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At Toronto Long-Term Care Homes and Services, preventing and controlling the spread of infections is an important part of safety. Residents are at increased risk of getting infections by virtue of their age, immune status and other multiple health problems. Prevention is best because an infection causes illness that can affect the quality of life for residents and may also spread to others causing an outbreak.

We believe that Infection Prevention and Control is everyone’s responsibility therefore, we consider residents/families/staff and volunteers when making policies and procedures and planning for educational opportunities.

We embrace advice from experts about best practices to prevent and control infections that may arise in the course of providing care for the residents. We consult and collaborate with external partners such as Toronto Public Health and Toronto Professionals in Infection Control on infection control matters.

Hand hygiene which includes hand washing and hand sanitizing is always kept front and center as it alone, is the most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Many infections can be spread by hands. Staff whose hands are contaminated with germs can pass them to a resident directly or indirectly by contact with a contaminated piece of equipment or other surfaces in the home environment. The Influenza virus can live on a surface for several hours which is why cleaning and disinfection provided by Housekeeping Services is crucial.

Vaccination is another primary way of preventing some infections. Older persons are offered influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations upon admission. We strongly recommend that all health care providers receive yearly influenza vaccination and we offer in house vaccination clinics to facilitate this process. The higher percentage of residents/staff/volunteers and family members that are vaccinated for Influenza, the more protected the residents are. It’s less likely that an outbreak will occur, which requires closure of a unit, restriction of activities, etc.

We ask that anyone that is ill, be it staff, volunteers and/or visitors stay away from the home until their symptoms have been resolved for at least 48 hours. If this is not observed, then they run the risk of spreading their infection to others. All persons entering our homes must answer and sign their name to questions asking about symptoms of cough, fever and history of travel or contact with someone who has travelled. This is a method to remind those that are ill, not to enter the home, and only return when they are well and symptom free.

Many residents receive food brought in by family members. This provides variety and an opportunity for them to enjoy their cultural foods. Food can cause gastrointestinal illness (e.g. salmonella) if it is not prepared/cooked and stored correctly. Please make sure that proper food handling practices are followed.

Just for Families brochure – Food Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility

Respiratory etiquette is a relatively new term that refers to steps one can take to avoid spreading germs after coughing and/or sneezing. When you cough and/or sneeze droplets that may contain germs such as the influenza virus can be spread to others. The new thinking is that it is best to cover your cough or sneeze by using your sleeve. This way the germs get trapped in your sleeve and are less likely to infect another person.

Lately, there is much talk about infections like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and  Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) which can cause serious illness and in some cases, fatality. The misuse and/or overuse of antibiotics are the reason for these infections developing. At Toronto Long-Term Care Homes and Services, we have policies, procedures and education in place for staff to help prevent and/or manage a resident with these infections.  Staff and family members who provide direct care are instructed how to put on and take off personal protective equipment which will reduce the risk of them acquiring one of these infections.

• Toronto Long Term Care Homes and Services has a plan to ensure that all staff have the knowledge, skills and resources to respond to resident care needs as best as possible with expected staff shortages. The federal and provincial pandemic plans inform our plans in addition to collaboration with Toronto Public Health.

Each home monitors infections and we take note of changes that are out of the norm. Tracking the rate of infections in the homes can help us to detect clusters of ill residents, detect outbreaks and gives a picture of the effectiveness of our infection prevention and control practices. An analysis of infection rates sometimes leads to a change in practice with the goal of reducing the number of infections.

You are encouraged to take advantage of educational sessions, informative pamphlets notices that provide information for you about infection prevention and control. Educating staff, families and volunteers is integral to a good infection prevention and control program.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please speak to the Infection Control Nurse in the Home.