When it comes to aged care facilities, cleanliness is more than just making an impression. It is directly related to the health and well-being of the residents. A slight inconsistency in cleaning the facility can lead to absolute chaos. Cleanliness is an area that should be taken with a lot of seriousness in a senior residents facility. All aged care facilities are subject to the aged care Quality and Safety Committee. Thus, all facilities should strive to maintain safety and hygiene standards for their residents. This calls for professional aged care facility cleaning services to ensure your facility is sterilized, safe, and hygienic for your residents, staff, and visitors. Professional aged care cleaning facilities also have trained professionals to deal with the aged.
Prevent the Spread of Illnesses
The immune system weakens as we grow older. This makes the aged very vulnerable to diseases. Thus, they require special care and attention to ensure they live a healthy life. Proper cleaning and sanitation reduce their exposure to germs and bacteria. It also significantly reduces the spread of any illnesses. A clean environment provides a good working environment for the staff and is appealing to visitors.
What is Involved in Cleaning Aged-Care Facilities?
Let us look at what is involved in Ensuring your Aged Care Facility is spotless.
Cleaning Surfaces and Objects
Cleaning in aged care facilities should involve cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms. Areas such as kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, and toilets must be cleaned thoroughly using the proper cleansers and sanitizers to remove bacteria. This is crucial and reduces the risk of exposure to illness and infection. Cleaning should be done regularly, daily in some cases, and sanitizing should be done weekly or more regularly. In the kitchen of an aged care facility, all surfaces need to be sanitized before each meal is prepared. Certain rules must be followed in a kitchen that prepares meals for people, especially when dealing with seniors. However, involving a professional aged care facility cleaning service regularly is advisable.
Changing Linen and Personal Items
Regularly cleaning linen and personal items is necessary when fighting against bacteria, especially in aged care facilities. You may also be required to change personal items such as bathing sponges, toothbrushes, and bedsheets to prevent the accumulation of bacteria in the bed or bathroom. If a resident falls sick, regularly changing the linen and toiletries is necessary to prevent the illness from recurring. If not changed regularly, bacteria can live on these items leading to reinfection. So, it is essential to maintain a clean living area for senior residents after an illness. This also prevents the illness from spreading to other residents.
Personal Protective Equipment
Everyone’s health and safety improvements through wearing personal protective equipment. Whether you are working in an aged care facility or just a resident, this is also a way to mitigate the likelihood of an outbreak or potential heartbreak. Normally, healthcare workers always wear personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks to prevent the spread of bacteria between themselves and senior residents. Considering how susceptible the residents may be to illness, a fast spread of infection can spread in a short time. Personal protective equipment should be changed regularly to ensure high levels of cleanliness.
Handwashing
From basic hygiene, we know that regular handwashing is a great way of stopping the spread of germs and bacteria. This is also true when it comes to aged care facilities. Thus, all staff and residents need to be sensitized to the importance of regular handwashing to maintain a clean environment. Sinks and taps for handwashing should be placed in appropriate places throughout the facility. This will ensure that at all times, the residents and staff are free from any disease-causing germs and bacteria. Regular disinfection of all surfaces also ensures minimal contact with germs.
Why Should You Involve Professional Cleaning Services in Aged Care Facilities?
- Extensive Training – Professional aged care cleaning service companies take their staff through extensive training to ensure that they can provide the best cleaning services and support the aged in their various needs. Hence, when you involve professionals to clean your facility, you can rest assured that you will get the best services and that your residents will be adequately handled.
- Help with the Government Audit – The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency can audit your facility at any time, announced or unannounced. When they decide to measure your facility to their stringent requirements, it will only be best if you have a professional aged care cleaning company to hold your hand. Most professional cleaning service companies provide excellent services, but they go above and beyond during an external audit. They are proficient in audits and will help you provide all required documentation. You will be sure to pass the audit.
- Innovative Cleaning Solutions – You will learn a lot about aged care cleaning by involving a professional aged care cleaning company. Having been in the industry for a while and with their professionalism, they have learned what works and what doesn’t when it comes to cleaning. Thus, having them will always be a plus on your side.
Here at Storm International, we pride ourselves on providing Adelaide’s best-aged care cleaning services. We are a 100% Australian-owned company and fully understand the commercial cleaning industry here in Australia. We are highly committed to providing quality services. We do this by ensuring all our staff undergoes special training to ensure your facility is spotless and that they can handle your residents well. With over 40 years of experience, you can rest assured that your facility will be germ, virus, and bacteria-free when we finish cleaning it.
