In the world of cleanliness and infection control, the strategy of colour coding is more than just a trend; it's a game-changer. With its roots in the healthcare industry, colour coding has permeated into various domains, ranging from food manufacturing to educational institutions, transforming the way we approach hygiene management.
Topics: Hygiene
Wightman & Parrish are proud to work with SEBO, renowned for the quality and performance of their products. Made in Germany, SEBO machines are used in commercial environments throughout the world. Hospitals, hotels, airports, offices, shops - all appreciate the reliability, performance and productivity of SEBO vacuum cleaners. SEBO offer an extensive range of machines, so that whether it is for vacuum cleaners, hard floor polishing, and carpet cleaning, SEBO have it covered.
Topics: Hygiene
Within the Care environment, ensuring the safety and comfort of your residents is of utmost importance. To achieve this, you need the right care equipment that meets their everyday needs and promotes their well-being. But with so many options available in the market, it can be a daunting task to know which equipment is essential for your facility. To help you make an informed decision, we have put together a comprehensive guide on the care equipment essential range. Keep reading to know everything you need to know to create a safe and comfortable environment for your residents.
Overbed Tables
An overbed table is a versatile piece of furniture made to be conveniently used with a bed or a chair. They come in two designs: with legs that go under or around the bed or chair. Its tabletop is often adjustable in height, making it convenient to keep frequently used items, like books, snacks, and drinks within reach.
While overbed tables prove to be a practical bedside companion, not every type can accommodate every bed or chair.
Commodes
Looking for a solution to make toileting easier for those struggling with illness, injury, or disability? Meet the commode chair. This handy aid provides a safe and convenient alternative to reaching the bathroom, offering users a comfortable place to relieve themselves. Say goodbye to the struggles of getting to the toilet on time with the help of a commode.
Commode chairs are designed to help with toileting outside of the bathroom. With the option to choose from models with or without wheels, these chairs can easily be moved wherever you need them most.
Shower commode chairs are usually found only in bathrooms and are designed to help make it easier for you to deal with your personal hygiene as well as toileting. With the added bonus of being wheeled, these chairs enhance your bathroom experience, making personal hygiene and toileting more manageable and safer, even in the shower.
Pressure Care Mattresses
Choosing the right Pressure Redistributing Mattress can be overwhelming, but it's crucial to prevent pressure ulcers, especially for those with reduced mobility or difficulties adjusting body weight. Pressure ulcers can lead to severe health complications and even be life-threatening if left untreated. Factors that can increase the risk include:
Thankfully, using a pressure redistributing mattress, like an alternating pressure mattress, can manage and reduce the risk of pressure ulcers by evenly distributing pressure and shear from bony prominences. These mattresses consist of individual air-filled cells that automatically and regularly adjust the distribution of pressure, making them suitable for those with a high risk of developing pressure ulcers.
From commodes and overbed tables, to pressure care mattresses, the care equipment essential range comprises a wide variety of equipment that aims to promote the safety and comfort of your residents. When selecting equipment, consider the specific needs of your residents and your facility’s requirements to ensure that you choose the equipment that meets their needs. Remember, investing in the right care equipment can significantly improve the quality of life for your residents, and at the same time, enhance the productivity and well-being of your staff.
Topics: Hygiene
SHOCK was invented by Imre Killi and designed by a team of Product Design Engineers at MotorScrubber - the industry leader in powerful small-area cleaning. Following three years of intensive development and testing, SHOCK will transform the way the industry tackles cleaning difficult-to-reach areas, including edges, skirting boards, stairs, walls, toilet cubicles and more.
Enabling teams to clean faster, lower and better, MotorScrubber’s patent-pending SHOCK is incredibly customisable. Utilising its quick-connect seismic weight kit, users can choose between increased downforce or enhanced manoeuvrability to take on any cleaning challenge. Its hygienic MAGPlate magnetic pad system makes transitioning between cleaning areas swift and easy. And its soft-rubber glide wheels protect walls and floors during targeted edge cleaning.
MotorScrubber is also launching the revolutionary SHOCK Pad, the latest in cleaning pad innovation. Made up of thousands of micro-blades, each fibre is angled to agitate and gently scrape dirt from textured floors.
The SHOCK Pad has been developed to maximise SHOCK’s ground-breaking oscillating technology. Imre Killi, MotorScrubber’s CEO and the product’s inventor adds,
“When we began testing SHOCK we found that some existing pad materials didn’t respond well to the oscillating mechanism. Many round fibres absorb the oscillating movement rather than transferring it to the floor, resulting in poor cleaning performance.
We experimented with angled fibres at varying lengths, and in different cleaning situations. Our aim was to find a reusable and washable fibre which would disrupt and then lift dirt, magnifying SHOCK’s oscillating mechanism. The final result was the SHOCK Pad. This non-scratch material cleans all smooth and textured hard floor surfaces, delivering exceptional cleaning results with water alone.
We didn’t want to release a revolutionary cleaning machine which used the same pad as everyone else – so we developed our own to clean better and faster.”
