Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is an extremely important area of concern especially in Elderly Care Homes.
Mattresses and/or pillows are not only a potential source of infection they could also be a source of discomfort and sleep problems.
Unsupervised or bad maintenance could spread cross-infection if contaminated mattresses remain in use.
A damaged mattress or a pillow could affect a resident’s sleeping posture which could result in sleep issues.
Regular audits allows the care Home staff to proactively identify mattresses and pillows which are no longer fit for use and can be discarded in a timely manner.
Though in India we are still a long way to walk in the field of Senior Living and Care, yet I feel that this is the right time to start creating Standards, Guidelines and Policies.
The attached audit tool by NHS, Wirral Community Health and Care, UK is a short and clear reference document. It shares a brief checklist to identify mattress covers and mattresses that are in poor condition.
The document can be downloaded here (Audit Tool on Mattresses in Senior Citizen Care Homes) or can be viewed below