Hand Washing Awareness for Home Caregivers

December is National Handwashing Awareness Month.  It may seem like a simple act, but proper handwashing can be a crucial element in proper home care techniques.

You may already be aware that the easiest way to spread germs and catch a cold is by not keeping your hands clean. You may know that if you don’t wash your hands after eating or using the bathroom, your germs are immediately spread to the next thing you touch, such as the telephone or the door knob.

During this flu season it is even more important that hands are washed multiple times during the day.  Handwashing is not only important for caregivers, but also for clients, family members and friends. It's important all day, every day,

Because people who have serious illnesses often have a more difficult time fighting off infection, it is ever so important for caregivers to prevent passing infections to or from their patients. Here are some simple steps to protect yourself and your loved one from infection.

Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.

• You should wash your hands before and after caring for your loved one, after handling soiled laundry or bandages, before preparing and eating food, after coughing or sneezing, and after using the restroom. 

• Liquid handsoap is preferred over bar soap that is sitting by the sink and used by many people. The liquid handsoap does not have to be antibacterial. 

• Friction is important in cleaning hands so be sure to rub hands and fingers vigorously. 

• Be sure to include your wrists and get under your nails. 

• Sing the Happy Birthday song to yourself two times while washing your hands. 

• Rinse well with running water. 

• Drying hands with disposable hand towels is better than using the family's cloth hand towel hanging on the bathroom rack. This prevents the transfer of bacteria to your just cleaned hands. 

• Dry hands completely and feel free to use hand lotion if you desire. 

• Wear gloves when touching infectious items.   

 Children and family members who come in from school and work should wash up before coming in contact with the client.  Continual handwashing can be drying to your skin, especially in cold weather.  Using a good hand cream or moisturizer is just as important as washing hands in the first place.  If your skin becomes dry and cracked, you will be more vulnerable to germs entering your body.  Your skin is your first line of defense in protecting your body from germs so keep it clean and keep it intact.

At Ezra Home Care, our mission is to provide reliable, individualized, compassionate, and confidential care to our clients.  Our administrative staff is trained to respond to all situations quickly and carefully. Each member of the administrative team is also a skilled and experienced caregiver. Our caregivers are supervised and trained on all areas of home care needs.

For additional information please contact us at 617-527-9000 or info@ezrahomecare.com