Infection Control Resources

Surge workforce planning resources for COVID outbreaks

Most aged care facilities aren't prepared to manage a surge workforce during a Covid outbreak. Get ahead with our free surge workforce resources.

Managing the first 24 hours of a COVID outbreak: the next 23 hours

Checklists might be easy to follow, but they don't have all the answers. Here are some hints on how to better manage the first 24 hours of a COVID outbreak.

Managing the first 24 hours of a COVID outbreak: the first 60 minutes

Managing the first 24 hours of a COVID outbreak is crucial to reduce disease spread. Are you prepared? Would you know what to do?

Influenza vaccinations: What you need to know in 2022

Flu season is coming – are you and your facility ready? Find out what you need to know about influenza vaccination for 2022.

Laundry Standards in Australia and New Zealand

The clothes look clean, but are they really? Find out what you need to improve laundry staff infection control in your aged care facility.

Cloth masks vs. surgical masks in the community: which is better?

Cloth masks or surgical masks? Does it make a difference with Omicron? Bug Control discuss the difference and what it means for the community.

Omicron in NZ aged care: what you need to know

Managing Omicron in aged care has never been more important. Find out how to best prepare your facility and grab a free checklist.

Cleaning in community health services: the most common mistake

Are you making the most common cleaning mistake? Are you ready to improve cleaning in your community health service with this one simple tip?

Establishing an AMS program

Establishing an AMS program is an involved process. We discuss the core elements of an AMS program to implement to ensure success.

5 infection control procedures you should know

Infection control procedures are designed to keep staff and patients safe. Not sure what they are — this blog post is for you!

The Whens and Whys of Facial PPE

Is PPE just part of the furniture at your facility? Bug Control remind you of the importance of facial PPE in reducing infections.

4 steps to better infection control in the home and workplace

Improving infection control in the home and workplace can be easy. Let Bug Control share some tips and tricks from the aged care setting.

Safe disinfection in aged care: are you doing the right thing?

Do you know the difference between cleaning and disinfecting? Learn this and all about safe disinfection with this blog post from Bug Control.

Hand Hygiene 101

Overwhelmed by hand hygiene information? It's okay: here's a summary of all our hand hygiene blog posts as a refresher.

Do waste bins need lids in aged care facilities?

You probably have lidded bins throughout your RACF. But do bins need lids? And where is it mandated? What is best bin practice?

A refresher on effective hand hygiene

While hand hygiene is one of the first things you learn in aged care, but are you doing it right? Here's a quick refresher for Global Handwashing Day.

Managing MRSA – two things to remember

Managing MRSA is a fact of life in aged care. Find out how you can better manage MRSA and prevent its spread in your RACF.

AURA 2021: Reducing antimicrobial use in aged care

The AURA 2021 report has delivered hard truths about aged care antimicrobial use. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce use and improve AMS.

Why antimicrobial resistance matters

The AURA 2021 report is out. What does it mean for antimicrobial resistance in aged care, and how can you improve AMS in your facility?

Happy hands: hand care for healthcare workers

Proper hand care is crucial to maintaining strong infection control. Are you moisturising regularly? Are your hands happy hands?

Being COVID ready is all in the planning

Being COVID ready is no accident. See how your facility can be ready and improve infection control and standards compliance in the process.

Transmission-based precautions #3: airborne precautions

Airborne precautions are the most involved transmission-based precautions. But when should you use these infection control precautions?

4 easy steps to improve hand hygiene in your facility

Looking to improve hand hygiene in your facility? Here are four easy tips to improve your hand hygiene and standard precautions compliance.

Hand Hygiene Compliance

Hand hygiene compliance is crucial. The Five Moments of Hand Hygiene might be relatively new but they've made a big difference in AU and NZ.

The standing hoist that time forgot

Think your facility is clean? So did they, until their standing hoist dobbed them in. Could this blog have been written about your workplace?

Transmission-based precautions #2: droplet precautions

Part two in our series on transmission-based precautions is droplet precautions. When should they be applied, and why are they important?

Transmission-based precautions #1: contact precautions

Getting the most out of your free IPC audit checklist

Want to get the most out of your Bug Control free IPC audit checklist? Here are some things to consider while completing your self-audit.

