability of resources.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care worked closely with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and the Department of Health and Aged Care to develop the Aged Care IPC Guide to support aged care organisations to meet the IPC requirements of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. The Guide supplements the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare and promotes a systematic approach to IPC, based on the hierarchy of controls framework. The Guide provides information on the basics of microbiology and IPC, standard and transmission-based precautions, IPC systems in aged care, risk assessment and management, invasive devices, staff health and safety, infection monitoring, and antimicrobial stewardship in aged care.
This presentation will provide information on the development of the Guide and how to implement IPC using a risk-based approach in aged care settings.