Hand hygiene matters
It might sound simple, but hand washing by all is crucial to older people’s wellbeing, infectious diseases physician and microbiologist Professor Peter Collignon tells Australian Ageing Agenda.
With winter in session and infectious diseases like influenza and Covid-19 causing rising concern, infection prevention and control should be on everyone’s radar. Particularly those working in aged care because older people are vulnerable to infections.
One of life’s simplest habits – hand hygiene – is also one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs and disease, including gastroenteritis, influenza and other acute respiratory infections such as Covid-19.
Infectious diseases physician and microbiologist Professor Peter Collignon says practising good hand hygiene remains as important ever. In fact, it is an important first-line defence to reduce the spread of harmful germs in aged care, says Collignon, senior medical advisor at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
“It is important for us all to continue to make hand hygiene an everyday habit, whether you are providing care for older people in a residential aged care home or out in the community,” Collignon tells Australian Ageing Agenda. “In aged care settings, washing your hands properly improves health outcomes by reducing transmission of germs – including those resistant to antimicrobials – and reducing healthcare-associated infections.”
Hand hygiene matters all the time
Health and aged care workers are encouraged to be vigilant with hand washing because there is a high risk of transferring germs, especially superbugs, to people they know. It is also important to continue being careful about hand hygiene to help prevent the spread of other infections, such as respiratory infections and gastroenteritis, says Collignon.
“It is a basic personal hygiene habit and is also important for food safety, which is incredibly important when you are on the frontline in an aged care setting.”
Hand-washing tips
You already how to wash your hands, right? But are you across the finer details such as when you should use soap and water versus sanitiser? Below Professor Collignon answers key questions on best-practice hand hygiene.
What is hand hygiene?
Hand hygiene means washing your hands with soap and water or rubbing them with alcohol-based handrub also known as hand sanitiser.
Why is hand hygiene important?
Hand hygiene always reduces the risk of germs spreading between people and from surfaces to people. Effective hand hygiene relies on appropriate technique as much as on the selection of the correct product. Using the wrong technique – such as not washing hands for long enough – can mean that washing hands or using hand sanitiser will not effectively remove or kill the germs on your hands.
When is hand hygiene important?
Hand hygiene matters all the time. It is particularly important when providing care for older people, who may be at higher risk of becoming very unwell if they are exposed to an infection such as Covid-19, influenza or gastroenteritis.
The ‘5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ includes performing hand hygiene:
- Before touching a person
- Before any procedure
- Immediately after a procedure of bodily fluid exposure
- After touching a person
- After touching a person’s surroundings
These moments provide aged care workers with a simple way to remember when to perform hand hygiene when providing care to older people to prevent the spread of infection, and to limit contamination of the care environment. Performing hand hygiene at the right time reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
In addition, it is good practice to regularly clean your phone and other frequently used equipment such as computers. Remember to wash your hands before using your phone if you have been to the toilet or coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
Take a look at the commission’s 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene in aged care poster and fact sheet to understand how you can protect yourself and others.
When should I use soap and water or alcohol based handrub?
Alcohol-based handrub is the best way to clean your hands for all situations where your hands are visibly clean. You cannot always see the germs that accumulate on your hands during or after contact with other people or surfaces, however germs can still be spread when your hands are visibly clean. Therefore, it is important to perform hand hygiene using an alcohol-based handrub regularly to reduce the risk of spreading infection.
Wash your hands with soap and water when they are visibly dirty, contaminated with or visibly soiled with blood or other body fluids, and after using the toilet. Washing with soap and water is also recommended if you are helping to care for someone with gastroenteritis.
How should I perform hand hygiene?
When performing hand hygiene, always remember to:
- make sure that hands are washed, or rubbed, for the recommended length of time
- make sure the solution is exposed to every part of the hand
- rub the solution into the hands to create friction
- make sure hands are completely dry after performing hand hygiene.
Watch the following Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s videos (see below) on how to clean your hands effectively:
- Hand Hygiene – Helping others with hand hygiene
- Hand hygiene: washing hands with soap – a video for partners in care
- Hand hygiene: cleaning hands with sanitiser – a video for partners in care
Visit Infection prevention and control in aged care for resources to support aged care providers or staff.
Hand hygiene videos
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