Outbreak management in residential aged care facilities–prevention and response strategies in regional Australia

Abstract

Objective: To identify the outbreak prevention and response preparedness of residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in the Hunter New England area of New South Wales (NSW).

Design: A cross-sectional telephone survey.

Setting: RACFs who provide full-time nursing care in regional NSW.

Subjects: Twenty randomly selected RACFs including nine metropolitan and 11 rural facilities within the regional Hunter New England (HNE) district of NSW.

Main outcome measures: Percentage of staff and residents vaccinated against influenza in 2013; availability and use of a surveillance system to detect outbreaks; knowledge of national outbreak resources; and presence of a facility outbreak management plan.

Results: Across the 20 facilities more than 85% of residents were vaccinated against influenza in 2013. Staff influenza vaccination rates varied from less than 50% in six facilities to greater than 80% in nine facilities. Overall, 18/20 (90%) facilities reported having outbreak management plans available; however only 5/20 (25%) facilities reported having an outbreak surveillance system in place.

Conclusion: RACFs in this sample reported varying levels of outbreak prevention and preparedness strategies. Nursing staff working in RACFs need to ensure strategies are in place to prevent and respond to communicable disease outbreaks. In particular all facilities are encouraged to have an outbreak surveillance system in operation, especially during the peak seasons. RACF accreditation should consider including outbreak prevention, preparedness and management outcomes in the review measures to ensure all RACFs have strategies in place to protect vulnerable residents from common communicable disease outbreaks.