Common Contagious Diseases in Nursing Homes

Elderly individuals move to nursing homes when their care needs exceed what can be provided at home. As a result, nursing home residents should expect to receive quality care, daily assistance, and comfortable accommodations when they enter these facilities. 

However, residents sometimes risk contracting contagious diseases due to poor practices, reduced staffing, or improper staff behaviors. If you or your loved one has suffered neglect or abuse while in a nursing home, call now to speak with a qualified nursing home abuse lawyer about your legal options.

Vulnerability of Nursing Home Residents

Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable groups in our country. First, they are advanced in age, so their immune systems are already diminishing. Second, they may have other health conditions that make them more susceptible to contagious diseases. Lastly, they are in close and constant proximity to other hospitalized patients and staff who can carry germs, viruses, and bacterial infections. 

Nursing homes must maintain proper infection safety precautions to protect residents from additional health issues. 

Importance of Infection Control

Long-term care facilities are required to have infection control measures in place. A disease control plan prioritizes isolating the infection, treating the affected patients, and preventing others from being exposed. An effective strategy can protect the health of residents and staff, saving these already vulnerable people from facing additional challenges. 

Common Infections in Nursing Homes

Many serious infections can thrive in nursing homes. These include urinary tract infection, respiratory illnesses like influenza and pneumonia, skin infections like cellulitis and pressure ulcers, and gastrointestinal infections like norovirus.

An infection control plan may prevent elderly nursing home residents from contracting these diseases. However, simple awareness of common nursing home infections can aid healthcare workers in the fight against outbreaks that put patients at risk. 

Respiratory Infections

A respiratory tract infection or other common respiratory diseases can spread like wildfire in a nursing home if they are not managed. Influenza outbreaks will likely occur in nursing homes with low influenza vaccination rates each season. Residents developing pneumonia should be isolated and treated immediately to prevent the spread of this dangerous disease. Tuberculosis spreads through the air via coughing, sneezing, and even speaking, so individuals who contract this dangerous infection should be quarantined from other residents. 

Gastrointestinal Infections

Infections that affect the gastrointestinal system can have a devastating impact on a nursing home resident, including malnutrition, motility issues, and secondary diseases. Foodborne illnesses can spread through nursing homes if food preparation or sourcing standards are poor. Diarrhea is a common symptom for those developing infectious gastroenteritis. Cholera, typhoid fever, and salmonella infections also affect the gastrointestinal system. 

Skin Infections

Skin contact and other transmission methods can lead to skin infections in many nursing home residents. Impetigo spreads through skin-to-skin contact involving sores, mucus, or discharge and causes itchy sores on the infected person. Cellulitis occurs when bacteria break through the skin through openings and, if untreated, could require amputation. Fungal infections can have numerous symptoms and may spread via direct contact, sharing personal items, or long-term medications. 

Other Infections

Many other common infections in nursing homes present a danger to residents. Urinary tract infections occur frequently in these facilities due to poor hygiene, improper use of urinary catheters, and incontinence. Well-trained staff and cleaner environments can prevent many urinary tract infections. 

Soft tissue infections like infected pressure ulcers, scabies, and shingles can also endanger nursing home residents. Surprisingly, sexually transmitted diseases may spread among the elderly population due to a lack of safe sex practices. Staph infections, chronic wound infections, and diabetic wound infections are other issues frequently found in nursing homes. 

Factors Contributing to Disease Transmission

Nursing homes are unique environments with many individuals placed in proximity to each other, most of whom are struggling with health conditions. Due to several factors, these long-term care facilities can become hotbeds for disease transmission. 

Close Proximity

Most nursing homes host a large number of residents at the same time. There could be several hundred residents, nursing staff, physicians, and administrators in larger nursing homes. People also visit family members, increasing the total population throughout the day. The number of people in close quarters can hasten the spread of infectious diseases, especially if an effective prevention and control plan is not in place. 

Weakened Immune Systems

People staying in nursing homes tend to have a weakened immune system. Whether it is the natural effects of aging or the presence of other health conditions, their bodies are less capable of fighting these infections. As a result, nursing home residents are more vulnerable to diseases than the average person. 

Inadequate Hygiene

Hygiene is essential to lowering the risk factors of infections. If residents do not engage in personal hygiene, such as washing hands and bathing, infectious disease outbreaks can occur rapidly in nursing homes. Nursing home staff are often guilty of poor hygiene, so implementing infection control practices that address hygiene can reduce the likelihood of outbreaks in nursing homes. 

Outbreaks and Epidemics

If a nursing home resident develops a serious infection, it could quickly become an outbreak or epidemic among the other residents and staff. An infection prevention plan must be in place to stop the spread of these diseases. The more nursing home residents who become infected, the harder it will be to contain the disease and treat all affected patients sufficiently. 

