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Keeping house has hidden benefits
By Michael Warren
Contributor
Published October 20, 2009
In any organization, there are “invisible” heroes who are indispensable but rarely recognized, including housekeepers in hospitals.
It takes talent and dedication to keep a hospital clean, and a difficult task in a small hospital becomes a monstrous challenge in a large one. Those of us who witness the daily determination of the specially trained professional housekeepers applaud their contribution to your health care.
Keep in mind some hospitals have been closed by accrediting agencies not because of the quality of treatment but because they did not meet the required level of hygiene. Dirt can produce disease, and agencies, whose inspections can rival those of any Marines sergeant, demand a squeaky-clean environment. A clean hospital is more than just a pleasant place to recover; it’s an accredited and, therefore, “open” hospital.
My heart goes out to hospital housekeepers. Theirs is a never ending, thankless task. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen a housekeeper clean a floor to a brilliant shine, only to see someone track in mud or spill a cup of coffee. But the floor is cleaned again immediately.
Granted, they have self-propelled floor cleaners, top-of-the-line buffers and industrial-strength products. But their most important tools, elbow grease and dedication, haven’t changed in decades.
The logistics of scheduling a housekeeping crew are similar to that of a super hotel. Rooms must be cleaned promptly and efficiently, either for an incumbent patient or one who could be brought in at any moment, but the world around them does not stand still, and heavy traffic from staff and relatives add to the mayhem.
Long suspecting that no one really cares about hospital cleanliness except the housekeeper and the health inspector, I decided to test my theory. I dropped a piece of paper on the floor of a busy hospital corridor and settled in to observe the dozens of people walking by. Most ignored the paper, some stepped on it, and others even kicked it aside. A housekeeper picked it up.
Housekeepers are caring men and women, professionally trained in both hospital-cleaning techniques and interpersonal skills. They understand a patient’s right to confidentiality and privacy, and they know when not to clean a room.
But nothing’s perfect and, if you see something not up to par in the cleanliness department, bring it to someone’s attention immediately. You have a right to expect the hygienic health care environment that is so important to your recovery. For the patient to settle for anything less than the best is unacceptable.
Dr. Michael M. Warren is Ashbel Smith professor of surgery at University of Texas Medical Branch Division of Urology.
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