Qualitative study of older people and carer perceptions of their roles in infection prevention and control in residential aged care homes

Older people living in residential aged care homes (RACHs) are highly vulnerable to infections. Effective implementation of infection prevention and control (IPAC) measures is essential to reduce infection transmission in aged care settings. While there is growing recognition that effective IPAC requires the active involvement of everyone within the RACH environment, the perspectives of older people and carers remain notably absent from the literature. This study explored older peoples’ and carers’ perceptions of their roles in IPAC in RACHs. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 13 older people and carers from two public RACHs in Melbourne, Australia, between May and October 2024. Audio recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: Shared responsibility, Challenges in making IPAC measures person-centred, and Leave me alone- it’s my home. The findings highlight an urgent need to incorporate older people’s and carers’ perspectives through co designed approaches to develop practical, person-centred IPAC strategies that balance infection prevention with preserving older people’s autonomy, dignity, and sense of home.