Imre Killi, adds, “Not only have we created a machine that cleans lower and faster – we've also created a small area floor cleaning solution that considers the user experience.
“Musculoskeletal disorders are the biggest risk factor for professional cleaners. Setting high ergonomic standards, SHOCK is significantly lighter than other machines, features a telescopic handle to remove the need to bend, is powered by MotorScrubber’s GEN3 backpack which includes back support, and is easy to use, with isolated vibrations to protect the user.”
Every part within SHOCK has been considered, tested and refined to within fractions of a millimetre to guarantee a positively shocking clean. It’s going to transform the cleaning industry, and we can’t wait to see it see in action.”
SHOCK Pads will be available in June and will be supplied as standard with all SHOCK floor cleaning machines.
As well as the SHOCK machine, Wightman & Parrish offer several different Motorscrubber machines including:
Topics: Hygiene
The DHSC have released a timeline of when they expect to run out of stock of their free PPE (available here.) From March 2023, the DHSC stock of Nitrile and Vinyl gloves will start to run out. We have been in constant discussion with DHSC over the past few years to ensure we have a good supply of stock as they begin to phase out the supply of free PPE. Wightman & Parrish continue to have plenty of stock of Vinyl, Nitrile, Latex and Synthetic Gloves, available here at great prices.
Topics: infection control, healthcare, Hand Hygiene
Did you know Wightman & Parrish offer e-learning and training courses? But why is e-learning important and useful to businesses? Keep on reading to find out more.
Following simple steps can help protect children, minimise the spread of illness in education and childcare settings and protect wider communities.
Flu and coronavirus (COVID-19) are currently circulating at high levels and are likely to continue to increase in coming weeks. High numbers of scarlet fever, which is caused by group A streptococcus, also continue to be reported.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said:
"It’s important to minimise the spread of infection in schools and other education and childcare settings as much as possible. If your child is unwell and has a fever, they should stay home from school or nursery until they feel better and the fever has resolved. Helping children to learn about the importance of good hand hygiene is also key, so practice regular handwashing at home with soap and warm water. Catching coughs and sneezes in tissues then binning them is another simple way to help stop illness from spreading. Adults should also try to stay home when unwell and if you do have to go out, wear a face covering. When unwell don’t visit healthcare settings or visit vulnerable people unless urgent."
Further information can be found via the GOV.UK website and blog:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-scarlet-fever-and-invasive-group-a-strep
https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2022/12/05/group-a-strep-what-you-need-to-know/
Wightman & Parrish recommends the following products to be effective in your infection prevention and control measures:
Surface Disinfection
Selgiene Extreme - Selgiene Extreme is an essential everyday product in the fight against infection. It kills bacteria e.g. E-coli, Salmonella and MRSA and enveloped viruses e.g. Coronavirus, HIV, Hepatitis C and Influenza.
PVA Virucidal Detergent Disinfectant Soluble Sachet - Effective against bacteria, such as Strep A, yeasts and enveloped viruses, such as Coronavirus. Effective and active for up to 7 days after application.
Sprint Degragerm Cleaner Disinfectant Smartdose - Degragerm is a highly concentrated daily cleaner for all types of interior surfaces and floors which also has disinfectant properties. Bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal.
Hand Hygiene
Scott Essential Everyday Foam Hand Cleanser - Cleanser is designed for exceptional efficiency, reliability and ease to service.
Scott Control Antibacterial Hand Cleanser - Effective against a range of bacteria, killing up to 99.999% of micro-organisms that can cause infections or illness, it is designed for process protection and compliance with hand hygiene protocols.
Scott Control Alcohol Foam Hand Sanitiser 1lt Cartridge - Effective bactericidal, virucidal and yeasticidal. Kills up to 99.99% of microorganisms.
Topics: school cleaning, Hygiene, Hand Hygiene, coronavirus
Worried about the impact of huge energy hikes on your Care Home? Discover how to make massive cost savings with Nilaqua.
Topics: care home, healthcare
Wightman & Parrish have recently begun offering premium beds from Opera. Recognised as leading manufactures of profiling beds and pressure care mattresses, Opera’s extensive collection includes standard and advanced beds to suit a variety of needs.
Topics: care home, healthcare, pressure mattress
Protecting residents, staff, and visitors from infections is a core requirement in care homes. The range of products available, and the different ways they can be used, means that housekeeping teams have more choice than ever before. It is therefore essential to work with a supplier who can identify priorities, optimise processes, and choose the right combination of products.
With any infection prevention regime, it is useful to identify the critical pathogens of concern. Studies conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic suggested influenza, norovirus, salmonella, and streptococcus pyogenes accounted for over half of infections (Ref1) in care homes. Similar studies conducted today would probably add SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, to this list.
Common viruses and bacteria like these often spread by direct contact, touching contaminated surfaces, and through breathing in airborne droplets produced when infected people cough, sneeze, or breathe. Any effective infection prevention regime must therefore incorporate good personal hygiene and surface disinfection as well as activities such as distancing and mask wearing not directly related to cleaning and hygiene.
