Facts & Health Tips
Tips for Preventing Illness
Germs can cause illnesses and infections, especially someone
in the home already has a chronic illness. Here are some common
sense practices can help you or your loved one stay well.
First, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Hand washing
is the single most effective way to keep germs from spreading.
Wash your hands after using the bathroom. Cover coughs and
sneezes with a tissue, and wash your hands after disposing
of the tissue. Keep a bottle of waterless hand cleanser around
for cleaning hands before touching that baby or after changing
diapers.
Use care in the kitchen. Wash hands before touching food,
and clean counters with disinfectant. Wash raw fruits and
vegetables thoroughly before eating, and put the scrubbing
brushes in the dishwasher.
Thoroughly cook meat and eggs before eating. Wood cutting
boards used for cutting poultry should not be used for other
foods. Wash cutting boards and knives after cutting raw meat;
never reuse these for chopping vegetables without washing
them first. Plastic cutting boards are less likely to hold
the juices from raw meat and seafood and are easier to clean.
Don’t use cracked eggs since these can harbor germs.
Wash your hands before you eat or serve food to others.
Clean the interior of the refrigerator with soap and water
to control molds. Check the temperature to make sure it is
adequately cold.
Pets, especially birds and turtles, can carry certain types
of diseases. When cleaning birdcages, roll up paper from the
bottom of the cage carefully and avoid “shaking”
feathers and droppings into the air. If you have a chronic
illness, let someone else clean the cage.
Towels, washcloths and bed linens can be a source of germs,
especially if someone is sick or has a cold. Avoid “shaking”
used bed linens into the air as you change the bedding. Roll
them up and place them into a laundry basket or directly into
the washing machine. To sanitize linens, add bleach per manufacturer’s
instructions.
Other household objects can be a source of germs too. Clean
telephone receivers with a good household disinfectant. Keyboards
(computer or typewriter) can also get germy from a lot of
handling. Check the manufacturer’s instructions about
keeping these items clean.
Replace toothbrushes as recommended by your dentist; at least
every three to six months. If you’ve been sick, throw
your toothbrush out and get a new one.
As people age, arthritis, weakness and failing eyesight can
interfere with their ability to keep a house comfortable and
in good order. When this happens, you or your loved one can
hire homemaker from a Private Duty company to provide these
services for a few hours each week. For more information,
see “Mercy Healthcare At Home”, also on this website.
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