A nursing facility's bath tubs and accessories — such as lifts — can make residents sick, according to an article on the McKnight's website.
Residents can easily self-infect during showering or bathing when water puts the bacteria on their bodies in motion. They can enter through bodily openings and also via inhaled water vapor.
Long-term care housekeepers and cleaning staff can mistakenly think tubs that have been unused for a day are germ-free. The article recommend the following protocols:
• Establish “written procedures for daily cleaning and disinfection of tubs and bathing equipment and lifting equipment, as well as cleaning and low-level disinfection between patients.”
• Follow manufacturers' recommendations: Common disinfectants are accelerated hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite and quaternary ammonium, and some chemicals may not be compatible with tub and equipment surfaces.
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