Comments on: MRSA In Nursing Homes

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:53:34 +0000

I suppose that, IF all staff were tested for MRSA upon employment there could be a case here. Standard precautions should protect nursing staff from MRSA. Although I do know a few aides who worked with patients who had trachs, and active MRSA within the trach sites; the patients coughed and spewed debris onto the faces of said aides…several of whom came down with serious respiratory infections within a week. They all filed worker comp and the claims were approved.

By: laurie

laurie — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:57:17 +0000

I doubt one could prove where they actually contracted the MRSA since it is on the rise and like Patti says, we probably all have it, just not active. The key is good handwashing. It is that simple and of course standard precautions. Good luck all!

By: Patti

Patti — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:06:42 +0000

I suspect that if we all got tested we’d all be positive for MRSA- nursing home, assisted living and hospital aides. Perhaps even home health care aides.

MRSA lives in our noses. It becomes active when we get sick or our immune system isn’t working good. Just because we get sick doesn’t mean we’re gonna come down with a full blown MRSA infested infection though. There is a huge difference between being colonized and being infected.

Sherry I would love to know your employer dealt with this as well. Like Holly, I’ve heard of more than a few nursing facilities that deny claims and fight them tooth and nail. I wonder if, upon employment, everyone should be tested? If positive, treated. If not, re-tested yearly. Like TB, this is a public health problem and it’s even more so in communities where large groups of people reside (nursing homes). I suppose universal precautions might prevent it’s spread but I question that…MRSA lives on door knobs.

By: Holly

Holly — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:00:40 +0000

Sherry that is terrible. I have a couple questions for you on this:

Did you all file worker comp for those infections? And if so, did your employer fight the claims? I’ve heard that most do.
How awful for you and the others. What happened to everyone? We’re you all able to continue to work? I’m pretty ignorant about all this.

By: Sherry Herron

Sherry Herron — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:47:09 +0000

I am a CNA who contracted MRSA while working in a LTC Facility. I have always felt that something needed to be done to isolate residents to a certain area of the home. Especially because there were 6-8 other employees that contracted this disease before I did, so it apparently was being spread all over the building.