The colder months can be a cause of great concern for many people in assisted living facilities and those with family members in assisted living. Illnesses like influenza and pneumonia are known to spread rapidly in facilities like assisted living and nursing homes. Facilities do what they can to manage the spread as much as possible, but it can be difficult to balance. By working with a senior placement organization in Phoenix, like Integrity Senior Placement, you can find a facility that helps you feel as safe and secure as possible.

Infection and disease spread can be very common in assisted living facilities. Among the most common are pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and antibiotic-resistant staph infections. In assisted living facilities, especially those with mostly elderly residents, residents are more vulnerable and outbreaks have the potential to be more frequent and severe.

As always, some residents may be more susceptible to these outbreaks than others. Risk factors include having in-dwelling devices, recent hospital admissions, impairments in other functions, and the presence of other illnesses.

How do these outbreaks occur? Sometimes residents who come from hospitals or other facilities may serve as carriers for the disease and transfer it to the new residence. This is why the seasonal flu is taken so seriously in assisted living facilities. It can spread very quickly and harm many residents.

Because of this, assisted living facilities take many steps to prevent infections and the spread of infections. The goal is to minimize the risk of infection in individuals as much as possible. They also aim to reduce the risk of transmission between residents and healthcare workers. They also aim to reduce the risk of infections developing related to the use of healthcare devices and procedures.

This is usually achieved with the combination of a few tactics. First, surveillance. Healthcare workers should be trained to know what symptoms and signs of infections to look for. They also know how to monitor these symptoms and determine whether they are getting better or worse. They should also know techniques that help prevent infection as well as spread of it. These techniques can be as simple as thoroughly washing hands or residents and staff being properly vaccinated against illnesses like influenza. Sometimes a single employee or small group of employees may be responsible for the coordination and prevention of disease infection and spread. These procedures often resemble those found in hospitals.

This kind of coordination is often a balancing act because residents may be in an assisted living facility for a variety of reasons. Some may be elderly individuals who permanently live there. Others may be admitted for short-term skilled care. So isolating an ill individual may not be ideal, but it can also pose a risk to other residents.

By working with a senior placement organization in Phoenix, like Integrity Senior Placement, you can find an assisted living facility for you or your loved one that has procedures and processes for illness management that make you feel as safe and comfortable as possible.