Mandatory PPE

As an added safety measure following current guidance from MN Dept of Health we are implementing the use of Masks for all essential staff working in any Rakhma home and anyone who enters a Rakhma home.

The following precautions are in effect immediately:

• Staff who do NOT work with symptomatic residents should wear a regular mask the entire time they are working

• Staff who work with symptomatic residents:

  • o   Before entering the room:

    • o   Hand hygiene: staff must thoroughly wash their hands and put on gloves before entering affected residents’ room

    • o   Must wear N95 mask, gown, gloves and goggles when they enter affected residents’ room

    • o   Before leaving the room:

      • o   Disinfect all surfaces to prevent staff from getting sick

      • o   Mask will be reused following sanitary practices and labeling

      • o   Goggles will be sanitized and cleaned in order to be reused

    • o   After leaving the room:

      • o   Hand hygiene: thoroughly wash hands (per WHO video) as soon as leaving room

      • o   Put on a regular mask to wear whenever not in affected residents’ room

• Shift instructions

  • o   All masks should be initialed and dated and stored inside a brown paper bag with staff’s name on it

  • o   Staff should wear their mask only and avoid touching others

  • o   Masks should be stored in a dry area accessible to staff (see site director for location)

When is it appropriate to wear an alternative facemask?

1. FDA regulated PPE supply has been exhausted and all efforts to extend PPE use has been exhausted.

2. A worker in a health care facility does not have direct patient care responsibility (e.g. dietary staff,

environmental services staff, administrative staff)

3. Use by patients who do not have respiratory symptoms.

4. Use by visitors or contract staff who are providing services to a healthcare facility.

5. Asymptomatic staff who have not had exposures to known or suspect COVID-19 cases.

Use of alternate facemasks:

1. Alternative facemasks should be donned and doffed per usual CDC protocol.

2. Alternative facemasks should be changed when saturated from condensation build up from breathing, or

after a gross contamination event.

3. Dirty and clean facemasks must be housed in separate, clearly labeled containers to prevent cross

contamination.

Washing masks:

Wash dirty masks between each use. Wash in hot water with regular detergent. Dry completely on hot

setting.

Discard Mask

Discard N95 respirators following use during aerosol generating procedures.

Discard N95 respirators contaminated with blood, respiratory or nasal secretions, or other bodily fluids from patients.

Discard N95 respirators following close contact with, or exit from, the care area of any patient co-infected with an infectious disease requiring contact precautions.

Consider use of a cleanable face shield (preferred3) over an N95 respirator and/or other steps (e.g., masking patients, use of engineering controls) to reduce surface contamination.

Perform hand hygiene with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after touching or adjusting the respirator (if necessary for comfort or to maintain fit).

Extended use alone is unlikely to degrade respiratory protection. However, healthcare facilities should develop clearly written procedures to advise staff to:

Discard any respirator that is obviously damaged or becomes hard to breathe through.