{"ref":"CA-HC-IC-01","title":"Infection Control and Standard Precautions","category":"Infection control","own":false,"summary":"Sets the infection control practices every home care aide follows in clients' homes, based on CDC standard precautions: hand hygiene, gloves and other protective equipment, respiratory hygiene, cleaning, laundry, food safety, sharps the client uses, staff who are sick, clients with infections, and public health orders. Infection control is part of the three hours of entry-level safety training required by Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.44(b)(2).","inShort":["Clean your hands when you arrive, before and after care, before food, after gloves and before you leave.","Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds after toileting care or when hands look dirty.","Wear gloves for any contact with body fluids or soiled items. Change them between tasks and never reuse them.","If you are sick with fever, vomiting, diarrhea or a contagious rash, call the office and do not go to the visit.","Tell the office the same day if the client has signs of infection, such as fever, new cough or new confusion."],"primaryCitation":"Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.44(b)(2)","citations":["Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.44(b)(2)","Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.45","8 CCR §5193"],"federalCitations":[],"surveyorAsks":["Where is infection control in your entry-level training?","What protective equipment do you give aides, and how do they get more?","What does an aide do if she is sick on the day of a visit?","What does an aide do if a client has a contagious illness?"],"version":"1.0","effectiveDate":"2026-10-01","reviewDate":"2027-10-01","approvedBy":"Pat Sample, Administrator","forms":[],"sections":[{"heading":"Terms of Reference","body":["This section sets out the standing under which this policy is issued, who owns it, who is bound by it, and how it is kept current. It is not itself a procedure. The obligations begin at Section 1."],"table":{"caption":null,"headers":[["Item"],["Detail"]],"rows":[[["Issued by"],["The licensee and governing body of ",{"k":"field","name":"agency.name","text":"Sample Agency, LLC"}]],[["Document owner"],[{"k":"field","name":"people.administrator.name","text":"Pat Sample"},", ",{"k":"field","name":"people.administrator.title","text":"Administrator"}]],[["Authority"],["Adopted under Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.44(b)(2), under which every aide completes, before presence with a client, \"Three hours of safety training, including basic safety precautions, emergency procedures, and infection control.\""]],[["Applies to"],["Every home care aide and client care supervisor of ",{"k":"field","name":"agency.name","text":"Sample Agency, LLC"},", and every employee who visits clients' homes."]],[["Status"],["Mandatory. Adherence is a condition of employment and of any contract for services. No provision may be waived, shortened, or varied by any employee."]],[["Not covered here"],["Tuberculosis examination of aides, which is Policy CA-HC-HR-04. Blood, body fluids, hepatitis B and exposure incidents, which are Policy CA-HC-IC-02. Pandemics and other emergencies, which are Policy CA-HC-EP-01."]],[["Review"],["Reviewed by the document owner at least every ",{"k":"field","name":"settings.reviewFrequencyMonths","text":"12"}," months and, as the Agency's own standard, within 30 days of any change to a law or Department notice cited at Section 19. Each review is recorded at Section 22 whether or not the text changes."]],[["Amendment"],["Any change requires the approval of the governing body and the issue of a new version number. As the Agency's own standard, superseded versions are retained for six years from the date they were last in effect."]],[["Distribution"],["Master copy held in the policy manual at the Agency's licensed office at ",{"k":"field","name":"agency.address","text":"100 Example Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, California 95814"},", where it is available to the Department during an inspection (Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.52(c)). Each person named under \"Applies to\" receives it at orientation and whenever it changes."]],[["Questions"],["Direct to the document owner on ",{"k":"field","name":"agency.phone","text":"(916) 555-0100"}," or ",{"k":"field","name":"agency.email","text":"office@example.com"},"."]]]