Medical Waste Disposal for Nursing Homes

Medical Waste Disposal Services

Although nursing homes and assisted living centers are rarely associated with environmental issues, they are regulated by federal and state regulations that include waste disposal. 

In regards to medical waste, some of the laws and regulations that apply to this sector include the management and disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and medical waste.

Some of this waste is created from the medical care given to the elderly residents, but biohazardous waste can come from different sources in the nursing home as well. Regulated medical waste, called many different things such as biohazardous or infectious waste, is any waste that may be contaminated by blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials. There are already many federal organizations that a nursing home must be in compliance with such as OSHA and the EPA, and there may be rules placed by overseeing state authority as well. One of the areas of regulation that a nursing facility must be compliant in is in the storage, treatment, management, and disposal of these hazardous and medical wastes.

There are numerous types of waste that could be generated in a nursing home or similar facilities that require specific methods of disposal. Waste handling in domestic households is laxer and much less regulated. A home resident may dispose of waste such as bandages and even needles with their regular trash. However, if a staff member of a nursing home or assisted living center removes a bloody bandage or generates a used sharp, it must be treated as regulated medical waste.

Nursing homes and similar locations such as elder care facilities assisted living facilities, and disabled persons’ facilities must follow different regulations as numerous types of biohazardous waste are still produced. These locations must manage their waste more like a hospital or physicians’ office, even though medical care in a nursing home or similar care facility may not be as comprehensive and complex.

Regulated waste must be segregated from general non-hazardous waste and managed in an appropriate way. Some of this waste could be in the form of sharps, solid waste, liquid waste, medical treatment waste, pharmaceuticals, or other medical or infectious wastes. Biohazardous waste can even be anything that has been contaminated with bodily fluids such as gloves, bandages, or even bedding materials.

Meeting the regulations surrounding medical waste disposal are met is one of many ways to help ensure the safety of everyone from residents to staff and visitors. When these rules and regulations are not met, not only are you compromising safety, overseeing federal and state agencies can impose fees and fines which can lead to negative publicity for the nursing facility. By working with Medical Waste of America (MWA), a medical waste disposal service company, not only will you be avoiding all of these issues, you will usually be saving time, effort, resources, and money.

Nursing homes and assisted living centers are not licensed or permitted to transport or process medical waste. However, MWA already has everything in place to take those worries out of the hands of nursing homes and eldercare facilities. It is also very important that the nursing home staff receives training in proper waste disposal methods, something MWA proudly offers through convenient online training courses.

For more information or for a quote, complete the form on this page or call us today.