For years government reports have sounded the alarm about infection control lapses in nursing homes. Despite this, and despite evidence that focused attention from the federal government can improve infection rates in hospitals, there remains an astonishing lack of attention to infection prevention and control in nursing homes.  This has deadly consequences. During the peak of the pandemic, more than one-third of all deaths from COVID-19 were associated with nursing homes. However, even when pandemics are not making headlines, HAIs are a constant threat to long-term care residents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are from 1-3 million infections in long-term care facilities each year. Regardless of what else is put in place in nursing homes, lack of attention to the following issues will continue to put patients are risk of healthcare-associated infections. 

As pointed out by the White House February 2022 fact sheet, “Despite the tens of billions of federal taxpayer dollars flowing to nursing homes each year, too many continue to provide poor, sub-standard care that leads to avoidable resident harm. In fact, failure to comply with Federal guidelines at nursing homes is widespread. The Government Accountability Office found that, from 2013 to 2017, 82% of all inspected nursing homes had an infection prevention and control deficiency, including a lack of regular handwashing, that was identified through Medicare and Medicaid surveys.” 

APIC believes we can do better for residents and their families by taking the following actions:

• Requiring at least one-full time dedicated infection preventionists in a nursing home;
• Providing more funds to nursing home surveyors and providing them with standardized training in infection prevention and control;
• Requiring routine, transparent, HAI surveillance in nursing homes
• Ensuring federally funded HAI training is by a certified, qualified IPC personnel 
   

APIC members are encouraged to take action now and tell your Members of Congress that infection prevention and control must be a priority in nursing homes.