Germ defence for care homes

We plan to develop an intervention to improve how care home staff practice infection prevention and control.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 39,000 deaths in residents of care homes, who are also vulnerable to outbreaks of influenza and gastroenteritis. Good infection prevention and control has the potential to reduce infections and deaths in care homes by 30%. Unfortunately, infection prevention and control is not always optimal in residential care. Previous research has shown that an interactive website about infection control (called ‘Germ Defence’) succeeded in reducing spread of flu and coughs. It has been adapted for schools but not yet for care homes.

We will work with representatives of care home staff to adapt the existing intervention for care homes, ensuring we keep it up to date with the latest evidence about how coronavirus and other viruses are transmitted in care home. We will observe and interview carers while they are using the intervention and will incorporate their feedback into the next versions. We will continue to make improvements according to the feedback received to ensure that the final version to be tested in a future RCT is well received by a range of care staff, residents and their families

Amount Awarded: £72,268