Infection Prevention and Control

Will Holmes à Court
Will Holmes à Court
Last updated 
Guidelines for preventing and/or reducing the incidence of infections

Overview

Understanding how microorganisms spread infection and illness can help manage infection prevention and control. By practising correct infection prevention and control processes, you can dramatically reduce the number of microorganisms on your hands, limiting the spread of germs (cross-infection) and infection. 

Introduction
  • Infection is a disease or illness caused by microorganisms (infectious agents) such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. People are often at a greater risk of infection if they have a chronic disease or are frail.
  • This policy aims to reduce the risk of infection to clients and home support workers.
  • Infections require three main elements to spread:
    • a source of the infectious agent
    • a mode of transmission, and
    • a susceptible host.
  • This is the chain of infection, and breaking it helps to stop the spread of disease.
  • Common modes of transmission include contact, droplet and airborne. Some diseases can spread by multiple modes of transmission, e.g. flu can be spread by droplet or contact.
  • When supporting our clients, PPE is often used and, depending on the support need, can include:
    • gloves
    • gowns or aprons
    • face masks
    • face shields or protective eyewear.
Applies
  • at all times
  • to all HWH staff, including key managers, home support workers and contractors.
Policy
Infection prevention and control
Stopping the spread of infection is everyone’s responsibility and includes the following:
  • Adopting the standard infection control precautions in this policy
  • Staff complete the Infection Prevention and Control and Hand Hygiene courses in Talent LMS annually.
  • Staff to complete the HWH Hand Hygiene Competency Assessment annually
  • Practising good hand hygiene in care practices
  • following respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
  • Wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) where required
  • Completing pandemic training - COVID-19
  • Correctly handling medical devices
  • Correctly cleaning and managing spills
  • Correctly handling food, waste and linen
  • All employees must undertake Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Training at Induction and complete the annual Hand Hygiene—IPC Refresher course. 
HWH Responsibilities
Management
  • providing Infection Prevention and Control policy and processes
  • providing Hand Hygiene policy and processes
  • ensuring all staff are trained in the correct practices to reduce the risk of infection and cross-infection:
    • Providing annual education and knowledge via online Infection Prevention and Control and Hand Hygiene courses.
    • providing a knowledge quiz in the LMS to identify the correct steps in hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette 
    • providing opportunities for staff to complete the annual Hand Hygiene Competency Assessment
  • Ensuring appropriate PPE is available to home support workers when required
  • Auditing of infection control policy and practices.
  • Documenting infection prevention and control practices and associated risks : 
    1. Ensuring the completion of the WHS document inside the client's care instructions, which details infection risks to the support worker team, and infection prevention processes to use when care is transferred between clinicians or other health services. 
    2. Ensuring infection control incidents are reported, investigated and managed
    3. Ensuring other health service clinicians are contacted to advise if a client has a confirmed infection that is contagious. 
    4. reporting communicable diseases to the Department of Health and Aged Care
  • Clinical Care Managers should be aware of antimicrobial stewardship and advocate for clients to reduce potential infection risks from overprescribing antibiotics. (Refer to Antimicrobial Stewardship Book - Chapter 16 - Antimicrobial Stewardship for Community and Residential Care).
Support Staff 
  • following the Infection Control policy
  • following the Controlling Infections processes 
  • following the Hand Hygiene policy and processes
  • Completing the Infection Prevention and Control and the Hand Hygiene online courses in Talent LMS
  • Complete the Hand Hygiene Competency Assessment
  • Practising hand hygiene at all times
  • Practising respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
  • Provide access to Antimicrobial Stewardship in Care Team Resources
  • Wearing PPE when required
  • advising the office and seeking medical advice if you are suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting, fever or have infected skin lesions
  • advising the office if you notice anything that might increase the risk of infection, e.g. inadequate cleaning or an unwell client.
  • Advise the office if the client has had a visitor who presented with symptoms of unwellness or illness, such as cough, wheeze, fever, chills, skin rash, etc. 
Related Items
Resources
The following Resources are available for staff in Care Team>Resources>Policies and Processes Quick Access.
  • Controlling Infection Processes
  • Pandemic Management Policy
  • Hand Hygiene Policy
  • Hand Hygiene Processes
References