The hospice must maintain and document an effective infection control program that protects patients, families, visitors, and hospice personnel by preventing and controlling infections and communicable diseases.

(a) Standard: Prevention. The hospice must follow accepted standards of practice to prevent the transmission of infections and communicable diseases, including the use of standard precautions.

(b) Standard: Control. The hospice must maintain a coordinated agency-wide program for the surveillance, identification, prevention, control, and investigation of infectious and communicable diseases that—

(1) Is an integral part of the hospice's quality assessment and performance improvement program; and

(2) Includes the following:

(i) A method of identifying infectious and communicable disease problems; and

(ii) A plan for implementing the appropriate actions that are expected to result in improvement and disease prevention.

(c) Standard: Education. The hospice must provide infection control education to employees, contracted providers, patients, and family members and other caregivers.