In the wake of multiple natural disasters across the country as well as a pandemic, nursing homes and lawmakers are reevaluating their safety and emergency policies. In addition to the solutions suggested in the Left in the Dark research report, California is instituting a new Code of Regulations. These new regulations apply to Licensing of Community Care Facilities, Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, and Resident Assessments, Fundamental Services and Rights. Here’s what you need to know about 22 CCR § 87470 and new regulations surrounding Infection Control.
Hand Hygiene
While this seems like a common-sense hygiene behavior, hand-washing requirements ensure that all staff follow a protocol that establishes a standard. 22 CCR § 87470 outlines hand-washing guidelines as follows:
- Immediately before and after resident care.
- Before and after handling, preparing or eating foods.
- Before and after assisting with medications.
- After contact with blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious material, or contaminated surfaces.
- Immediately before putting gloves on and immediately after removing gloves.
- When hands are visibly soiled.
Environment Infection Control
Nursing home neglect can include neglect of the environment which can lead to illness and falls. To combat this, 22 CCR § 87470 includes guidelines for proper environment infection control standards.
- Surfaces such as floors, chairs, toilets, sinks, counters and tabletops shall be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis to ensure they are safe and sanitary. These surfaces shall also be disinfected when these surfaces are contaminated and visibly soiled with blood or body fluids or other potentially infectious material.
- Walls and window coverings in resident care areas shall be dusted or cleaned on a regular schedule to ensure they are safe and sanitary and when they are visibly contaminated or soiled.
- Spills of blood and other potentially infectious materials and surfaces shall be promptly cleaned and disinfected.
- Facility items that cannot be disinfected shall be discarded immediately in an appropriate waste receptacle with a tight-fitting cover or otherwise made inaccessible to human contact or transmission.
- For a resident’s personal item(s) that cannot be disinfected, the licensee shall work with the resident to mitigate human contact or transmission.
Contagious Disease
To properly care for residents diagnosed with a contagious disease and to protect all residents, 22 CCR § 87470 prescribes the following.
- Assigned staff and volunteers, regardless of having direct contact with residents, shall be required to perform enhanced environmental cleaning and disinfection to maintain a safe and sanitary environment and to prevent, contain, and mitigate the transmission of the contagious disease.
- The licensee shall consult with a medical professional, local health official, health department, or other research-based medical authority to determine the type of enhanced environmental cleaning based on the contagious disease in the facility.
- The enhanced cleaning and disinfection shall occur in any impacted areas, and immediately after contact with a resident who has a contagious disease.
Read the full Code of Regulations for more infection control guidelines being adopted in California.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, call Gharibian Law (877-460-1187) for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
