In health care, instituting proper hygiene is critical to ongoing operations. While nurses and doctors understand the importance of hygiene, visitors do not instinctively have that concern. Therefore, it is imperative that health-care facilities put the proper tools in place to encourage visitors – including family, vendors and others – to be aware of hygiene issues and cross-contamination and use the right products no matter where they are in a facility.

There are three main areas in health-care facilities that are important to provide solutions that encourage proper hygiene habits.  Here are ideas for how to address these key areas:

• Public areas, including waiting rooms and restrooms: The goal is to make sure visitors see and use products that are being provided to improve hygiene. That is achieved through product placements that are intuitive for visitors to use along with good signage reminding them of the importance of cleaning their hands to reduce cross-contamination. Also, from a business perspective, there is a need to minimize consumption and waste to help control costs. Look for systems that help control consumption of paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, soap and hand sanitizer as this will ensure you are providing the right solutions for the task at hand while minimizing your cost and maintenance. 
• Patient rooms: Residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities want the comforts of home, paired with a clean and germ-free environment.  The goal is to put these products in a natural setting inside of and when possible outside of the restroom. Rooms need to be equipped with products that are easily accessible for residents as well as the staff entering and exiting the room to limit cross-contamination. They should also reduce maintenance requirements limiting the number of times a day the staff must disturb a resident. 
• Nurses’ stations: Nurses are the lifeblood of health-care facilities, and as such are key influencers in many aspects of decision-making, including products. The opportunity for cross-contamination between patients and nurses is extremely high at the nurses’ station, which means that offering the necessary skincare products that allow nurses to have clean and moisturized hands is vital. Hygiene product should also be accessible for doctors and other staff who use the nurses’ station.

Managing chronic health conditions or recovering from illness or injury is stressful enough. Maintaining a clean and comfortable environment can help in fostering positive attitudes and aid in the healing process.  Finding partners that can help you identify the proper products and placements for your facility is important to reduce cross-contamination and provide a hygienic and pleasant experience for everyone.