TSA supports DMU in biggest ever study of its kind into care homes
The TSA is supporting De Montfort University (DMU) on a survey of
care homes. The survey will give an
insight into care homes’ attitudes and practices in terms of their laundry
service. Care home staff and managers
are being asked to take part in the new survey, which will reveal how infection
control with regards to laundry is managed in care home environments.
The survey aims 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 in line with current and future
requirements for care home laundry practices in the UK.
“We need to understand infection control in this sector so that we
can support care homes and related establishments to achieve the highest
possible standards,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “The DMU survey will give us the
answers.”
The study is the biggest of its kind into the current knowledge,
processes, attitudes and behaviours of care home staff for dealing with laundry
from residents and living spaces, as well as their own work clothing.
Care homes, nursing homes and sheltered housing providers and
staff are being asked to fill in the surveys. Professor Katie Laird, Professor of
Microbiology at DMU, is leading on the study. She previously investigated how
the coronavirus pandemic affected the way in which healthcare staff and nurses
laundered their uniforms.
She says, “We are keen to discover the current infection control
policies and practices that are used by care home staff.
“At the moment there is no national picture of the different
policies and procedures which are in place in care home settings. I believe the
results of this survey will be of benefit to the industry and help us to build
capacity and co-ordinate efforts to share best practice, supporting the
industry to build back better after the pandemic.”
The survey will be followed up with a series of focus groups, user
interviews and sessions with managers and policy writers.
The questionnaire 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
“The TSA and DMU have a very strong working relationship,” says
Stevens. “This is the latest in a series
of projects we have collaborated on. It
will give us a new depth of understanding and should point the way to improving
infection control in care homes.”
For more information on DMU visit dmu.ac.uk
The TSA is the trade
association for the textile care services industry. The TSA
represents commercial laundry and textile rental businesses. Membership
ranges from family-run operations through to large, multi-national
companies. Visit www.tsa-uk.org
for more information.
Press
Enquiries:
The
Publicity Works: 01263 761000; teaboy@publicityworks.biz
David
Stevens, CEO, Textile Services Association,
T:
+44 (0)20 3151 5600 M:
+44 (0)7966 531954 E:
david.stevens@tsa-uk.org
Get
the latest news on the TSA from tsa-uk.org or from the TSA
press office at publicityworks.biz