},"edited":false},{"heading":"1. Purpose","body":["This policy protects the clients and staff of ",{"k":"field","name":"agency.name","text":"Sample Agency, LLC"}," (the \"Agency\") from infections spread during home care visits, by setting practical precautions that every aide uses with every client."],"edited":false},{"heading":"2. Scope","body":["This policy applies to every visit in a client's home or in the community, and to every client, whether or not the client is known to have an infection."],"edited":false},{"heading":"3. Definitions","body":["For the purposes of this policy:"],"table":{"caption":null,"headers":[["Term"],["Meaning"]],"rows":[[["Standard precautions"],["The basic infection prevention practices the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends for the care of every person: hand hygiene, protective equipment based on the task, respiratory hygiene, safe handling of sharps, and cleaning. The Agency follows CDC guidance as its own standard."]],[["Hand hygiene"],["Washing hands with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand rub."]],[["Personal protective equipment (PPE)"],["Gloves, gowns or aprons, masks and eye protection the Agency provides for a task."]],[["Body fluids"],["Blood, urine, stool, vomit, saliva, mucus and wound drainage. Blood and other potentially infectious materials are covered in detail in Policy CA-HC-IC-02."]],[["Contagious illness"],["An illness that can spread from person to person, for example influenza, COVID-19, norovirus (stomach flu), scabies or shingles."]]]},"edited":false},{"heading":"4. Policy Statement (Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.44(b)(2))","body":["Every aide completes, before presence with a client, \"Three hours of safety training, including basic safety precautions, emergency procedures, and infection control.\" (Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.44(b)(2)) No other Department rule sets infection control practices for home care organizations. As the Agency's own standard, aides follow CDC standard precautions with every client, as set out in Sections 5 to 15.\n\nAides are examined for tuberculosis as HSC §1796.45 requires (Policy CA-HC-HR-04). Aides who may have contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials are protected under the Agency's Exposure Control Plan (8 CCR §5193; Policy CA-HC-IC-02).\n\nAt the date of this policy, no state public health order requires home care aides to be vaccinated or to wear masks; the Department reports that the State Public Health Officer Order on COVID-19 vaccination of direct care workers was terminated on April 3, 2023. The Agency follows any public health order that is in effect (Section 15)."],"edited":false},{"heading":"5. Hand Hygiene","body":["Hand hygiene is the most important way to prevent infection. Aides clean their hands:"],"list":[["On arrival at the home and before leaving."],["Before and after touching the client and before any personal care."],["Before preparing food or helping the client eat."],["After toileting or incontinence care, after touching anything soiled, and after taking off gloves."],["After handling laundry or trash, after touching pets, and after using the restroom."]],"ordered":false,"note":["Following CDC guidance, use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds when hands look dirty and after toileting or incontinence care, vomiting or diarrhea. At other times an alcohol-based hand rub that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used. Keep nails short and do not wear artificial nails during care, as the Agency's own standard."],"edited":false},{"heading":"6. Gloves and Other Protective Equipment","body":[],"list":[["The Agency gives aides gloves (including non-latex gloves for anyone allergic), aprons or gowns, masks and eye protection at no cost. Aides ask the office for more before they run out."],["Wear gloves for any contact with body fluids, broken skin, the mouth or private areas, soiled laundry or items, and when cleaning bathrooms."],["Change gloves between tasks and between dirty and clean areas, and clean hands each time gloves come off. Never wash or reuse disposable gloves."],["Wear an apron or gown if clothing may get soiled, and a mask with eye protection if splashing is possible (Policy CA-HC-IC-02)."],["Take off PPE before leaving the client's home and throw it away in a closed bag."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"7. Respiratory Hygiene","body":[],"list":[["Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of the elbow, throw the tissue away and clean hands."],["The Agency gives aides masks. An aide may wear a mask at any visit and wears one when the aide or the client has a cough or other respiratory symptoms."],["Open a window or improve airflow when the client agrees and it is safe."