Medical Waste and Other Risks in Assisted Living Facilities
4/22/2019
It’s a fact that all medical institutions need to be constantly on guard against lawsuits. Because of the nature of the services rendered, assisted living facilities are at particularly high risk.
Top risks in these care facilities are resident abuse, falls, wound issues, poor supervision, incorrect administration of medication and improper medical waste disposal. Assisted living facilities need to institute risk management actions. This starts with staff training and education.
Top risks in these care facilities are resident abuse, falls, wound issues, poor supervision, incorrect administration of medication and improper medical waste disposal. Assisted living facilities need to institute risk management actions. This starts with staff training and education.
Our main area of expertise is waste disposal. We find that many staff in assisted living facilities have not had proper training in medical waste disposal and often don’t dispose of it in a safe manner. Management needs to make training in this area a priority for patient and staff safety, environmental safety, and to minimize the risk of lawsuits.
- Sharps like needles and IVs need to be disposed of in a specially labelled sharps container that cannot puncture. They can under no circumstances be thrown out with the regular garbage.
- Radiation waste from chemotherapy, for example, goes into a separate container. These products can cause skin burns or poisoning if unauthorized people come into contact with it.
- Some assisted living facilities have separate sewers and drains for contaminated bodily waste.
Minimize the risks in your facility as soon as possible by educating your staff well about proper hygiene and waste disposal.