Elderly facilities with new virus infection prevention measures strengthened at Chiba Yachiyo February 9 18:38
Elderly people are particularly vigilant about the spread of the new coronavirus infection. The special elderly nursing home in Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture, where 116 elderly people are living, compiled emergency measures on March 3 and strengthened measures to prevent viruses from being brought into facilities.
Under the new measures, staff working at the facilities were required to refrain from traveling abroad for the time being, and 151 employees and their families were to be notified of their overseas travel history. I am.
In addition, the number of foreign nationals is increasing at nursing care sites, and a total of 10 technical intern trainees from the Philippines and staff from the Philippines, China, etc. work in this facility. After returning to Japan next month, they will take two weeks off work and observe their health after returning home next month, as the infection has spread in areas near the homecoming home. That is.
In addition, measures such as urging family members of the visitor to wash their hands, disinfect with alcohol, and gargle at the wash basin at the entrance of the facility, and refrain from entering the facility if symptoms such as fever occur. I am thorough.
An 86-year-old woman attending a facility said last week that she was infected with the flu and had just recovered, saying, "Even if you are careful, you can get infected.I am afraid of the new virus." Was.
On the other hand, the average age of residents is 84 years, and many of them require high levels of nursing care. Nearly 90% of the residents have symptoms of dementia, making it difficult for them to cooperate in hygiene management such as hand washing. That is.
In addition, in order to prevent the spread of infection to other residents even if one of the residents becomes infected, the facility regularly records the amount of meals, sleeping hours, and the number of excretions for 24 hours. We will make sure that you don't miss any slight changes in your health.
Koji Tsugawa said, "The residents are aging each year, and infectious diseases are a life-threatening problem for people over 90 and over 100 years of age. We are making every effort to keep the virus from being brought in." You.
Expert "Preparing to protect the elderly now"
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, many elderly people have reduced immunity and have pre-existing illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, so the risk of infectious diseases such as influenza is higher than that of younger people.
In particular, in facilities where many elderly people spend, infections may spread one after another if people who enter or exit the facility, such as staff or family members who visit the facility, bring in the virus from outside.
Many people who died in China from infectious diseases caused by the new coronavirus are reported to be elderly people, and Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University specialty professor Mitsuo Kaku, who is familiar with infectious disease countermeasures, said, It is unlikely that the disease will occur, but it is possible that the disease will spread further in the country, so it is important to take steps now to protect the elderly vulnerable to infectious diseases. "