Characteristics, services, and infection control practices of New York City assisted living facilities, 2010

Abstract

Objectives: To describe New York City (NYC) assisted living facility (ALF) characteristics, services offered, and infection control practices and to identify infection control barriers and unmet needs.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: ALFs licensed or applying to be licensed in NYC.

Participants: Seventy ALFs; 70 of 77 eligible facilities participated (91% participation rate).

Measurements: Telephone interview questions assessed ALF characteristics, services offered, and infection control practices, including glucometry practices.

Results: ALFs provided a broad range of services, such as vaccination (90%), assistance with taking medication (75%), bathing and showering (33%), and blood glucose monitoring (90%). Ninety percent of the facilities had nurses on site (directly employed or through a contract agency). Five facilities reported that residents sometimes shared glucometers, and one reported that fingerstick devices were sometimes shared. The majority of facilities wanted educational materials for staff (83%) and residents (77%) on topics including influenza, respiratory illness, norovirus, standard precautions, and general infection control. ALFs had a range of sick leave policies and infection control training requirements. Eighty-nine percent of the facilities reported having designated staff responsible for infection control, although 50% had nonclinical job titles.

Conclusion: NYC ALFs were varied in terms of nursing services offered, characteristics, and residents' needs; therefore, public health agencies may need to be flexible in their assistance. Public health agencies should consider strengthening relationships with ALFs to identify unmet needs and gaps in services.