Self- disinfecting door pads set to fight infection at dementia home
A YORKSHIRE care home is installing self- disinfecting door pads as it prepares to fight against infections during the winter months.
The pads, which are being put in place at the Vida Grange specialist dementia care home, in Pannal, near Harrogate, kill germs and bacteria in seconds and can reduce the spread of viruses.
The Yorkshire- based team behind the Surfaceskins push pads and pull handles said they are prioritising local care providers and the most vulnerable, despite a huge growth in worldwide demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pads, which took seven years to develop, secrete a small amount of alcoholic gel when pressed by the user – self- disinfecting the surface in seconds and stopping the transmission of germs from repeated door contact.
They were initially intended for use in clinical settings, such as special care baby units and intensive care wards, and have been validated by the NHS.
Adam Walker, director of Surfaceskins, told the PA news agency: “Surfaceskins are alcohol gel push pads and pull handles for doors, which, when pressed, secrete a very small amount of alcohol gel to self- disinfect the surface in the vital seconds between one user and the next passing through the door. This is absolutely critical to kill germs in seconds to protect each user.
“These are not designed to clean your hands, that’s the job of the gel dispensers and handwashing, it’s absolutely vital that people do that, but if you use a gel dispenser and wash your hands and then you touch a dirty door, you potentially risk contamination.”
Mr Walker continued: “Many, many years ago, I watched people elbow- barge and shoulder- barge and push- kick open doors, I think that’s something most people can identify with and something most people have done at some point in their life.
“The design brief was to create something which killed germs in seconds and basically stopped you from being put in a position where you’re forced to touch a dirty surface you simply do not want to touch.”