A 2004 National Nursing Home Survey found that nearly 1.5 million elderly Americans live in about 16,000 nursing homes. With crowded nursing homes comes an increased potential of harmful infections spreading. Because the elderly generally have diminished immune systems and surgery can sometimes cause more harm than good, the spread of an infection could be disastrous in a nursing home. This article outlines the most common infections found in nursing homes and the ways to prevent and treat them. Often, residents who are moved from one home to another or just transferred from a hospital are carriers of diseases unknown to their new nursing home.
The most common nursing home infections are:
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Respiratory infections like pneumonia and influenza
- Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in nursing home residents, with residents using feeding tubes at the highest risk of developing it. Elderly patients may manifest symptoms of pneumonia differently than younger patients, so blood tests and X-rays should definitively diagnose it.
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Soft-tissue and skin infections
- Infected pressure ulcers, vascular ulcers, and diabetic wound infections are common in nursing home residents, as well as less severe conditions such as skin dryness, redness, and peeling. Unfortunately, pressure ulcers, or bedsores, are common in patients confined to a bed or wheelchair.
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Gastroenteritis
- Norovirus causes dehydration and diarrhea in nursing home patients, which could be fatal if untreated. It can be passed from person to person and through food and water, making it difficult to detect an origin and to prevent it.
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Urinary tract infections
- UTIs are incredibly common in nursing home residents with indwelling catheters. The risk of developing a UTI increases each day the catheter remains inserted. Within a month, bacteria will likely be in the patient’s urine.