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Tracking Infections in Long-Term Care Facilities

Over 3 million Americans receive care in nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities each year, and nearly one million persons reside in assisted living facilities. Data about infections in long-term care facilities are limited, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 million to 3 million serious infections occur every year. These infections can include urinary tract infection, diarrheal diseases, antibiotic-resistant staph infections and many others. When these infections strike, residents can wind up in the hospital, or worse.

Due to the magnitude of the problem, the past few years have brought heightened awareness of the importance of infection prevention programs in long-term care facilities. Navigating all the information available on infection prevention in healthcare facilities can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to locate available resources that are specific to long-term care settings. To address this need, the CDC recently redesigned and expanded their website to include more tools and resources.

The newly redesigned “long-term care” section of the CDC website offers tips on how LTC residents can avoid infections of all types. Preventative measures described include hand washing, asking questions, and speaking up about your safety or the safety of a loved one. The website also includes resources, fact sheets, infection-specific tool kits and a national infection tracking system for long-term care facilities. Resources on the website are ideal for LTC facility staff, residents, and loved ones. Visit the new CDC website section (link) for more details.

If you have a loved one who is nearing the need for long-term care or already receiving long-term care, please contact Farr Law Firm, P.C. as soon as possible at our Fairfax Elder Law office at 703-691-1888 or at ourFredericksburg Elder Law office at 540-479-1435 to schedule your appointment for our consultation.

 

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About Evan H Farr, CELA, CAP

Evan H. Farr is a 4-time Best-Selling author in the field of Elder Law and Estate Planning. In addition to being one of approximately 500 Certified Elder Law Attorneys in the Country, Evan is one of approximately 100 members of the Council of Advanced Practitioners of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a Charter Member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners.