A monthly PPE stock checklist for a long-term care home counts four core items: examination gloves, isolation gowns, medical masks, and waste bags, plus the resident-care consumables that share the same storage room. The goal is to keep a rolling four-week buffer rather than a single week of stock, because outbreaks move faster than a standard delivery cycle. Counting on a fixed day each month turns PPE ordering from a scramble into a routine.
Which PPE items belong on the monthly count?
Start with the items that touch every resident contact. Examination gloves in the sizes the team actually wears, isolation gowns rated for the task, medical masks at the level your policy requires, and regulated medical waste bags. Add eye protection and hand hygiene supplies if your outbreak plan lists them. The checklist should name a target buffer for each item, not just a reorder point.
How much buffer should a long-term care home hold?
A four-week buffer on the high-turnover items gives the home room to absorb a sudden increase in use without breaching the plan. For gowns and masks that means counting the census, the number of resident contacts per shift, and any outbreak-contingency multiplier in the home policy. Gloves are counted by resident contact in the same way a clinic counts clinician-days, then converted to cases.
| Item | Planning basis | Suggested buffer | Specification note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination gloves | Gloves per resident contact | 4 weeks | 4 mil nitrile for routine care |
| Isolation gowns | Contacts needing gown protection | 4 weeks | AAMI PB70 Level 2 for routine care |
| Medical masks | Staff shifts per day | 4 weeks | ASTM F2100 Level 3 where policy requires |
| Waste bags | Bags per resident room per day | 4 weeks | Match bag size to the container |
| Bed sheets | Changes per resident per day | 2 to 4 weeks | Disposable non-woven for shared equipment |
How do you run the monthly count without slowing the floor?
Count the storage room, not the carts, and do it on a fixed day so the numbers are comparable month to month. Record the on-hand quantity, the quantity used since the last count, and the target buffer. When on-hand drops below the buffer, the item goes on the order; when it stays above the buffer for two months in a row, the buffer may be oversized. This keeps the checklist short enough to finish in a single pass.
What changes the count during an outbreak?
An outbreak increases gown and mask use sharply and gloves less so, because the added contact is often gown-and-mask focused. The home outbreak plan should state the multiplier it uses, so the monthly count can be scaled up without re-deriving the whole plan. Documenting the multiplier also makes the contingency order defensible at budget review.
Storage discipline keeps the count accurate. Rotate stock so the oldest items are used first, keep the storage room dry and off the floor, and label each shelf with the item and the target buffer. When a delivery arrives, count it against the order and update the on-hand figure the same day, so next month's count starts from a known position rather than a guess.
Ontario's current long-term care framework is the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, which sets expectations for infection prevention and control programs in the home. The monthly checklist is how procurement keeps those expectations supplied.
Related Reading
- Long-term care supply hub
- An Ontario long-term care home outbreak preparedness review
- Disposable bed sheets for Canadian long-term care
- SMMS isolation gowns, Level 2, 50-pack
- 3-ply medical face masks, ASTM Level 3, 50-pack
Frequently Asked Questions
How much PPE should a long-term care home keep on hand?
A four-week buffer on high-turnover items such as gloves, gowns, masks, and waste bags is a practical planning target. Count the census and the resident contacts per shift, then apply any outbreak multiplier stated in the home policy.
How do you count gloves for a long-term care home?
Count gloves by resident contact rather than by resident, then convert the daily total into cases of one thousand gloves. A 4 mil nitrile exam glove covers routine care, with a heavier glove for cleaning and waste tasks.
Which mask and gown levels should a long-term care home stock?
Stock the level your policy and task risk require. AAMI PB70 Level 2 gowns suit routine resident care, and ASTM F2100 Level 3 masks are used where the policy calls for a higher barrier.
How often should the PPE stock checklist be run?
Run it monthly on a fixed day, and again after any outbreak or unusual surge. A consistent count day makes month-to-month numbers comparable and makes the reorder point obvious.
Plan your monthly order with the clinic supply planner and keep a printable count on the printable sterilization log. For facility pricing, set up wholesale ordering, or grab the BI 5-pack trial (CA $12.99, shipping included) if your home also runs on-site reprocessing. Reselling? become a distributor.
Questions on monitoring or compliance paperwork? Ask a sterilization compliance specialist.
Last updated: October 2026. CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
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