ABSTRACT
Infections in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) increase the mortality and morbidity of residents and generate additional costs for the facilities themselves as well as for hospitals. Every year, approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million infections occur in residents in LTCFs and are responsible for a substantial proportion of resident transfers to acute care hospitals (1). The hazards of hospitalization are numerous and include functional decline, delirium, pressure ulcers, and the potential for adverse events. Nationally, deaths attributable to infections initiated in LTCFs could be as high as 400,000 each year.
