Guidelines for preventing respiratory illness in older adults aged 60 years and above living in long-term care: A rapid review of clinical practice guidelines

Patricia Rios; Amruta Radhakrishnan; Sonia M. Thomas; Nazia Darvesh; Sharon E. Straus; Andrea C. Tricco

Key elements of droplet precautions are to use PPE, maintain a 1 metre distance between the infected resident and others, encourage good cough etiquette, use resident-dedicated equipment where possible; and allocate ill residents to single rooms or cohort (put in a shared room) those with confirmed influenza. Additionally, enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the ill resident's environment and minimising transfer of residents within and between facilities may help reduce spread. Detailed advice on these precautions is presented later in this chapter. All staff in a residential care facility should receive general education on policies, including the principles of infection prevention and control. This would include a review of hand hygiene and infection control precautions, along with refresher training, as required. The use of antivirals should be stated in the RCF's influenza outbreak management policy. During outbreaks, information and education should be provided for residents and their families, and should include their specific condition, and practices necessary to reduce the risk of infection. Practical infection control information, tips, diagrams and signs are in Appendix 1.