10. Linen & Laundry

It is imperative that the employee become acquainted with all policies and procedures for each particular facility while handling a resident’s laundry or any soiled linens. Any of these activities will be discussed below, but to coordinate the washing, some homes use various colored hampers. Person shift orientations are an excellent opportunity to ask linen-related questions in order to become acquainted with the activities of and facility.

Some of the typical policies and procedures are as follows:

• Place soiled linen directly into hampers.
• If linen is grossly soiled with blood or bodily fluids, double bag it to prevent leakage.
• Handle and transport soiled linen in a manner that avoids transfer of microorganisms.

Some residents have clothes that need specialized treatment, such as dry cleaning, hand washing or hung to dry. Before throwing it in a hamper, make sure you are conscious of how to launder the clothing of the tenants. If a resident owns clothing that needs extra care, the family of the resident is more than likely to be responsible for this.