Focus on Diet, Hydration, and Hygiene Linked to Reduction in UTIs at Multiple Sites

​​A skilled nursing facility was able to substantially reduce its urinary tract infection (UTI) rate with interventions focused on improving residents' nutrition, hydration, swallowing, hygiene, and catheter use, and was able to reproduce the results in a different setting, according to study results published November 16, 2016, in Managed Care Connect. The initial intervention took place in a 192-bed New York skilled nursing facility using the Green House model, which had an initial UTI rate of 2.28 per 1,000 bed-days. Working together with infection control practitioners, the organization's dietary team observed residents' swallowing abilities and their fluid intake, then educated the staff on strategies for managing dysphagia and recommended substitution of non-sugary drinks at most meals. Staff, including nurse aides, were also educated in helping residents with perineal hygiene.