Nursing and rest homes: which PPE to use?

4 June 2022

Let’s keep in mind that nursing homes are also institutions where PPE is essential. But which ones should you really use?

To answer this question, we have listed the main occupational hazards that can be found in nursing and rest homes, as well as the appropriate solutions in terms of PPE.

The main occupational hazards in nursing and rest homes

Public or private social and medico-social establishments, nursing and rest homes provide accommodation for elderly, dependent or non-disabled people. PPE will be proposed according to the different risk-related characteristics.

Biological risks

The transmission of infectious agents carried by blood or other biological fluids during care (blood, excrements, urine, etc.), return from hospital due to illness, physical injury (bite) of residents are common situations where the risk of infection is high.

Contamination can occur through direct contact with patients (e.g. nasopharyngeal and bronchial infections, influenza, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, staphylococcus, etc.) through the respiratory or skin route. Infection can be spread by a needle or by contact with soiled clothing.

Contact with blood or biological fluids on any damaged skin by tears or cuts or splashes on eyes or mouth can lead to contamination.

Parasitic diseases (lice, scabies) can occur when receiving and disinfecting an elderly person with poor hygiene. Biological risks are increased by the fact that nursing home staff are reluctant to transform the relationship with the resident into a medical one and minimise the infectious risk. Sometimes all the necessary protective measures (gloves, masks) are not taken, because the perception is that it creates barriers between the staff and the residents.

Chemical risks

Hand skin lesions can occur due to the repeated use of disinfectants and detergents.

Skin effects, irritation and sensitization, as well as respiratory disorders are produced by glutaraldehyde, used for the cold sterilisation of surfaces and medical equipment.

To reduce these two main risks, we recommend the use of the following equipment:

For staff members

Gloves

Nitrile gloves are an essential protection for your hands. And nitrile is highlighted for its superior quality in terms of resistance, flexibility and sensitivity.

They are made from synthetic polymers and are an ideal substitute for allergic people. They are resistant to many chemicals, making them an effective protective material when handling certain “hazardous” substances.

Masks

The PPE is designed to protect you from liquid, solid and airborne particles.

We distinguish 2 categories of respiratory masks:

We have the surgical mask, type I, II, IIR, or anti-fog. This mask mainly allows the wearer to avoid the probable projection of droplets towards his environment.

On the other hand, we find the FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 masks. They are recognizable by their shape. These masks protect both the people around them and the wearer by avoiding particles to pass through thanks to their high air filtration.

For more information, please see our article “What to choose, the mask or the visor?“

Gowns

SMS, PP, S2? You can find a multitude of materials and degrees of protection.

We offer single-use protective gowns. They are comfortable, some of them waterproof, sterile or not, reinforced or not, with or without jersey.

As you can see, we have something for everyone.

Our articles “Which gown to choose” and “Which gowns do we offer to the medical sector?” will tell you a little more about the specificities of each of these gowns.

For the patient

Pyjamas

As explained above, elderly people can sometimes arrive in a rather sloppy state. The disposable pyjamas can be used to improve the patient’s hygiene in the first place. In this way, the pyjamas can be directly thrown away and the staff will not have to handle and clean dirty and infected clothes.

Nappy

In the same idea as pyjamas, residents often need assistance to get to the toilet. The nappy, which has been used for incontinent people, is now indispensable. As a result, infections with biological fluids will be much easier to prevent.

It is important to protect yourself and others, especially in your profession.

We always remain at your disposal if you would like more information about our products