Standard precautions protect whom in daily care?

• A. Only visitors.
• B. Residents and staff, regardless of infection status.
• C. Only residents with visible infections.
• D. Only during invasive procedures.

Answer: (B)

Standard precautions are the baseline infection prevention practices used with every resident in daily care. They assume that all blood and body fluids, secretions and excretions (except sweat), non‑intact skin, and mucous membranes could be infectious, so these precautions are applied with every interaction and task. This protects both residents and staff because it reduces the chance of transmitting pathogens during routine care, regardless of whether an infection is known. In practice, this means hand hygiene before and after resident contact, wearing gloves when touching bodily fluids or contaminated items, using gowns, masks, or eye protection when splashes or sprays are possible, and properly cleaning and disinfecting equipment and surfaces. Additional precautions may be added for known infections, but standard precautions are always the foundation.