Care UK has deployed fogging machines, air purifiers and thermal imaging cameras in all 124 of its homes to boost infection control as community infection rates for Covid-19 continue to rise.
The Essex-based provider said the fogging machines are proving especially useful during Christmas to help teams disinfect gifts and cards.
The machines fill a large enclosed space like a lounge or dining room with a fine dry fog that is able to disinfect the whole area and the things in it like furniture, flooring and even decorations.
Team members in all of the homes have been carefully trained to use the machines in line with the manufacturer’s instructions to maximise their sanitation impact and make sure that the fog does not inadvertently cause any problems for people’s health.
Care UK said its governance team has made it clear the fogging machines are a secondary line of defence after regular, carefully prescribed cleaning and sanitisation processes have been carried out.
The air purifiers meanwhile are used in the reception lobbies of care homes where there is the greatest number of movements of people and deliveries from outside.
The purifiers blow negative ions out into the surrounding environment that ‘charge’ particles like dust, pollen and viruses floating in the air which causes them to be attracted to surfaces like floors and desks.
As they fall to these surfaces, there is less chance of people breathing them in and they can be easily killed by cleaning of those surfaces that home teams have to complete under Care UK’s pandemic plan processes.
The thermal imaging cameras meanwhile check that staff arriving at work and visitors do not have a fever before they enter the care homes.
Situated by the main doorway with full instructions on how to use them is shown in every doorway, they are able to pick out a person’s face, take their temperature and give a visual indication of whether or not they have a fever.
Care UK said it continues to make sure its homes have all the necessary PPE and disinfection and sanitising items. Since March, it added, the provider has spent almost £2m on such items.
“We have been one of the few care home providers to be able to say that our teams have had access to the necessary PPE since the pandemic first started. That, plus our stringent infection control measures have played a key part in helping to keep people safe,” said Care UK director Jon Bicknell.
“Over the next few months, we will continue to scan the market to see if there are any other new devices that can help us even further in our pledge to keep people living and working in our homes as safe as possible,” he added.