Meeting the standards expected by the CQC is important and this increasingly means recording metrics to audit cleaning and hygiene performance. ATP testing can be useful when assessing general levels of cleanliness: before-and-after results of swabs from frequent-touch and high-risk surfaces can show performance improvement.
ATP testing can be augmented with cleaning verification systems. These use portable devices or smartphones and web-enabled applications to systematically record in real time a much wider range of metrics. This can include when critical tasks – such as disinfecting frequent touch-points - were completed and by whom. Supervisors always have an up-to-date overview of infection prevention processes which can be used for CQC compliance reporting. They can also identify trends that help them take evidence-based decisions to eliminate non-compliance or systematic inconsistencies and improve outcomes.
Whatever disinfectant is chosen it must be effective. Suppliers should have evidence their products meet relevant EN-numbered disinfection standards. Products meeting EN14476, for example, will be effective against viruses such as the one that causes Covid-19. Wightman & Parrish would recommend an item such as the Oxivir Excel Cleaner Disinfectant. Other important EN tests cover bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, and some products will meet multiple standards.
Many sites continue to use conventional chlorine-based products, following decades of perceived wisdom and established practice. Such products have been widely used during the pandemic when many homes adopted a cautious approach. This is not to say these products are not effective, because they are, but their widespread use is based on Government recommendations for acute care which are not always appropriate in care homes.
Care homes considering a change of surface disinfectants will need support and reassurance. Alternative formulations with innovative active ingredients can offer advantages in terms of sustainability, speed, simplicity, safety, and surface compatibility with similar or better efficacy against pathogens of concern. Products containing actives such as AHP (accelerated hydrogen peroxide) offer broad-spectrum efficacy against a wide range of pathogens but with fewer potential drawbacks than conventional chlorine formulations. The Oxivir Plus Disinfectant is a great option as it is based on innovative Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide technology that effectively destroys pathogens such as MRSA, Hepatitis
C and Norovirus.
Using chlorine typically involves a two-step process where the surface must be cleaned before disinfectant is applied. Alternative products classified as cleaner disinfectants complete both tasks in a one-step process and can have shorter contact or dwell times. That can reduce cleaning times which in itself can justify the change.
Further savings are available when products are supplied as concentrates with controlled dosing platforms rather than as ready-to-use or bulk formulations. Solutions are prepared in reusable spray bottles, buckets, and cleaning machines by adding water at the point of use. This promotes consistent preparation of solutions with predictable costs and almost no wastage. Wightman & Parrish offer a wide range of Diversey's SmartDose products, available here.
Moving to concentrated products can also enhance sustainability. Adding water at the point of use rather than the point of manufacture generally means less product is required for any given application. This reduces packaging, sourcing, transport and handling, storage, and waste disposal costs. For example, depending on product, one container of concentrate can replace 70 or more ready-to-use spray bottles. Packs that are made wholly or partially from recycled materials and which themselves are recyclable offer additional benefits. Wightman & Parrish can demonstrate these using sustainability calculators.
Conventional disinfection processes rely on removing pathogens from a surface that could be contaminated again right away. A new type of product offers ongoing protection and is especially useful for door handles, light switches, and similar frequent touch surfaces. These products initially disinfect like a conventional formulation but dry to form an almost invisible polymer layer. This retains the disinfectant which can then can then destroy pathogens that are deposited, offering ongoing protection of up to 24 hours. Some sites have reduced cleaning frequency from two-hourly to twice-daily as a result. Feedback from care homes suggests these products could be particularly useful during night-time when there are fewer members of staff present to carry out cleaning tasks. Efficacy is demonstrated by the BSI PAS 2424 Residual Antimicrobial Efficacy or the even more stringent EPA RSS tests.
Hand hygiene is the other critical aspect of infection prevention. It is common in care homes to find pump-top bottles at key locations so that residents and staff can disinfect their hands whenever they want. This is convenient and practical but switching some or all to wall or post-mounted professional dispensers can offer benefits. These can include reduced risk of the dispenser going missing or running out of product, which helps maximise availability and hand hygiene compliance. Professional dispensers can also help reduce wastage and costs by ensuring the right amount of product is always dispensed. Systems with high capacity and interchangeable products can simplify processes and reduce supervisory and supply chain burdens, time, and costs. For example, the Soft Care Dispenser can be used with any of the Soft Care Cartridges, such as the Soft Care Liquid Hand Sanitiser.
As with surface disinfectants, many care homes are hesitant to change their hand hygiene products. One of the main reasons is that residents and staff are familiar with existing products and trust them. On rare occasions, some users can suffer reactions to new formulations. Many of these concerns can be addressed through short-term on-site trials with feedback to finalise decisions. Most suppliers offer a choice of formulations which comply with required EN-numbered infection prevention standards.
Infection prevention is a critical part of care home life. Changing products and processes can be a difficult decision especially when existing protocols are established and trusted. But change can deliver improvement to outcomes and sustainability while saving time and money that can be used instead to enhance care.
Topics: care home, infection control, healthcare, Hygiene, COVID
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