The Journal of hospital infection
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Long term care facilities (LTCFs) include a variety of different types of healthcare settings, each with their own unique infectious disease problems. This report focuses on the epidemiological considerations, risk factors and types of infections that occur in elderly patients institutionalized in nursing home settings. In the US, the number of patients in nursing homes continues to grow as the population ages. ⋯ The potential for epidemic infections with antibiotic-resistant organisms is real. In the nursing home setting, attention must be given to develop and support strong infection control programmes that can monitor the occurrence of institutionally-acquired infections and initiate control strategies to prevent the spread of epidemic infections. Education in infection control issues and attention to employee health is essential to enable staff to care appropriately for today's nursing home population and to prepare them for the even more complicated patients who will be cared for in this type of setting in future.