IPRAT Shares Guidance (SNF/AL)
Source Control Versus PPE: During the December Long Term Care Facility COVID Response Call, the Michigan Infection Prevention Resource and Assessment Team (IPRAT) shared guidance on differentiating between the use of source control and personal protective equipment (PPE) for resident care.
Source control includes the use of PPE to protect the wearer and can be used for an entire shift. Source control may include using N95 or surgical masks, gowns or other forms of PPE as needed to maintain protections during periods of high transmission rates in the community. This differs from resident care encounters that require the use of PPE for Transmission Based Precautions (TBP) with known or suspected infectious organisms. TBPs require the use of PPE to protect the wearer in specific, individual resident care encounters. During TBP, PPE is donned and doffed with each encounter.
Screening Protocols: During the call, IPRAT also shared reminders regarding required COVID screening protocols for all individuals entering a health facility. Referencing the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) rules, Part 505 from 2019, several reminders were shared:
- Employees must be screened for COVID before each work day and each shift.
- Screening methods may be active, using an individual to conduct the screening, or passive, utilizing technology or self-reporting.
- Larry Horvath from the Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (LARA) confirmed that passive screening methods meet compliance requirements for federal regulations.
- Individuals with COVID or who have had close contact with someone with COVID should defer entering the facility until meeting either the return-to-work guidance if the individual is an employee or until 10 days’ post illness or exposure if the individual is a visitor.
The IPRAT team shared a PowerPoint during their discussion, which can be viewed HERE.