Long Term Care Facilities Face Additional Financial Risk from Secondary Infections

The recent lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court against nursing home Alden Estates of Evanston, IL, raises questions of liability among long term care facilities. Plaintiff Diana Whitmore is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, claiming the nursing home was negligent in the diagnosis and treatment of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Secondary infections like MRSA are common in long term care environments, with infection rates as high as 3.8 million last year alone. Due to the compromised immune systems of many of its patients, most of whom are elderly, secondary infections can be fatal. In fact, it is estimated that infections within this population are responsible for as many 380,000 deaths annually.

The overwhelming majority of pathogens that cause secondary infections are airborne. Therefore, surface decontamination efforts are not sufficient to reduce the spread of infection. Decontamination needs to happen where these pathogens are most often found—in the air.

Removing 99.99% of airborne pathogens, including MRSA and clostridium difficile (C-diff) on a single pass, LifeAire Systems offers a level of protection never seen before in the healthcare space. Unlike the static kill of pathogens provided by in room products, its patented technology performs as a continuous and dynamic kill of all airborne pathogens 24/7 without losing the operational use of the space. Furthermore, the system’s multiple air purification media aggressively removes chemical, particulate, and infectious biological pathogens from incorporating air—a stark contrast to the HEPA filter style contaminate capture product.

Using targeted engineered molecular media and genomically modeled biological inactivation, LifeAire Systems helps long term care facilities reduce its risk of infection while also reducing its liability risk.