Nursing Homes Prevention and Control

(The Fight Against COVID-19)

Updated:2020-04-26 | By:China.org.cn

Nursing Homes Prevention and Control

The elderly are a vulnerable and high-risk group of the novel coronavirus with weak self-protection awareness. The institutions for elderly rehabilitation, nursing, and elderly care should take protective measures for the elderly. 

In late January 2020, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a notice requesting all localities to make every effort to prevent and control the novel coronavirus in elderly care institutions to ensure the safety and health of senior citizens.

According to the Prevention and Control Protocol for Novel Coronavirus (1st Edition), major measures to be taken by the elderly care institutions included daily preventive measures and counter measures in case of suspicious symptoms of elderly people. 

During the epidemic outbreak, the elderly care institutions were recommended to perform closed management. Technically they should not receive visitors from outside, the elderly should not leave the institutions, and the institutions should not accept new arrivals. The elderly who have to go out should be put under close observation after returning to the nursing home. 

The old-age care institutions should establish health records for the elderly and staff, and conduct daily morning check-up and health registration; conduct registration of visitors and demand all visitors wear surgical masks; encourage the elderly to wash hand frequently and keep their rooms clean and tidy. 

In case of suspicious symptoms of an elderly, the institution should promptly arrange a single room for quarantine, ask the medical staff to assess his/her health status, send him/her to the medical institution for treatment depending on the condition, and suspend visits to the elderly.

养老机构防控

老年人群是新冠病毒易感高危人群,自我防护意识普遍较弱,因此,老年康复、护理、养老等机构应做好在院老年人群的防护措施。2020年1月底,国家民政部发出通知,要求各地全力做好养老机构新冠肺炎疫情防控工作,确保老年人安全健康。

根据国家卫生健康委在2020年1月29日发布的《新型冠状病毒防控指南(第一版)》,养老机构防控疫情的主要措施包括日常预防措施,以及有老人出现可疑症状时的应对措施。疾病流行期间,建议养老机构实施封闭式管理,原则上不接待外来人员走访慰问,老人不能离院外出,不再接受新入住老人,必须外出的老人回到养老机构后应密切观察。此外,养老机构还应建立老人和工作人员的健康档案,每日开展晨检和健康登记;建立探访人员登记制度,所有外来探访人员应佩戴医用外科口罩;倡导老人养成经常洗手的好习惯,确保环境清洁卫生。如有老人出现可疑症状时,及时为其安排单间进行自我隔离,由医护人员对其健康状况进行评估,视病情状况送至医疗机构就诊,并暂停探访活动。