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Infectious Control Measures
Infectious Control Measures
When working with families and caregivers, one area we discuss is an infectious disease. Here are some of the infection control measures we ask caregivers to follow:
1. Maintain good personal hygiene.
Wash your body frequently.
Wash your hair at least twice a week.
Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth after every meal.
Trim your fingernails and toenails weekly.
Wear clean and laundered clothes.
Change dirty clothing and bed linens when you notice any soiling.
2. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
Before food preparation, eating or serving food
After using the toilet, contact with your own or another’s body fluids and blowing or wiping your nose.
Best hand-washing procedure:
Wet your hands with plenty of soap and warm water.
Work up a lather over your hands and wrists.
Rub the palm of one hand over the back of the other and rub them together several times, then repeat with another hand.
Interlace the fingers of both hands and rub them back and forth.
Clean under your fingernails with a nailbrush or orange stick.
Rinse your hands thoroughly under warm running water.
Dry your hands and wrists thoroughly.
3. Clean your household thoroughly.
Avoid household clutter.
Thoroughly ventilate your home with disinfecting fresh air.
Clean the kitchen counter with scouring powder.
Dust and vacuum weekly.
Mop the kitchen and bathroom floors weekly and when spills occur.
Clean inside the refrigerator weekly with soap and water.
Add a teaspoon of bleach to each quart of water used for flower vases.
Wear gloves when cleaning birdcages, litter boxes, aquariums, etc.
4. Clean contaminated household and medical equipment thoroughly.
Clean medical equipment as directed by your Home Medical Equipment representative.
Clean soap dishes, denture cups, etc., weekly.
Do not use the same sponge to clean the bathroom and kitchen.
Do not pour mop water down the kitchen sink.
Do not clean sponges or rags at the kitchen sink.
Disinfect mops and sponges weekly by soaking in one part bleach to nine parts water for 5 minutes.
5. Decrease your exposure to people with infectious diseases.
Avoid crowds whenever possible.
Avoid people who have been recently vaccinated.
Do not share food or drink with others.
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Helping an Elderly Relative with the Funeral Process
written by Lucille Rosetti 💚
Helping an Elderly Relative with the Funeral Process
written by: Lucille Rosetti 💚
Helping an Elderly Relative with the Funeral Process
written by: Lucille Rosetti 💚
Coping with the loss of a loved one is emotionally devastating. After months of dealing with doctors, hospice care, and health insurance details, planning for a funeral can be too much for a bereaved and emotionally exhausted elderly individual to deal with alone. It's not uncommon for someone who's just lost a life partner to be in denial over what has happened. That can make it all but impossible to make well-informed decisions about funeral costs and planning out details for the day of the funeral. But it's important to approach the situation in an organized fashion with some idea of what needs to be done. A poorly-planned approach to a funeral can leave a significant amount of debt to the surviving partner. You can help your elderly relative get through this difficult time with vital information about planning and paying for a funeral by being their "go-to" person, someone who can run errands and make phone calls.
Know your rights
In 1984, the Federal Trade Commission enacted the Funeral Rule to protect bereaved people from being pressured by unscrupulous funeral home owners. The Funeral Rule stipulates that people need purchase only the goods and services they want and need. Your loved one also has the right to view an itemized statement outlining all goods and services, including casket prices, so that you know exactly what charges to expect. You also have the right to select a container of your own if your family has chosen cremation. And you can decline to have your departed relative embalmed prior to the funeral. The Funeral Rule gives you and your family an outline of information designed to make planning for a funeral as easy and clear as possible. It also makes it easier to deal knowledgeably with funeral homes and planners.
Be sure that your family is familiar with the costs involved, because funeral costs have been on the upswing for the past 40 years. Today, it's not at all unusual to face a bill of $9,000 or more for a funeral and casket. There are other costs that aren't included among the primary charges, which can drive the final bill through the roof, making paying for a funeral prohibitively high for anyone who doesn't have end-of-life insurance, sometimes called "funeral insurance." Funeral insurance takes the pressure out of decisions that need to be made as soon as possible in order to plan a funeral in time. Without it, making decisions on the spot and without forethought makes it very difficult to be methodical and well-prepared.
Preparing for the day of the funeral
Preparing for the funeral itself is largely a matter of detail, making sure that the funeral arrangements have been made according to the final dispositions of the departed. If plans are for a celebration of the departed’ s life, including a display of photos and videos, you can help your relative by pulling all the imagery together and helping to get it organized, coordinating with the individual (or individuals) who will prepare and deliver the eulogy. You can also help by letting family members know about the funeral arrangements, where to send flowers, when the memorial service will begin, what route the funeral procession will take, and more. This is a lot for a bereaved elderly person to handle alone. If family and friends are gathering after the ceremony for a meal and to spend some time together, you can help with those details as well, making sure that catering arrangements have been made.
Long-term decisions
An elderly relative left alone after the death of a spouse faces many long-term decisions about their long-term care and living circumstances. Consider hiring an elder mediator, which can be done for between $100 and $300, to help the family make decisions on a range of issues involving an elderly relative's finances, health care, daily care, and many logistical issues. People are often intimidated and fearful when faced with preparing for a funeral. It may seem like an admission of something they aren't willing to face, the inevitability of losing a loved one. Having the help of someone who can organize all the details is a godsend for a frightened and overwhelmed senior.