How can amenities in care homes become safer and more sustainable?

Rebecca Fairfield, Head of Key Accounts at BRITA VIVREAU, shares how care homescan ensure optimum hygiene in shared areas and all with one eye on the planet

With the 19th July marking Freedom Day, we’re starting to see life returning to some kind of normality. Although this may feel like the news we’ve been waiting for, for some it’s likely to be more daunting and for care homes in particular, there will be increased pressure to keep residents safe and healthy as we find our way over the coming months.  

And, with many care homes trying to combat the environmental side effects of the pandemic having seen firsthand the amount of PPE used over the last year it can feel like there are a lot of priorities to juggle. A survey by Keep Britain Tidy suggests personal protective equipment waste is now more prevalent than plastic bags were before the 5p levy was introduced in 2015.

Thankfully, there are some simple measures care homes can introduce to help address all ofthese important issues while making life easier for staff.

A quick and easy step towards a more sustainable care home

Water dispensers are a great way to help care homes remove the need for single-use plastic bottles and reduce waste to landfill. In fact, if 100 people each drink approximately one litreof filtered water daily from a dispenser rather than plastic bottled water, it equals 506kg less plastic waste per year (this is the equivalent weight to a new born grey whale!). 

What’s more, mains-fed water dispensers act as an excellent alternative to bottled water, helping to reduce a care home’s carbon footprint by removing the need to refrigerate and transport water. The specialist cooling technology and natural refrigerant found in dispenser systems, such as BRITA VIVREAU’s Top & Extra systems, also help to lower power consumption and reduce emissions even further.

Healthy residents and staff

Between the ages of 20 and 80, the water in our bodies decreases by 15% so elderly people become dehydrated more quickly. We know encouraging residents to stay hydrated is a key priority, so it’s important that residents have easy access to water points within the care home.

In a post-pandemic world, communal amenities in a high footfall area can cause concern for staff, especially as infection control is so important in keeping vulnerable residents safe. 

In addition to installing reduced contact water dispensers where the water dispenser nozzle should be a ‘touch-free’ zone to reduce contamination and the tap, drip tray and housing should be cleaned regularly, the new Top and Extra systems from BRITA VIVREAU have also been developed with unique technology which helps to protect users.

HygienePlus solution and ThermalGate™ technology protect against retrograde contamination and regularly self-disinfect thermally to clear 99.99% of bacteria. To ensure safe, filtered drinking water for all, the systems also come with an optional extra Easy Access Panel (EAP). This provides an additional control unit that can be positioned at a lower point, either flat to a surface or at an angle, which is ideal for wheelchair users. 

Find out more a hygienic, safe and sustainable water dispenser solution for your care home setting by heading to the BRITA VIVREAU Top and Extra product pages, or visithttps://www.brita.co.uk/water-dispensers/industries/hospitals-healthcare. Or contact the Dispenser Customer Service Team on 034567 496 555 or service@brita.co.uk