RSV in the older adult

RSV outbreaks have emerged in New Zealand on the heels of COVID-19. But what is RSV, and how does RSV in older adults present?

Common infections in aged care facilities

Infection control is crucial in aged care, but what are the most common infections, and how can we prevent them?

Environmental cleaning in aged care: it’s the little things

Environmental cleaning in aged care is certainly necessary, but is it simple? Bug Control discuss some tips to help improve your processes.

Identifying infection hazards in aged care

Identifying infection hazards in aged care can be difficult. Bug Control walk you through some of the easiest areas for improvement.

Tuberculosis in New Zealand

Tuberculosis in Australia might not be an immediate concern but there is still work to be done. Find out where we go from here.

Staph and MRSA infection: an overview

Staph and MRSA spread so easily in aged care facilities, and they can be devastating. What can your facility staff be doing better to prevent staph spread?

Bedpan management in aged care

Did you know that bedpan management is a crucial part of aged care infection prevention and control? Is your facility doing enough to reduce bedpan-associated risks?

Consumer engagement in infection prevention and control

Consumer engagement has been vital in the global fight against Covid. But it should also be a vital part of your facility's infection prevention and control plan.

CAUTIs and hand hygiene in aged care

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are a huge problem in aged care. Find out the link between CAUTIs and hand hygiene, and how you can reduce the risks.

Legionnaires’ Disease

Legionnaires’ disease? you might ask. It’s uncommon, yes, but it can be severe, and sometimes life-threatening. Legionnaires’ disease is a reminder of the importance of vigilance and preventative maintenance in aged care facilities.

What is the most hygienic way to dry your hands?

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, residential care facilities have focused on reducing infection transmission risks. This has included a strong focus on hand hygiene...

Flu vaccines in aged care: why are they important?

We all know it’s time for flu vaccines in aged care: flu season is on us for 2021.

Vaccine storage for the 2021 flu season

If you haven’t started looking for vaccination information, now is the time. As you are all aware, the influenza season is just around the corner. Many facilities will be ordering influenza vaccines and organising vaccine programs for residents and staff alike.

April 2021 NZ Influenza Vaccine Update

The 2021 influenza vaccination programme has begun. What do you need to know about this year's flu vaccine especially with the simultaneous COVID-19 vaccine rollout?

Influenza season is approaching—how ready are you?

While the 2020 flu season was eclipsed by COVID, now is not the time to become complacent. As people begin moving freely around the country once more, influenza should be at the front of every healthcare worker's mind. In this blog post, Carolyn Tranter lets you know how you can make sure your aged care facility is ready for the 2021 flu season.

Infection Control Audits: How do they help?

The process of using and undertaking regular meaningful infection control audits can ensure care recipient safety and improve the quality of care they receive.

Cleaning computers and mobile devices in aged care: a must

The idea of cleaning computers and mobile devices is a relatively new one. Not all that long ago, aged care facilities relied on pen and paper for reporting, assessing, checking and monitoring information.

Preventing skin sensitivity from wearing masks

Preventing skin sensitivity caused by wearing masks has been a huge topic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Free Download: Infection Control Orientation Guide for New Staff

Infection Control Surveillance: 2020 reflections

Infection control surveillance is the intentional and methodical documentation of infection occurrence within a facility, reviewed and reported back to the clinical team and management.

5 Christmas Infection Control Tips for RACFs

Christmas Infection Control might not be at the top of your wishlist this Christmas, but it’s important. As another major holiday period approaches, both residents, their families and RACF staff should think about infection prevention.

Risk Assessments in Aged Care

Risk assessments are an important part of keeping ourselves and other safe. This means at home and in the workplace, especially if you work in healthcare.

Two checklists so you can be prepared ‍and manage a COVID-19 outbreak

A COVID outbreak is damaging to your facility. Don't let it happen to yours. Make sure your facility is in the best possible shape to fight COVID-19.

How can your facility be infection-free in 2020?

We have completed audits for over 50 facilities in AU and NZ. We found three areas of constant underperformance and how you can avoid these mistakes.