Antimicrobial Stewardship in Long Term Care

We promote and support antimicrobial stewardship as an effective strategy for limiting inappropriate and excessive antimicrobial use, while improving and optimizing antimicrobial therapy and clinical outcomes for residents in long-term care (LTC). Overuse of antibiotics, particularly in the older adults, has been associated with an increased risk of harm. Fifty percent of antibiotics in LTC are not needed. Residents in homes with higher antibiotic use experience a twenty-four percent increase risk of antibiotic-related harm.

Long-term care residents present unique challenges to antimicrobial stewardship. See resources below to encourage antimicrobial stewardship in LTC.