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"8. Cleaning the Home","body":[],"list":[["Clean before disinfecting. Clean from clean areas to dirty areas."],["Clean and disinfect bathroom surfaces, commodes, toilet seats and frequently touched surfaces (door handles, light switches, phones, remote controls, bed rails, walker handles) as the service plan sets."],["Use the client's cleaning products and follow the label, including the time the surface must stay wet. Never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners (Policy CA-HC-SAF-03)."],["Clean reusable equipment such as basins, commodes and shower chairs after each use."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"9. Laundry","body":[],"list":[["Wear gloves to handle soiled laundry. Hold it away from your body and do not shake it."],["Bag soiled laundry where it was used and carry it in the bag to the washer."],["Wash following the label, using the warmest suitable water, and dry completely."],["Clean hands after handling laundry."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"10. Food Safety","body":[],"list":[["Clean hands and surfaces before preparing food."],["Keep raw meat, poultry and fish away from ready-to-eat food, and use separate cutting boards or clean them between uses."],["Cook food thoroughly, refrigerate leftovers promptly, and tell the client or family about food that is spoiled or past its date. Throw away food only with the client's agreement."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"11. Sharps and Medical Supplies the Client Uses","body":["Aides do not use needles or lancets (Policy CA-HC-SVC-02). If a client uses them, the client keeps a sharps container. Aides never pick up a used needle or broken glass with their hands, never reach into a sharps container, and never open or empty one. If a used sharp is loose, the aide asks the client to dispose of it or, if the aide must move it to make the area safe, uses tongs or a brush and dustpan and puts it in the sharps container, then tells the office (Policy CA-HC-IC-02)."],"edited":false},{"heading":"12. Staff Who Are Sick","body":[],"list":[["An aide who has a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, a new cough with fever, a rash that may be contagious, an eye infection, or another contagious illness calls the office before the visit and does not go to the client's home."],["As the Agency's own standard, the aide returns to client visits when symptoms have improved and the aide has had no fever for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine, or sooner if a licensed health care professional documents that the aide is not contagious."],["The office arranges a replacement aide (Policy CA-HC-SVC-01). No aide is disciplined for staying home sick. Sick time is handled under the Agency's paid sick leave policy and California law."],["An aide with an open cut or rash on the hands covers it and wears gloves, and tells the supervisor."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"13. Clients Who Are Ill or Have an Infection","body":[],"list":[["Aides report signs of a possible infection to the office the same day (Policy CA-HC-SP-02): fever, new cough, burning or strong-smelling urine, new confusion, diarrhea or vomiting, or a red, swollen or draining area of skin."],["When a client has a known contagious illness, the supervisor tells the aide which extra precautions to use (for example a mask, gown or more frequent cleaning) based on CDC guidance and any instructions from the client's health care provider."],["An aide who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system may ask not to be assigned to a client with a contagious illness, and the Agency makes reasonable efforts to agree."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"14. Tuberculosis and Vaccines","body":[],"list":[["Tuberculosis examinations are required of every aide (HSC §1796.45; Policy CA-HC-HR-04)."],["Hepatitis B vaccination is offered free of charge to every employee with occupational exposure to blood (8 CCR §5193; Policy CA-HC-IC-02)."],["As the Agency's own standard, the Agency gives aides information each year about recommended vaccines such as influenza and COVID-19, and does not require them unless a law or public health order in effect does."]