Long-term Care Facilities in the Context of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic affects older people disproportionately, especially those living in long-term care facilities (LTCF) with significant impact on mortality and morbidity. Concerted action is needed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 by enhancing infection prevention and control (IPC) measures within LTCF. In many countries, long-term care facilities have weak IPC systems and training in place and staff lack the access to information on limiting transmission in the context of COVID-19. Strengthening IPC practice is crucial to prevent spread of COVID-19. The COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Communication Toolkit for Long-Term Care Facilities provides simple and actionable visuals for staff, residents and visitors with key IPC messages. The COVID-19 Preparedness Checklist is a tool consisting of several elements that are crucial for preparing LTCF for COVID-19. It can be used by facility administrators, IPC focal points or staff, internal or external professionals.