Control Disease Spread with Proper Handwashing
Control Disease Spread with Proper Handwashing
As a family caregiver for your elderly parent, one of your most important priorities is keeping them healthy. This takes on even greater importance if you are in the sandwich generation and are also caring for your children, putting you at risk of contracting illnesses from and spreading them to both generations. An aggressive germ control approach is essential to keep your parent healthier, preventing the potentially serious infections and illnesses that could threaten your parent’s health or even life. It is important to remember that elderly adults have lower immune systems than younger people, meaning that an infection or illness that would be relatively minor for you could become quite serious for your parent and escalate into something far more pressing, such as pneumonia.
There are many things that you can do to create your germ control approach, but one of the simplest and yet most effective is making washing your hands a consistent part of your routine. Handwashing before and after certain tasks is the first line of defense in preventing the spread of germs throughout your family, as well as to others in the community, and to help prevent contracting illness or infection from the germs that you might come into contact with while out of the home.
Some tips to keep in mind throughout the year include:
Know when to wash them, including before:
- Preparing any type of food, but especially raw poultry and meat
- Eating any type of food
- Caring for someone who is or has been sick
- Caring for someone who has an injury or infection
- Treating any type of wound or irritation
And after:
- Using the restroom
- Changing a child’s diapers or an adult’s incontinence undergarments
- Helping your elderly parent in the restroom
- Blowing your nose
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Touching your eyes or mouth
- Touching an animal
- Cleaning up after an animal
- Handling any type of pet food, treats, or medication
- Touching garbage
Know how to do it:
- Wet your hands thoroughly with running water. It does not matter if the water is warm or cold as germs are resistant to anything but temperatures far too hot for your skin to withstand
- Turn off the faucet and apply soapRub the soap into a lather and rub it onto all areas of the hands, including in between the fingers, on the fronts and backs, under the nails, and around the wrists
- Be sure to scrub for a minimum of 20 seconds
- Rinse with running water
- Dry thoroughly using a clean, dry towel or allow them to air dry
Know the alternatives.
If you do not have access to running water or soap, use a hand sanitizing gel. Look for products that use alcohol as the active ingredient rather than a more aggressive chemical as it has been shown that these can actually make you more vulnerable to infection and illness. Apply the hand sanitizer to the center of the palm and rub all over the hands just as you would with soap until the gel is dry. This is not as effective if there is visible dirt or other contamination on the hands.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Loganville, GA or the surrounding areas, contact the caring staff at Right At Home of East Atlanta. Call today (678) 712-4002.