Care home staff and managers in the UK are being asked to take part in a new study into how infection control with regards to laundry is managed in care home environments. The survey – carried out by De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) – is to help care homes, nursing homes and sheltered housing spaces across the UK identify knowledge gaps, recognise best practice and support them to set the standard for care home laundry practices in the country.
Katie Laird – Professor of Microbiology at DMU – is leading the study. She previously investigated how the pandemic affected the way in which healthcare staff and nurses laundered their uniforms. The survey will be followed up with a series of focus groups, user interviews and sessions with managers and policy writers.
The questionnaire that is being used, covers the following topics:
- Existing infection controls with regards to laundry
- Current processing methods for bed, bathroom and personal clothing laundry
- Processing methods, procedures and management for soiled linen
- Attitudes towards existing infection controls policies associated with laundry
- Understanding of the barriers to care home settings implementing infection control policies
- Bed change policy
- Healthcare workers’ knowledge of infection control policies in care home settings
