Long-Term Care

Long-term care facilities include nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities. Like patients in acute care facilities, long-term care residents are at risk for acquiring healthcare-associated infections. Infection prevention and control programs in long-term care facilities can help prevent the spread of infection to vulnerable residents. This page contains long-term care infection prevention resources and education for both healthcare professionals and consumers.

• For Healthcare Professionals
• For the Public

The following links are APIC and external resources on long-term care for healthcare professionals.

APIC Implementation Guides and Published Resources

• Guide to Preventing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections
• Guide to Hand Hygiene Programs for Infection Prevention (2015)
• Guide to Preventing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
• Guide to the Elimination of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the Long-Term Care Facility (2009)
• Infection Preventionist’s Guide to Long-Term Care ($)
• SHEA/APIC Guideline: Infection prevention and control in the long-term care facility(under review as of 3/26/2020)
• APIC Text Online (subscription required)($)
  • Chapter 62, “Long-Term Care”
  • Chapter 63, “Long-Term Acute Care”
  • Chapter 10, “General Principles of Epidemiology”
  • Chapter 11, “Surveillance”

  Education & Training

  APIC offers a comprehensive collection of clinical education and professional development programs. The following resources are educational opportunities related to long-term care. Visit the Education & Certification page for more educational opportunities.

  • EPI in Long-Term Care online course ($)
  • The power of 10: Your role in preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in nursing homes—APIC/HRET infographic to educate consumers
  • Lunch with an Expert: Innovative strategies to overcome infection control challenges in LTC—APIC Webinar (free for members)
  • Building Blocks for Infection Prevention in LTC; Closing Gap —APIC Webinar (free for members)
  • Additional APIC webinars (free for members)

  Member Communities

  • Long-Term Care (LTC)—APIC membership section (members-only)
  • MyAPIC IP Talk – APIC discussion board (members-only)

  AJIC articles

  Search the American Journal of Infection Control website for more articles on long-term care. To access these articles, you need to first login to the APIC website as an APIC member or have a paid subscription.

  External resources

  • CDC – NHSN Long-Term Care
  • CDC – Long-Term Care
  • CDC – Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes
  • Long-Term Care Advise-ERR e-newsletter ($)—Institute for Safe Medication Practices
  • Influenza toolkit for long-term care employers—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Nursing home antimicrobial stewardship guide — Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

  The following links are APIC and external resources on long-term care and infection prevention for consumers.

  APIC

  • How to be a good visitor at a nursing home—Monthly alert for consumers
  • The power of 10: Your role in preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in nursing homes—APIC infographic for consumers

  External resources

  • Long-term Care Facilities—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Seniors at Risk for the Flu—Flu.gov