Gastro kits for Australia’s nursing homes and hostels
Posted
by DPS
During November, Australia’s 2,870 nursing homes with 170,000 residents will receive specially designed gastroenteritis awareness and prevention kits to help them respond to possible outbreaks and minimise risks.
Under the $65,000 plan, every nursing home will receive the free full kit.
The Gastro-Info: Gastroenteritis Kit for Aged Care covers how to:
- Identify the signs and symptoms of a gastroenteritis outbreak;
- Nominate an Outbreak Coordinator to oversee a potential outbreak;
- Engage in infection control practices to prevent outbreaks and proper specimen collection and storage;
- Develop an Outbreak Management Plan for gastroenteritis and influenza before an outbreak occurs;
- Handle food during an outbreak and proper cleaning procedures;
- Inform residents and families in the event of an outbreak; and
- Notify relevant state or territory health authorities.
Nursing homes and hostels account for about half of all reported gastroenteritis outbreaks in Australia, with person-to-person contact the main cause of infection.
A highly infectious virus – norovirus – is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis.
The Department of Health and Ageing stressed that the gastro kits do not replace state and territory guidelines, but served as another resource tool.
