MANY of us have been part of the “sandwich generation” where we’ve cared for our children as well as our ageing parents, inlaws and other relatives. Some of us are still there. It’s never the easiest of times as we try to juggle those in our care as well as a career. Some are lucky enough to be able to quit their jobs and live as a single-income family. Others have to forge ahead as a dual-income family unit as they juggle the intricacies of who does what when.
Whatever the case may be, we have to deal with several common issues that can be potential health and safety hazards associated with caregiving and even basic housekeeping. And we have to keep ourselves in the best of health for the sake of the loved ones in our care.
First would be the physical hazard of being exposed to the risk of illness or infection from taking care of the sick. Some general illnesses like cough, cold, flu and gastroenteritis are contagious. You can minimise your chances of being infected or causing infection if you’re diligent about washing your hands.
This is especially important when you’re the one handling food as well as changing diapers (child or adult) and have anything to do with bodily fluids like saliva, vomit and blood, such as cleaning wounds or using the glucometer.
IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING HANDS CLEAN
As a general rule, when dealing with any bodily fluids, it’s good to assume that coming into contact with it can be infectious. Washing hands can’t be stressed enough for your personal hygiene and safety. To begin with, eating with dirty hands can give you diarrhoea, among other things. You can also spread diseases through mere contact with dirty hands.
Handwashing with soap and water is considered a measure of personal hygiene, as prescribed in many religious and cultural teachings. But did you know that the actual link between handwashing and the spread of diseases was established only in the 1800s when the physician Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that the occurrence of puerperal fever could be prevented with the simple practice of “hand disinfection” with soap and water?
It was also something that Florence Nightingale and her nurses did during the Crimean War in the 1800s when they nursed wounded soldiers and saved many lives just from this common practice.
You can spread germs (a loose term to cover microbes like virus, bacteria etc) just by touching another person. You can also get infected by touching surfaces and objects that have been touched by an infected person, and then touching your face, mouth, eyes and nose. That’s how the common cold and flu are usually transmitted.
You need to make a habit of washing your hands especially after using the toilet, which also includes after changing diapers; blowing or picking your nose or after sneezing/coughing into your hands; before and after eating; handling food and drink, and even after smoking; after touching raw meat, poultry or fish; after handling garbage and cleaning cloths/sponge; before and after visiting sick people; before preparing medications; before and after treating cuts and wounds; before inserting and removing contact lenses; and after touching pets and their waste.
You’d also need to be careful when you have to handle the soiled bed sheets and clothes along with everything that the faeces have come into contact with. That would also mean sluicing the bathroom and making sure that there isn’t any lingering debris that could cause infections.
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY
Your hand hygiene is also at risk if you have artificial nails and chipped nail polish. This has been associated with an increased number of bacteria on the fingernails. As a caregiver, you’d want to be sure to clean your nails properly like using a nailbrush to scrub them clean.
Using liquid soap in a disposable container is the recommended choice. If you plan to reuse the container, be sure to wash it properly and completely dry it before refilling. Soap bars aren’t always the best choice unless you’re the only one who’s using it and it’s on a rack that allows water to drain off. In the event that soap and water are unavailable, you can use hand sanitisers, waterless hand scrubs or antibacterial wet wipes. There are different types like gel- or alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Just find out what works for you because some odours might be irritating to some people.
While they don’t totally eliminate all types of germs and certain dirt and chemicals, they’re better than nothing. If that’s the case, ensure that you use a liberal amount, rubbing your hands together until your hands and fingers are dry. You’d be surprised to see the dirt flaking off from this action.
Washing your hands with water and soap is still recommended wherever and whenever possible especially if they’re visibly soiled with dirt, blood and other organic matter.
Putri Juneita Johari volunteers for the Special Children Society of Ampang. You can reach her at juneitajohari@yahoo.com