The Long Term Care Facility Strike Team and Infrastructure Project is developing a collection of resources on existing trainings, tools, and resources related to infection prevention and control for a variety of audiences.
Below are resources on infection prevention and control from across Alabama agencies and the broader public health community.
Alabama-Specific Resources
- Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Infectious Diseases & Outbreaks (ID&O): Provides several resources and fact sheet flyers on infectious diseases in Alabama, as well as information on the state’s DETECT, TEST and REPORT (DTR) Notifiable Diseases awareness campaign to help reduce the impact of reportable diseases across the state while creating a notifiable disease system.
- Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (ADPH): Instruction for variety of facility types, including hospitals, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities, hospice, and other healthcare settings (e.g., outpatient clinics, schools, daycares, ambulances and care vehicles).
- Health and Safety Guidelines for Facilities Participating in Childcare Subsidy Program (AL DHR): Includes requirements (beginning p.23) for facilities regarding illness, injury, hygiene and preparedness and response plans, including for outbreaks, epidemics and other infectious disease emergencies.
Healthcare-Associated Infections
- Hospital Preparedness Program: Overview of HPP funding distribution to support the state’s health care coalition members through training, education, and other preparedness efforts. Also includes information on Covid response.
- Immunization Laws (ADPH): Outlines diseases for which vaccinations are required for children, as well as a regimented schedule of when and what vaccines and boosters should be administered for children to be in compliance.
- Infection Control Assessment Tools (ADPH): Series of tools to increase and improve facility preparedness and readiness for hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient facilities and dialysis centers.
- Infection Prevention Guidelines (ADPH): Comprehensive overview of recommendations for many topics, including vaccination guidelines, testing, disease transmission, exposure, hand hygiene and general procedures.
- Notifiable Diseases (ADPH): Listing of notifiable diseases, including elements such as reporting requirements, control procedures, and considerations for vulnerable populations.
- Public Health Emergency Preparedness (CDC): Overview of PHEP plan, including state and public health workforce demographics funded by program, as well as performance results related to many possible emergencies, including biological health threats, foodborne illnesses and outbreaks, and exposure to toxic materials.
- Public Health Laws (ADPH): Comprehensive list of the state’s public health laws, including those on topics like infectious diseases, notifiable diseases and reporting, and vaccinations.
- UAB Sanitation Health Study: Course offered as part of a CDC-funded public health promotion project to expand surveillance for sanitation-related infections across West Central Alabama. Educates both healthcare workers and the public regarding sanitation-related health concerns and links residents to resources to address inadequate home sanitation systems.
Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Antimicrobial Stewardship: Improving Clinical Outcomes by Optimization of Antibiotic Practices : Offers an online course on antibiotics use and how inappropriate use contributes to individual and societal harm by exerting unnecessary selective pressure that may lead to antibiotic resistance among bacteria.
- Antibiotic Stewardship Program Resources for Nursing Homes : Provides information obtained from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) nursing home and antimicrobial stewardship guide to assist facilities with antibiotic stewardship program in Long-Term Care Facilities.
- Nursing Home Antimicrobial Stewardship Guide : The guide provides toolkits to help nursing homes optimize their use of antibiotics.
CDC Training on Antibiotic Stewardship
- CDC Training on Antibiotic Stewardship: Provides information to healthcare professionals on current antibiotics resistance threats, antibiotics prescribing and how to encourage discussion among physicians and patients about appropriate antibiotic prescribing.
- CDC Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes: Outlines seven core elements necessary to implement a successful antibiotic stewardship program.
COVID-19
- American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT): Resources for medical societies and institutions and governmental and non-governmental agencies, as well as publications and other media.
- Considerations for Memory Care Units in Long-Term Care Facilities (CDC): Special considerations for populations experiencing some form of memory issue (e.g., Alzheimer’s, dementia) in long-term care facilities to prevent COVID infection and spread.
- Disinfectants for Coronavirus (List N) (EPA): List of products suspected to kill all strains and variants of COVID; resource includes infographics and videos on products, tips, and best practices.
- Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent Spread in Nursing Homes (CDC): Guidance on infection control planning specific to location and population to prevent the spread of COVID, with updated guidance on contact tracing, screening of personnel, visitation, and quarantine of vaccinated residence.
- Preventing Spread in Assisted Living Facilities CDC): Guidance for owners and administrators of facilities, including identifying other local health and healthcare professionals with whom to work, educating residents, family and personnel, masking, and distancing.
- Protecting Workers (OSHA): Guidance to help employers protect workers, especially those who are unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated, or otherwise at-risk.
- Safely Using Hand Sanitizer (FDA): Overview of hand sanitizers and appropriate, safe, responsible usage for all ages.
- Safer Disinfectant Use (American College of Medical Toxicology): Collaboration with PEHSU (below) featuring webinar series and online resources in general and specifically for usage during COVID-19.
- Safer Disinfectant Use (Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units): Guidance for families on safe selection and usage of disinfectants, including benefits and exposure reduction strategies, as well as additional resource recommendations.
- Self-Management Zone Tool: To assist providers in education and preparation of patients and their families for self-management of COIVD-19 illness.
- Testing and Management When COVID-19 and Influenza Co-Circulating in Nursing Homes (CDC): Recommendations on how to manage resident populations when both diseases present, including PPE usage, resident placement, and testing.
Disinfection and Sterilization
- Cleaners, Sanitizers, and Disinfectants (AAP): General cleaning tips for maintaining a clean, disinfected home, including benefits and safety considerations.
- Disinfectants for Coronavirus (List N) (EPA): List of products suspected to kill all strains and variants of COVID; resource includes infographics and videos on products, tips, and best practices.
- General Guidelines, Overview, and Recommendations (CDC): Includes information on exposure, cleaning, selection, strategies, monitoring, and methods.
- Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities (CDC): Recommendations to help prevent transmission of infectious pathogens to patients in healthcare facilities.
- Safer Disinfectant Use (American College of Medical Toxicology): Collaboration with PEHSU (below) featuring webinar series and online resources in general and specifically for usage during COVID-19.
- Safer Disinfectant Use (Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units): Guidance for families on safe selection and usage of disinfectants, including benefits and exposure reduction strategies, as well as additional resource recommendations.
Enhanced Barriers Precautions
- American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) blog post on Guidance on Enhanced Barrier Precautions for Nursing Homes: Provides CDC updated guidance on enhanced barrier precaution for all health care settings, including nursing homes.
Environment of Care
- Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (ADPH): Instruction for variety of facility types, including hospitals, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities, hospice, and other healthcare settings (e.g., outpatient clinics, schools, daycares, ambulances and care vehicles).
- Infection Control Assessment Tools (ADPH): Series of tools to increase and improve facility preparedness and readiness for hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient facilities and dialysis centers.
Infection Control Plans
- Content of an Infection Prevention Control Plan (APIC): Ten-step outline covering the key elements of an infection prevention control plan and its component parts.
- Erythromycin-Resistant group A Streptococcus: Provides information about Increasing resistance in GAS bacteria and how it complicates treatment and makes it a concerning threat in CDC’s AR threat report. Early recognition is important as GAS infections can rapidly progress and result in death in populations.
- Facility Guidance for Control of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CDC): Toolkit providing background on CRE and its negative impacts and reach, as well as guidance on how to prevent and control outbreaks in acute and long-term care facilities.
- Group A Streptococcus (GAS) in LTC facilities (Identifying and managing outbreaks): CDC has released new tools to guide effective investigations into group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Targeted to public health departments and LTCFs, including skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, the toolkit encourages an investigation into even a single case of invasive GAS infection. The toolkit also offers strategies to ramp up the response if additional cases occur.
- Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (ADPH): Instruction for variety of facility types, including hospitals, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities, hospice, and other healthcare settings (e.g., outpatient clinics, schools, daycares, ambulances and care vehicles).
- Infection Control and Prevention Plan (US Compliance): Template for a general infection control planning manual that can be tailored to specific organizations.
- Infection Control Assessment Tools (ADPH): Series of tools to increase and improve facility preparedness and readiness for hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient facilities and dialysis centers.