Some of the most common outbreaks in nursing homes include urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections, Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, strep throat, influenza, Vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and gastroenteritis. 

Prevention of Contagious Diseases and Control Measures

Nursing homes can implement numerous systems to mitigate infection risk factors among residents and staff. Here are some strategies for combating secondary infection risk in assisted living facilities. 

Vaccination

Vaccination is the peak of prevention practices in a nursing home. Both staff and residents should be inoculated against common infectious diseases, including seasonal vaccines like COVID-19 and influenza. Nursing homes that fail to implement vaccination programs effectively could see diseases that are usually eradicated quickly in society take hold among nursing home residents. Plus, certain vaccinations are mandated by federal and state laws for nursing homes. 

Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene is one of the most basic measures for preventing the spread of infections in nursing homes. Infected residents who do not wash their hands regularly run greater risks of spreading those diseases to others, and uninfected residents who do not wash their hands open up opportunities for bacteria and viruses to enter their bodies. Staff and residents should adhere strictly to hand-washing protocols to prevent and control infections. 

Isolation Precautions

Diseases that spread from person to person through direct contact, coughing, sneezing, or other similar means can be slowed by isolating infected individuals. When a resident is identified with a specific infection, they should be quarantined from everyone else and treated without fear of spreading the disease further. Allowing this individual to remain among other residents and staff will create a higher risk of an outbreak. 

Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection

Consistent cleaning is crucial in nursing homes. Surfaces should be regularly cleaned and disinfected throughout the day to eliminate bacteria and viruses from the environment. If an individual is diagnosed with an infectious disease, any surface they recently came into contact with should be cleaned and disinfected. 

Legal Implications of Outbreaks

An infectious disease in a nursing home setting may have legal implications. While some outbreaks in nursing homes may be inevitable, many cases are entirely preventable. Failing to contain an outbreak and protect nursing home residents could result in legal action or enforcement penalties against the at-fault facility. 

Regulatory Violations

Federal and state laws govern the operations of nursing homes. Among these laws are specific standards of care regarding infection prevention and control. When residents in a nursing home face dangerous infections, and their health is at risk, enforcement entities, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, could punish the facility and its staff for failing to provide adequate care. 

Punishments could include fines levied against the facility, revocation of licenses, or even closures. 

Liability

Legal liability could also arise after a nursing home outbreak. If nursing home residents experience legal damages because they became infected due to poor practices, the facility itself, administrators, or nursing staff could be held liable in a lawsuit. 

A successful lawsuit from a victim of the infection could cost the insurance company or the facility thousands or even millions of dollars. 

Resident rights

State laws outline resident rights in nursing homes. Federal regulations also govern these rights, which usually include the right to be protected from any infectious disease. If skilled nursing facilities fail to prevent or effectively treat infections, they violate these rights, which could result in financial penalties or lawsuits against the facility.

The Role of a Care Home Lawyer

An infection in a skilled nursing facility can dramatically disrupt a resident’s life, potentially causing severe health complications and emotional distress. In some cases, family members may even lose their loved ones due to dangerous diseases spreading in nursing homes. A nursing home lawyer can help protect residents’ rights and ensure that infection control measures are in place. 

Legal Representation

Residents or their family members may be interested in filing complaints against an acute care hospital for failing to prevent or treat infected patients. Some victims may even pursue lawsuits against the facility to recover compensation for legal damages like medical bills, emotional distress, physical pain, or loss of enjoyment of life. 

The right lawyer will guide you through the legal process of filing a complaint or lawsuit to ensure your rights are upheld and increase your chances of winning a case. 

Advocacy

Nursing home residents are often in great need of advocacy. Some may be afraid of repercussions if they speak up, while others are incapable of understanding how staff mistakes affect them. Family members of residents and patients can rely on nursing home attorneys to stand up for their rights and ensure health and safety are paramount in nursing home practices. 

Investigating Allegations

When you file a complaint against a specific staff member or file a lawsuit against the facility itself, you may need the services of an experienced lawyer to build a strong case. The right legal team will investigate allegations of inadequate infection control measures to find evidence of any wrongdoings. That evidence will support your claim for compensation or your official complaint. 

Without the assistance of a lawyer, you may struggle to build a solid case and increase your chances of winning a settlement for legal damages. 

Get a Free Consultation With a Nursing Home Lawyer

Nursing Home Law Center specializes in cases of abuse, neglect, or exploitation in nursing homes. We believe in holding staff and facilities accountable for failing to protect residents from infectious diseases. If you have questions about legal action against a nursing home due to infection issues, our team can guide you through the claims process and protect your rights. 

It starts with a free consultation with a legal professional with experience in this area to discuss your situation. Call us today at 800-926-7565 or complete the contact form.