by Hand hygiene as a new differentiator
St. Cloud, Minnesota, named appropriately after a 6th century French monk known for his healing (St. Clodoald), was the site of a meeting of nursing home culinary directors. We were armed for teaching but we learned even more.
DOCS, Directors of Culinary Services, take their role very seriously in keeping HAIs low. However, when discussing the risks accruing from food prep and its delivery to patients, we found the DONs and the Administrators somewhat disconnected in their communication paths. We are now inviting those who have experienced this to write a blog for our website and improve our understanding of the industry norm.
We see the DOCS doing a great job but they must be accountable for some level of the high rates of fatal infections in both acute and long-term care. We’d like to see a better integration of efforts between nursing and culinary when programs are taken on to lower HAIs. New reports would help as well as some added investment in the kitchen hand wash stations.
New tools make hand hygiene more measurable throughout the facility, building a clear numeric picture of performance expectations. Once measured, there is a base to motivate caregivers and maintain standards. Those eager high performers working at an “A” level can earn more while those earning a “D” survive but without the bonus. Check out Hygiena ATP, MarX and ProGrade from Handwashing For Life and SmartLink from GOJO Industries. Together with your new bonus pay plan, you will be lowering infections in a sustainable way.
Actual lowering of infection rates via enhanced hand and high-touch surface cleanliness might well affect your profitability and brand value as you become known as the provider of choice, the provider driven by best practices, not by budget cuts.
