Nursing Home Safety
For many college students, it is easy to forget about the struggles and trifles of getting older. We live in a world of new, where technology is changing every second for our sake. Most products that come into the market are made for the youth. Almost all cellphones on the market are touch screen, slang terminology dominates communication, and all too often the elderly are left to feel forgotten or invisible. Very seldom do people consider how people’s ability to accurately use touch screen worsens with age, as our hands become less conducive to the material due to loss of moisture[1], or how difficult everyday tasks can become due to the natural aging process. By focusing solely on what’s new, the elderly become afterthoughts. It’s only until we ourselves grow older that we consider anything like retirement or nursing homes.
One thing we often don’t consider is the importance of hand washing. With strong immune systems, disease and germs are of little concern. But overtime, something as common as a cold could led to life threatening consequences. Just a few years ago in 2017, multiple cases of infections and death were linked to poor hand washing hygiene in nursing homes[2]. Some nursing homes in Illinois are even considering joining the handful of states with full-fledged security surveillance systems[3]. Poor handwashing practices are not unique to nursing homes though, for even hospitals can report shocking cases of improper hygiene. Retraining of nursing home officials can remind workers of the importance and effect they have on their residents’ lives.
Offering regular training sessions of nursing home officials and floor staff remedies any lack of information on their part as to why and how they must wash their hands. Additionally, it assists in habit formation, making hand washing an instinctual act rather than a tedious one. Another aid that can be implemented to nudge workers to wash their hand is to put signs in every bathroom on the premises, both for the floors staff and the residents themselves. Plaques placed above doorknobs of entryways and near sinks would work in conjunction with the new training program to further nudge workers to properly wash their hands.
A tricky component of this problem is many people do in fact wash their hands, but do not do so for the proper amount of time. The recommended duration is twenty seconds, or roughly the length of time it takes you to sing Happy Birthday[4]. Habit formation cannot be the only solution, but correct education must be utilized as well. For this purpose, sorts of checks from superiors or check ins from workers on their handwashing practices.
Without
the proper care or attention, nursing homes can quickly become a dangerous
place. Even easier, they can become boring places. I want to stress the importance
of mental health as well. In order to make sure residents are living fulfilling
lives it is important to balance safety and social concerns. Keeping residents
alive is not enough. Both the physical wellness and mental should be looked
after at nursing homes. In fact, these two priorities can and should work in tandem.
Addressing basic hygiene concerns keeps people alive, but addressing mental
health keeps people happy.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967054/
[2] https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/10-top-patient-safety-issues-for-2018.html
[3] https://coganpower.com/blog/should-illinois-require-nursing-homes-to-use-cameras/
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