It's Time to Fight the Flu

It’s October 1, which means flu season is officially underway. According to the CDC, it will most likely spike in January or February before coming to a close in May, but being prepared now can help you lessen the flu’s effects on your facility.

The CDC recommends taking the following steps to help prevent flu and other respiratory infections from spreading throughout your facility¹: 

 Promote and administer the seasonal flu vaccine. The CDC recommends the flu vaccine as the best defense against the seasonal flu. The vaccine is approved for everyone six months of age and older. The vaccine will be available as intramuscular, intradermal and nasal spray formulations.

 Take steps to minimize potential exposure. Respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette and proper hand hygiene should be observed by residents, staff and visitors. (One way to encourage respiratory hygiene is to download the CDC’s “Cover Your Cough” poster here.)

Monitor and manage ill staff members. Staff members who develop a fever and respiratory symptoms should not come to work. If the symptoms develop at work, they should stop all resident-care activities, don a facemask and notify their supervisor of their illness before leaving work.

Adhere to standard precautions. Standard precautions assume that every person is potentially infected or colonized with a pathogen that could spread throughout the facility. The elements of standard precautions that pertain to individuals with respiratory infections are performing hand hygiene and wearing gloves and gowns.

Adhere to droplet precautions. Droplet precautions should be implemented for residents with suspected or confirmed influenza for seven days after illness onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of fever and respiratory symptoms, whichever is longer.

Use caution when performing aerosol-generating procedures. Some procedures are more likely to generate higher concentrations of infectious respiratory aerosols than coughing, sneezing, talking or breathing. Examples include bronchoscopy, sputum induction, elective intubation and extubation, CPR and open suctioning of airways. These procedures should only be performed on residents with suspected or confirmed influenza if they are medically necessary and cannot be postponed.

Manage visitor access and movement within the facility. If a resident is in isolation for a confirmed case of influenza, their visitors should be limited to people who are necessary for their emotional well-being and care.

Monitor influenza activity. The facility should have a plan for alerting staff about increased influenza activity within the facility. Staff should also be aware of when collection of clinical specimens for viral culture could help public health efforts. Close communication and collaboration with local health authorities is recommended.

Implement environmental infection control. Standard cleaning and disinfection procedures are adequate for influenza virus environmental control within a healthcare facility, including patient areas in which aerosol-generating procedures are performed.

Implement engineering controls. Consider installing engineering controls that reduce or eliminate exposure by shielding staff and residents from infected individuals. Examples include partitions and curtains.

Train and educate healthcare personnel. Ensure that all healthcare providers receive job- or task-specific education and training on the prevention of influenza during orientation and on an ongoing basis.

 Administer antiviral treatment and chemoprophylaxis when appropriate. Refer to the CDC’s website for the most up-to-date information and guidance.

Identify personnel at higher risk for influenza complications. Staff members who are pregnant, have given birth within the last two weeks, are 65 or older or have chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, immunity-suppressing diseases, some chronic conditions and morbid obesity are at higher risk of flu complications.

Professional Medical has everything you need to develop a comprehensive flu prevention and management strategy for your facility! To learn more, contact your territory manager, visit us online at promedsupply.com or give us a call at (800) 648-5190. Click here to download our Flu Prevention Strategies & Solutions Guide. 

Reference

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/healthcaresettings.htm. Accessed September 11, 2013. 

Prescription Drug Overdose Deaths Skyrocket among Women

According to a report from the CDC, women's prescription overdose deaths are on the rise. Since 1999, the number of women dying from prescription drug overdoses has grown by more than 400 percent. In 2010, more than 6,600 women died from an overdose of prescription painkillers, which is four times more than the number of deaths caused by cocaine and heroin combined.

By comparison, the rate of overdoses among men increased by 265 percent. This disparity could be because women are more likely to have chronic pain, be given higher doses of painkillers and use them for longer periods of time.

To learn more, click here.

LTC Workers Called Out for Low Flu Vaccination Rates

You might think that people who work in long-term care centers would be diligent about getting flu vaccines because they work with a population that is hit especially hard by the flu. You would be wrong.

According to new data from the CDC, only 59 percent of long-term care employees received the flu shot last year (by comparison, 90 percent of physicians and 72 percent of all healthcare workers got the shot). Non-medical personnel dragged down averages overall at healthcare facilities.

Federal officials have vowed to improve vaccination rates among LTC workers.

To learn more, click here.

CMS Releases New RAI User's Manual

CMS has released version 11 of the MDS Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) User's Manual, which takes effect on October 1. According to CMS, the new manual "incorporates clarifications to existing coding and transmission policy, integrates previously published questions and answers into the appropriate sections and addresses requested clarifications and scenarios concerning complex areas."

To download the manual and view guidance, click here.

CMS Releases Memo on MDS Therapy, Nutritional Status Changes

CMS has released a memo that clarifies transition policies for new MDS items related to therapy, swallowing and nutritional status. These policy changes take effect on October 1.

The memo includes details on how providers should code and bill for therapy.

To read the memo, click here.

Kwalu: Designed to Last

We’ve all experienced this conundrum: You buy new furniture and it looks great – until people start using it. Short of banning people from sitting on it, how do you keep your investment looking great for years to come?

The designers at Kwalu asked themselves the same question and came up with an answer. They manufacture furniture using a high-impact polymer that will not chip. The pieces’ realistic wood grain effect gives them a high-end look that is equally at home in formal dining rooms and cafeterias.

Kwalu products also have antimicrobial properties, making them a perfect fit for long-term care facilities. Unlike other furniture, the antimicrobial treatment is integrated into the entire product, not just applied as a topical coating. It is proven effective against 99.98 percent of bacteria and molds and carries a 10-year warranty.

Other Kwalu features include:

• Steel-reinforced technology to eliminate seating joint failure
•  Bariatric and special needs options
•  A 10-year performance-based warranty on construction
• The industry’s only 10-year performance-based warranty on finish

Kwalu can outfit your facility with complete collections of furniture, casegoods and wall protection systems, all made from the same virtually indestructible material. To learn more, contact your ProMed territory manager, visit us at promedsupply.com or give us a call at 800.648.5190.  

Study: Personality Traits Tied to Likelihood of Nursing Home Care

According to new research, people with certain types of personalities are more likely to receive nursing home care.

The researchers had 1,000 seniors complete a self-report questionnaire and then classified them by five personality traits: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness. They found that the seniors who scored high for neuroticism were more than twice as likely to spend time in a nursing home while those who had higher "openness to experience" scores were more likely to receive home care.

To learn more, click here.