The Fall Season

Fall is a wonderful time of the year, but it is also when we see an increase of viral illness. An important measure to help prevent transmission of these germs is through handwashing education. A fun handwashing activity is the use of glitter and ultraviolet light. It is a helpful tool to demonstrate the effectiveness of handwashing and surface cleaning. Staff and residents were able to visualize what areas on the hands were not thoroughly cleaned during handwashing. Everyone enjoyed the educational session because it was interactive. Immediate feedback was given to pay special attention to the fingertips, between fingers, back of hands, and the base of the thumbs. On the spot feedback is so important during this educational session. Auditing hand hygiene compliance by staff helps to strengthen the infection control programs at the facilities.