Infection Control - It’s in your hands

“Infection Control… it’s in your hands” is a community care hand hygiene campaign launched by the South West Community Care Access Centre (SW CCAC). The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene in preventing the transmission of infective agents. To help clients and caregivers understand the importance of hand hygiene, “Ask me if I washed my hands” buttons and hand hygiene fact sheets have been created.

Hand Hygiene Fact Sheet (PDF)

Why is hand hygiene important?

Correctly performed, hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases and infections, such as influenza. Proper hand hygiene removes or kills germs on the hands through the use of soap and running water or alcohol-based hand rubs.

Read more about the Campaign and importance of hand hygiene (PDF)

The Client’s Role

Clients can participate in the hand hygiene campaign by:

• Being a partner in care. Ask caregivers if they have washed their hands
• Taking responsibility in properly washing their own hands
• Being familiar with the Hand Hygiene Fact Sheet
• Referring to the Hand Hygiene Resources for more information

The Caregivers Role

Caregivers can participate in the hand hygiene campaign by:

• Consistently wearing the campaign button in a visible place
• Reviewing the campaign, the importance of hand hygiene and inviting clients to ask the question "have you washed your hands" as often as they would like.
• Sending reinforcing messages to clients re: hand hygiene and prevention of transmission of germs to prevent influenza transmission
• Making hand hygiene visible for clients
• Using alcohol based hand rubs, the preferred method for decontaminating hands, provided they contain 60% alcohol (CHICHA-CANADA, Hand Hygiene Resources, 2008)
• Initiating hand hygiene:
  • Before client contact
  • Before an aseptic task
  • After body fluid exposure risk
  • After client contact
  • After contact with client surroundings (eg. Linen, mobility aids, IV pumps, and RITH)
• Referring clients to the Hand Hygiene Resources and/or your Manager/Supervisor if they have hand hygiene or H1N1 questions beyond your personal scope of practice.

Preventing Dry Skin from Frequent Hand Hygiene
(Information from CHICA-Canada)

Good skin care helps in the defence against microorganisms. To prevent chafing, wet your hands before applying soap and use a mild lotion soap with warm water; pat rather than rub hands dry; and apply lotion liberally and frequently.

Most alcohol-based hand rubs contain emollients to reduce the skin irritation. Frequent use of alcohol-based hand rub actually lessens the incidence of skin breakdown because the hands are not subject to the friction and abrasion involved in hand washing and drying.

For more information about the Infection Control - It’s in your hands Campaign, please contact:

Gordon Milak
South West Community Care Access Centre
gordon.milak@sw.ccac-ont.ca

If your South West agency would like "Ask me if I've washed my hands" buttons, please submit a request to editor@sw.ccac-ont.ca and arrange for pick up from the London Office of the South West CCAC.

For more information, see also:

• H1N1 Flu Virus (Human Swine Influenza)
• Influenza