About this course
This course teaches infection control to hospice aides, nurses, therapists and volunteers who deliver care in private homes, assisted living, nursing facilities and hospice inpatient units. It is built around the fact that the home setting is materially different from a facility: there is no central supply, care between visits is delivered by untrained family members, there are pets and children, there is no isolation room, and there is no one watching. Part one covers 42 CFR 418.60 and the surveyor guidance at Appendix M tags L577 to L582, and sets out standard precautions in the exact terms CMS uses. Part two covers hand hygiene when there is no usable sink, including CDC's moments, the 60 percent alcohol threshold, the situations requiring soap and water, and the OSHA obligation on the employer to supply antiseptic hand cleanser where handwashing facilities are not feasible - plus disciplined handling of the home care bag. Part three covers PPE selection by anticipated exposure and CDC's donning and doffing sequences adapted to a living room. Part four covers sharps under OSHA 1910.1030 and FDA home-disposal guidance, and what to do after an exposure incident, including hepatitis B vaccination rights and the Exposure Control Plan. Part five covers cleaning and disinfection with what the family owns, with emphasis on EPA contact time, and the handling of linens, laundry, waste and controlled drug disposal. Part six covers transmission-based precautions where no isolation room exists and the management of multidrug-resistant organisms without socially isolating a dying patient. Part seven covers when a staff member should not make the visit, teaching the family, and how a reported infection becomes agency surveillance data. Suitable for new-hire orientation, annual OSHA bloodborne pathogens refresher training, hospice aide in-service hours, and survey readiness.