Infection control in aged care: what workers need to know

Why aged care is high-risk

Older people are more likely to become seriously ill from common infections such as influenza, COVID-19, gastroenteritis and urinary tract infections. Shared living spaces, close personal care and shared equipment make it easy for germs to move between residents.

What providers expect

Aged care providers must manage infection-related risks under the Aged Care Quality Standards, and residential services have an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead who oversees practice and outbreaks. As a worker, you are expected to follow standard precautions, use PPE correctly, report symptoms early and follow outbreak procedures.

The habits that matter most

• Clean your hands between every resident — including after touching bed rails, call bells and tables.
• Change gloves and aprons between residents and between dirty and clean tasks.
• Clean shared equipment such as hoists, commodes and blood pressure cuffs between uses.
• Report new coughs, fever, vomiting or diarrhoea in residents straight away.
• Stay home when you are unwell.

During an outbreak

Expect extra PPE, cohorting of staff and residents, changes to cleaning schedules and visitor restrictions. Follow the signage and your IPC Lead's instructions exactly.