Jane Mbole 1
St John of God 1
Background
Globally, the current Covid-19 pandemic has demanded for, a focus in infection prevention and control (IPC), in the residential aged care facilities (RACF). The Australian Government therefore, mandated IPC Lead role at every residential care facility . While there has been obvious benefits of this role at the RCF, the challenges encountered by IPC leads, need to be adequately addressed to ensure effectiveness.
Method
By end of 2020, the nominated IPC leads were required to have completed or commenced a 12-week mandatory IPC training. After which, they were deemed ready, to take up the IPC lead role, as they also continued to perform their primary RACF role. My role as a consultant in IPC, was essential in providing mentorship, ongoing training, and support .
Outcomes
IPC awareness increased at the RACF and the community. IPC leads had increased confidence, therefore, providing practical measures that encouraged staff to adhere to IPC guidelines. The RACF practiced good antimicrobial stewardship and had less disease outbreaks. Challenges included; Undefined IPC lead roles, limited time for IPC activities and lack of mandatory continuous education and mentorship. In addition, the physical environment and existing policies did not support implementation of IPC strategies.
Conclusion
To ensure effectiveness of the IPC role at the RACF, it is recommended that, IPC lead roles are well defined and a specific number of hours allocated to the role. Also, there is need for a mentorship/support program and mandated continuous education for the IPC leads. Finally, a RACF specific forum would encourage sharing of quality improvement activities.