Carrie Spinks1
1Australasia College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC)
Abstract:
Background
The pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities within the aged care sector, leading to a critical need for enhanced infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. With IPC leads tasked to improve and sustain these practices, it’s essential to consider whether their foundational knowledge and empowerment are adequate for effecting change. The complex nature of aged care IPC highlights the necessity for specialized, ongoing expertise to support IPC leads and provider leaders. This presentation explores the ACIPC 2024 Aged Care Strategy—an online Australasian aged care IPC community of practice designed to promote collaboration, support, and resource sharing for IPC excellence.
Method
The community of practice (CoP) for aged care IPC was created through accessible, collaborative online activities, supervised by an IPC consultant. It includes an IPC-aged care online forum, a comprehensive IPC resource hub, recorded webinars tailored to aged care, IPC practice tools and templates, and interactive webinar sessions featuring guest speakers and industry-relevant topics.
Results
The CoP received positive feedback, with increased engagement and improved accessibility. Forum usage and resource awareness have risen, and interactive sessions attracted an average of 300-400 participants nationwide.
Conclusion
There is strong national support for IPC expertise and collaboration in aged care. A CoP enhances IPC knowledge and confidence, positively influencing IPC practices and their sustainability.