do you isolate patient with infection?

With a resistant infection like that, we would isolate the person where I work...

You need to read the facilities isolation policy, every place is different. If you are agency or travelor then ask your supervisor and don't let them tell you to look it up...state that you have tried to confirm the policy and you are still unsure.

In theory, the VRE would be contained in the brief so the person should be allowed to socialize. It's all risk vs. benefit and remember...it's their home so the rules aren't the same as they are in the hospital.

I agree with this, but would like to add...you really have to look at the individual resident sometimes.

- Think alert w/ good hygeine. Able to remember and follow basic handwashing, etc. This resident will be just fine with brief to contain infection.

- Now think confused, "digger" (if ya know what I mean), then touches every handrail down the hall, etc! Yuck, if at all reasonable, they are staying in their room.

We had a lady who is oriented to self only and had MRSA in her urine. She was allowed to leave her room d/t her wearing briefs and she was not a "digger". We implemented contact precuations and had the iso boxes for her clothing/trash. She eventually cleared and all was well. The same w/wounds. If they aren't draining all over the place, they can roam as well, so long as we dress the wound to the hilt to prevent seepage/pt access to the site.