One in four care homes unaware of CFPP linen decontamination guidelines

The survey, commissioned by Berendsen and conducted among senior members of staff at care homes, has also uncovered the number – whether aware of the guidelines or not – that are not implementing measures that meet best practice, as advised by the Department of Health.

The guidelines set out Essential Quality Requirements that every care home is obligated to meet as well as recommendations for achieving best practice, for which it is necessary for care homes to demonstrate that a proactive plan is in place. Of those interviewed as part of the survey, one-third of care homes disclosed that they do not have separate entrances and exits to their laundry, while over half of care homes do not have a barrier between washing machines and tumble driers. Both of these are requirements for achieving best practice.

In addition, over one-third of care homes have never refurbished their laundry or have not done so for more than five years. This implies that machinery may be timeworn and therefore less efficient. In fact, half of care homes suffer from machine breakdowns as often as every six months, causing disruption to staff and residents. It may also imply that the laundry room itself might not be suitable for implementing effective laundry processes, with one in four care homes identifying a lack of space as being a particular problem.

“Providing residents with clean linen and minimising the risk of infection posed by soiled linen is a fundamental requirement of care homes. Failure to do so can directly impact on residents’ health. Our research suggests that many care homes are simply unaware that guidelines exist and that others are not implementing some of the recommendations,” said Jerry Richardson, business development director for UK Care Homes at Berendsen.

“Adapting an existing laundry room requires significant time and expense, not to mention the potential disruption caused to staff and residents. An alternative that’s becoming increasingly popular is to outsource linen and laundry provision to an experienced textile services provider."