01 Dec Meal Procedures for COVID-19 Units
During this time several facilities have made isolation units to help COVID-19 positive patients heal while residents without the virus are not exposed. Even though the isolation units are designed to keep the virus contained, we still have to go in the rooms to care for our patients. When we’re taking food down to COVID-19 unit, we need to take precautions to not transmit the virus to the rest of the facility, here are procedures that will help:
- Serve food and dishes off cart and assist residents – if you’re using regular dishes, the dishes have to go off regular trays on the cart, it goes directly to the resident’s room.
- Dispose of leftovers in the resident’s room and dispose of bags.
- Change gloves, wash/sanitize between residents.
- Trays and cards have to be in the sanitizing solution for a minimum of 6 minutes, let air dry – do not wipe down.
We need to make sure that we are getting all procedure policies across to each staff member so everything that goes in a COVID-19 unit or in the hall needs to stay in that unit. It is important to remember to use the disinfectants according to manufacturer’s guidelines, let the solution air dry for at least 6 minutes and do not wipe it off. By following these guidelines within our COVID-19 units we can prevent the spread of the virus within our facility. For more information on COVID-19 in behavioral facilities, check out our latest webinar: Keeping You, Your Clients, and Staff Healthy While Delivering Safe, High-Quality Food and Dining Services.
