Knowledge and awareness of PPE among residential aged care homes/facilities (RACH) Personal Care Workers

Patricia Ching Tai-Yin, RN, CPHQ¹

¹WHO Collaborating Center, School of Public Health, the University of Hong Kong

Biography:

Ms. Patricia Ching RN, CPHQ is presently the Principal Nurse of the WHO Collaborating Center, School of Public Health, the University of Hong Kong. She has extensively pursued a wide range of post graduate qualifications including Critical Care, Coronary care, Infection Control, epidemiology and Nursing Administration. She published widely in infection control and nursing. The Hong Kong Academy of Nursing conferred her the Honorary Fellow Member in Infection Prevention and Control in May 2018.  

Patricia obtained the Certified Practitioner of Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) since 1997 and has adopted quality improvement initiatives to reduce healthcare associated infection. She is the Vice President of APSIC from 2024 – 2026. 

Abstract:

Personal care workers (PCW) make up majority of the workforce in residential aged care homes/facilities (RACH). The association between inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in frontline healthcare workers has been proven. However, frontline healthcare workers with an adequate supply of personal protective equipment still showed an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Study shown RACH settings were least likely to choose personal protective equipment correctly. The relationship between personal protective equipment availability and personal protective equipment training is shown to be significantly correlated. Another study showed relationship between knowledge level and PPE practices, indicating a significant difference and moderate correlation between knowledge level and PPE practice among PCWs. Knowledge level does not directly affect practice regarding PPE. Practice skills in PPE have been influenced by a range of factors during the COVID pandemic, such as availability of PPE, manpower and workload, communications and continuous training with competence assessment.

The way forward should include centralised PPE resources and standardised educational program that may help to mitigate these issues. Policy on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) infrastructure should be in place in RACHs to enhance readiness and care-practice quality in residential care settings.