Preparedness of residential and nursing homes for pandemic flu

Background Work is being undertaken across a wide range of agencies to ensure a high level of preparedness for pandemic influenza. In England, the Department of Health has published a range of guidance to support this. The impact of pandemic flu on care homes, especially if unprepared may have a major knock on effect on the rest of the health and social care system. Objective and Methods A rapid survey was undertaken of a small number of care homes in West Yorkshire to assess preparedness. The homes were both local authority and privately owned. Results It was apparent that little preparation had been done at the time of the survey. A range of readily implementable ideas that may help this sector prepare was identified. Conclusion Planning for pandemic flu in this sector will require effort and coordination across a range of sectors; it might best be coordinated through Local Resilience Forums.