Abstract

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, many cases of infections were brought in by staff members of Nursing Homes (NHs) and Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs), and staff members were at a serious risk of infection in Nursing Homes (NHs) and Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs). Vaccination is effective in preventing infections and serious illnesses; thus, it is recommended to the Nursing Homes (NH) and Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) staff and users. However, vaccines are not 100% effective, and the elderly living in facilities remain vulnerable to infectious diseases. Reducing the incidence and spread of infectious diseases among staff is an important issue. This mini-review examined the factors and solutions that resulted in the spread of infections among staff in Nursing Homes (NHs) and Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs). The following factors were considered as factors that put staff members at risk of spreading infections. The lack of an infection control manual to guide the staff’s behavior, the lack of infection control personnel assigned to the facility, and the lack of collaboration with local medical facilities and infection control specialists may have been factors that put the staff at risk for the spread of infection. Therefore, measures to support the development of infection control manuals, the establishment of a system that allows easy access to local medical institutions or timely support from infection control specialists, and the training of infection control personnel in Nursing Homes (NHs) and Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) are needed. In addition, infection control educators should be trained, infection control education by specialists should be supported, and an environment that facilitates staff learning about infection control should be created.

Keywords: Nursing homes; Long-term care facilities; COVID-19; Outbreaks; Risk factor; Staff