- National Action Plans (HHS): National plans and strategies for a variety of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections, as well as national vaccine plans.
Infection Prevention for LTC Facilities
- Bacterial Pneumonia (AHRQ): General information on diagnosis and treatment of bacterial pneumonia in LTCFs.
- Considerations for COVID Control in Memory Care Units (CDC): Special considerations for populations experiencing some form of memory issue (e.g., Alzheimer’s, dementia) to prevent COVID infection and spread.
- Considerations for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 (CDC): Guidance for owners and administrators of facilities, including identifying other local health and healthcare professionals with whom to work, educating residents, family and personnel, masking, and distancing.
- Facility Guidance for Control of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CDC): Toolkit providing background on CRE and its negative impacts and reach, as well as guidance on how to prevent and control outbreaks in facilities.
- Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (ADPH): Instruction for variety of facility types, including hospitals, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities, hospice, and other healthcare settings (e.g., outpatient clinics, schools, daycares, ambulances and care vehicles).
- Infection Control Assessment Tools (ADPH): Series of tools to increase and improve preparedness and readiness for a variety of facilities, including long-term care facilities.
- Infection Prevention and You (APIC): Overview of importance of infection prevention in long-term care facilities and advice and guidance for residents, family members and other potential visitors.
- Infection Prevention Tools (CDC): Tools and resources covering a variety of infectious diseases common in long-term care facilities, as well as assessment, transfer, and implementation.
- Influenza and Influenza-like Illness Prevention and Control Measures (ADPH): Overview of how droplet spread occurs and a variety of control measures, including vaccination, testing, masking and protective equipment, and quarantine/isolation.
- Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent COVID-19 Spread (CDC): Guidance on infection control planning specific to location and population to prevent the spread of COVID, with updated guidance on contact tracing, screening of personnel, visitation, and quarantine of vaccinated residence.
- Testing and Management When COVID-19 and Influenza Co-Circulating (CDC): Recommendations on how to manage resident populations when both diseases present, including PPE usage, resident placement, and testing.
- Toolkit to Improve Antibiotic Use (AHRQ): Explains “Four Moments of Antibiotic Decision Making” and outlines how to develop and improve antibiotic stewardship programs, create a culture of safety around prescription, and disseminate best practices for common infectious diseases.
- Toolkit to Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) and Other HAIs in Long-Term Care Facilities (AHRQ): Provides guidance, resources, and instructional materials to facility leadership to reduce risk.
- Unite Guide to Infection Prevention for Long-Term Care Staff (AHRQ): Outlines all actions staff, residents and visitors should take to reduce risk of infection and outbreak, including hand hygiene, surface cleaning, PPE, resident placement and more. Includes outbreak-specific guidance (e.g., airborne, droplet, contact).
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- COVID-19 PPE Refresher Guidebook (created by ARC IPC) – Guidance on removal of PPE, including gowns and gloves, hand gel usage, and face shield care.
- Donning/Doffing Guidance (UAB): Series of videos outlining donning and doffing guidelines to ensure safe usage in a variety of circumstances.
- N95 Respirator Manufacturers (Free) (CDC): Guidelines on variety of N95 masks distributed from the Strategic National Stockpile to pharmacy distribution centers throughout the country.
- N-95 Fit Testing (Video) (3M): Scroll down to the “3M Fit Testing Video” and “3M Fit Testing Video (Healthcare)” for comprehensive guidelines on fit testing of N-95 masks for a variety of professionals.
- N-95 Fit Testing (Written Instructions): Step-by-step guidelines on considerations and actions to take for comprehensive, appropriate fit testing of N95 masks.
- Personal Protective Equipment for COVID-19 (NETEC): Donning and doffing guidance for healthcare workers engaging with patients who have or may have COVID-19. Also provides overview of types of PPE and using individually and in tandem with other PPE.
Podcasts and Webinar Series
Resources on all elements of infection prevention and control and environments in which to practice them will be continually added. To recommend additional resources or request a tailored resource package to meet your specific needs please contact the Center at ltcstriketeam@uab.edu.