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"15. Outbreaks and Public Health Orders","body":["The Administrator watches for orders and guidance from the California Department of Public Health and the local health officer for each county the Agency serves (",{"k":"field","name":"agency.counties","text":"Sacramento and Placer Counties"},"), and tells staff the same day when an order affects home care visits. During an outbreak or pandemic the Agency follows its emergency plan (Policy CA-HC-EP-01)."],"edited":false},{"heading":"16. Responsibilities","body":["Accountability under this policy is allocated as follows."],"table":{"caption":["Who is accountable for what"],"headers":[["Role"],["Responsibility under this policy"]],"rows":[[[{"k":"field","name":"people.administrator.name","text":"Pat Sample"},", ",{"k":"field","name":"people.administrator.title","text":"Administrator"}],["Owns this policy, makes sure PPE and hand rub are always available, and tracks public health orders."]],[[{"k":"field","name":"people.alternate.name","text":"Jo Sample"},", ",{"k":"field","name":"people.alternate.title","text":"Alternate Administrator"}],["Carries out every duty of the Administrator under this policy whenever the Administrator is unavailable."]],[["Client care supervisors"],["Check infection control practices and supplies at supervisory visits (Policy CA-HC-SUP-01), and give instructions for clients with contagious illnesses."]],[["Office staff"],["Hand out PPE, take sick calls and arrange replacement aides."]],[["Home care aides"],["Follow standard precautions at every visit, report signs of infection, and stay home when sick."]]]},"edited":false},{"heading":"17. Records and Compliance Monitoring","body":["Infection control training is recorded in the training log (Form CA-HC-HR-05-B). Reports of client infections and instructions given are recorded in the client record (Policy CA-HC-REC-01). Sick calls are recorded in the scheduling system.\n\nAs the Agency's own standard, supervisors check hand hygiene and glove use during observed care at supervisory visits (Policy CA-HC-SUP-01), and the Administrator reviews infection-related incidents and staff illness patterns each quarter as part of the quality program (Policy CA-HC-QM-01)."],"edited":false},{"heading":"18. Staff Training","body":["Infection control is part of the three hours of entry-level safety training before presence with a client (HSC §1796.44(b)(2); Policy CA-HC-HR-05). As the Agency's own standard, it is reviewed each year in annual training, and aides show hand hygiene and glove use in a skills check (Policy CA-HC-SUP-02)."],"edited":false},{"heading":"19. References","body":["This policy implements the following authorities."],"list":[["Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.44(b)(2), Entry-level safety training including infection control"],["Cal. Health & Safety Code §1796.45, Tuberculosis examination of affiliated home care aides"],["8 CCR §5193, Bloodborne Pathogens"],["Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, standard precautions and hand hygiene guidance (followed as the Agency's own standard)"]],"ordered":false,"edited":false},{"heading":"20. Related Policies and Forms","body":["The following documents are read together with this policy."],"table":{"caption":null,"headers":[["Reference"],["Title"]],"rows":[[["Policy CA-HC-HR-04"],["Tuberculosis Examination of Home Care Aides"]],[["Policy CA-HC-HR-05"],["Home Care Aide Training Plan: Entry-Level and Annual Training"]],[["Policy CA-HC-IC-02"],["Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan"]],[["Policy CA-HC-SVC-01"],["Scheduling, Missed Visits, and Backup Coverage"]],[["Policy CA-HC-SVC-02"],["Scope of Home Care Services and Tasks Aides May Not Perform"]],[["Policy CA-HC-SP-02"],["Changes in Condition and Coordination with Family and Health Care Providers"]],[["Policy CA-HC-SAF-03"],["Injury and Illness Prevention Program"]],[["Policy CA-HC-SUP-01"],["Supervision of Home Care Aides"]],[["Policy CA-HC-SUP-02"],["Competency Evaluation and Annual Performance Review"]],[["Policy CA-HC-EP-01"],["Emergency Preparedness and Continuity of Services"]],[["Policy CA-HC-QM-01"],["Quality Improvement Program"]]]},"edited":false},{"heading":"21. Approval","body":["This policy is adopted by the governing body of ",{"k":"field","name":"agency.name","text":"Sample Agency, LLC"},". The effective date, the person who approved it, and the date of approval are shown in the header block and recorded in the signature lines below."],"edited":false},{"heading":"22. Revision History","body":["Every version of this policy, the date it took effect, a summary of what changed, and who approved it is recorded below. Where a law or Department notice cited in Section 19 is amended, the amendment is recorded in this table and a new version of this policy is issued."],"edited":false}],"missing":[],"editedCount":0,"pack":"ca-hca","state":"California","service":"Home care","guides":[{"path":"/guides/infection-control-policy/","h1":"What should a home care infection control policy include?"},{"path":"/guides/home-care-agency-policies/","h1":"What policies does a home care agency need?"}],"sample":true,"agency":{"name":"Sample Agency","legalName":"Sample Agency, LLC","logo":null}}