In April 2024, the Care Quality Commission introduced Regulation 9A to make sure residents in care homes, hospitals and hospices enjoy the right to visitors and accompaniment, even during infectious outbreaks.
After periods of forced isolation throughout the pandemic, this has been a welcome change, recognising the huge importance of quality time with loved ones to residents.
But naturally, it has also meant that care homes have had to update their infection control strategies.
For many homes, of course, the challenge is still balancing all-important social connections with safety, and doing this without increasing costs or placing extra strain on already busy staff. But in the colder months, when bugs circulate more easily, the challenge is even tougher.
A new approach to infection control
Before Regulation 9A, traditional infection prevention often meant separation – closing communal areas, limiting visitors, or asking residents to isolate. But these steps have been shown to have a serious impact on wellbeing, particularly for people living with dementia.
In these settings, the challenges are multiplied again – not least because residents may not understand why precautions are needed, or struggle with changes to their routines, and because other measures like mask-wearing can make communication more difficult for both residents and carers.
This is why providers are increasingly looking to alternative infection control methods, like JLA’s air filtration units. By helping to purify the air throughout your home, these units reduce infection risk without limiting residents’ independence or comfort – helping you maintain both safety and social connection.
CQC Regulation 9A webinar for care
The proactive way to meet Regulation 9A requirements
Regulation 9A has asked care homes to take proportionate steps to reduce infection risks and allow visits to continue. During cold and flu season, JLA’s air filtration technology offers care homes a proactive, well-proven tool to create a safe, welcoming environment for everyone on site.
Unlike competitor systems, which use HEPA 13 filters, JLA’s air filtration units use medical-grade HEPA 14 filters, the gold standard in air filtration, to constantly remove up to 99.995% of viruses, fungi, bacteria and other harmful pollutants – including coronavirus – from the air.
And because every unit comes with an activated carbon filter to remove odours, your communal spaces are left with a welcoming fresh-air scent, even with the windows closed.
We’ve even found that our air filtration units are helping providers to reassure their care staff that they’re working somewhere that prioritises their health. By removing airborne pathogens, air filtration also helps reduce staff absence due to illness – easing the pressure on rotas and limiting the need for expensive agency support. For residents, this also means the same familiar faces are around day to day, which improves care consistency.
Even more reasons to consider JLA’s air filtration units
- Enhanced filtration – JLA units boast 40-50% extra filter media compared to comparable air purifiers, making them more efficient when it comes to capturing airborne contaminants.
- Lasting power – JLA filters last up to twice as long as competing models, reducing waste and generating cost savings in the long run.
- Energy-efficient by design – JLA units use up to 50% less energy than competing models, adding up to lower energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint.
Explore our Cleaner Air for Care Toolkit
Our free Cleaner Air for Care Toolkit brings together resources and practical takeaways to help care providers work safely through flu season. Plus, don’t miss our Regulation 9A webinar recording, where JLA’s own infection control expert Helen Buchan explores experts best practice in more detail.
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