Session 4: Visitors’ Precautions
Visitor:
What should the family members of the colonised resident be aware of during the visit?
Host:
Visitors and families may visit the colonised resident. However, they have to maintain good personal and hand hygiene.
Remember to perform hand hygiene after touching the resident, and use proper personal protective equipment when needed.
Host:
I would like to share two cases of VRE with you.
Old Man (V.O.):
I am Chan and 85 years old. I was hospitalised before and I can look after myself after being discharged from the hospital. However, I need to use a walking stick sometimes and I have normal social interactions with other residents.
Host:
So you are a colonised resident with low risk.
To look after Chan, who is colonised with VRE, the elderly home may implement the following arrangements, including the Standard Precautions.
They may designate a toilet, bathroom and a special set of medical equipment for Chan. If sharing facilities and equipment is needed, he should be the last one to use the facilities and disinfection is needed every time after use.
Chan may socialise with others or go out as usual, but he needs to learn to maintain proper personal hygiene and wash hands frequently.
Chan’s families may visit him, but the elderly home should instruct them to follow the infection control measures and perform proper hand hygiene.
Host:
The second case is the 65-year-old Wong.
Visitor (V.O.):
I am her granddaughter. After grandma’s discharge from the hospital, she needs to perform peritoneal dialysis regularly and is inserted with a peritoneal dialysis catheter. She is partially dependent and requires assisted feeding. But she has normal social interactions with other residents.
Host:
As Grandma Wong has a catheter, she is a colonised resident with high risk.
Host: (V.O.)
The elderly home may make some special arrangements like:
Apart from Standard Precautions, they should also implement the Modified Contact Precautions;
Assign a toilet, a bathroom and a set of medical equipment to Wong and sterilise them after use.
Wong may socialise with residents with low risk, such as watching television together in the common living room.
Wong’s families may visit and have direct contact with her, but the elderly home should instruct them to follow the infection control measures and perform proper hand hygiene.
Host:
Now you understand more about the multi-drug resistant organisms and importance of hand hygiene. Provided that we stay alert, pathogens have no chance to invade us.
So all of us can enjoy a happy and healthy life!