| (a) The nursing facility must have available at all
times a quantity of linen essential for the proper care and comfort
of residents. Linens must be handled, stored, and processed so as
to control the spread of infection.
(b) Linen will be maintained in good repair.
(c) Linen must be washed, dried, stored, and transported
in a manner which will produce hygienically clean linen. The washing
process must have a mechanism for soil removal and bacteria kill.
(d) Clean linen must be stored in a clean linen area
easily accessible to the personnel.
(e) Clean towels and washcloths must be provided to
each resident as needed or desired. Towels and washcloths must be
stored in a sanitary manner between uses by the resident and must
not be used by more than one resident between launderings.
(f) Soiled linen and clothing must be stored separately
from clean linen and clothing. Soiled linen and clothing must be stored
in well ventilated areas, and must not be permitted to accumulate
in the facility. Soiled linen and clothing must be transported in
accordance with procedures consistent with universal precautions.
Bags or containers must not be reused to transport or store clean
items.
(g) Soiled linen must not be sorted, laundered, rinsed,
or stored in bathrooms, resident rooms, corridors, kitchens, or food
storage areas, except soiled linen and clothing which is not contaminated
with blood may be rinsed in a resident's bathroom water closet.
(h) Resident's personal clothing that is not soiled
with body wastes may be stored in a closed container in the resident's
closet. The clothing must be collected and cleaned at least weekly.
(i) Facility staff must wash their hands both after
handling soiled linen and before handling clean linen.
|
| Source Note: The provisions of this §554.325 adopted to be effective July 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4408; transferred effective January 15, 2021, as published in the Texas Register December 11, 2020, 45 TexReg 8871 |
