While the number of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 is still increasing each day, normal patients are still being encouraged by healthcare professionals to visit hospitals for any pressing needs concerning their health and welfare. It is important that hospitals keep as clean as possible, so not to deter potential patients away from their much-needed care out of fear.
Further, care homes were much of the talk at the early stages of the pandemic this year. It is vital that care homes ensure all the necessary measures are installed so that residents, workers and workers feel comfortable and safe.
There are a few simple ways, where if installed and monitored both correctly and regularly will help to keep these institutions clean and consequently safe.
Regular cleaning rotas
Hospital cleaners especially have always used extra-strong disinfectants, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent the spread of any contagious illnesses. This is of course important, but if certain wards see a turnover of hundreds of patients a day, there must be regular implementation of this disinfectant use.
As many hospitals have now already implemented, they should all at least double the number of cleaning rotas in public areas especially – including waiting areas, toilets, corridors and the emergency department. This cleaning should include a double load of mopping, wiping down and sweeping, as well as a restock of hand gel sanitisers if necessary.
In nursing homes, similar practices should be applied, especially in greeting rooms for visitors. Surfaces should be wiped down with strong disinfectants between each visitor.
Using the right materials and surfaces
There are some materials which are more hygienic than others, certainly if you are looking at creating new bathrooms, kitchens, wards or modernising some existing ones.
Using tiles creates a nice visual effect, but is home to a lot of dirt and grime which is hard to clean.
Specifically for hospitals and care homes, the use of PVC wall cladding is a good material for high traffic areas that need to be kept clean. The nature of wall cladding which is used for panels and surfaces is available from the likes of Trovex and the material is created at high pressure which makes it robust and durable – easily washable and reduces the spread of bacteria.
Separators
Patients and care home residents should be separated well from both each other and visitors to avoid the spread of COVID-19. A fundamental way that this can be built into practice is through the implementation of perspex separators – essentially a physical, transparent barrier that stands between two barriers.
In this way, the spread cannot occur as no physical contact can take place – even including breathing or coughing onto the other. Between care home residents, these separators can be built in visiting rooms or the central areas between residents. In hospitals, separators can stand between seats so that patients and visitors can ensure a physical divide and separation while social distancing from one another.
Hand gels
Hand gel and sanitising stations are must in every hospital and care home and should be situated close together so that patients and visitors can easily wash their hands. These stations will work to prevent the spread of contact on surfaces and can further reduce the spread of other contagious illnesses like the common cold. Hand gel stations should be located at every entrance and near to every door separation between corridors so that visitors are reminded to constantly wash their hands.
