For caregivers, or anyone visiting a person living with a chronic or serious illness, it’s good to be aware of all standard precautions (such as rules for home oxygen safety) to help keep patients safe. Certain measures need to be taken to prevent a caregiver from accidentally transmitting diseases through contact with blood, body fluids, dead skin (including rashes), or mucous membranes.

To help prevent this, the Centers for Disease Control provides a set of infection control guidelines to be followed at all times. Below are some of their top recommendations.

Tips for Respiratory and Hand Hygiene to help prevent infection (aka Cough Etiquette)

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue every time you cough or sneeze – even if you don’t think you are sick
• If you do not have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve.
• After coughing or sneezing, always clean your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Do not share eating utensils, drinking glasses, towels or other personal items.
• Stores now carry purse-size or travel-size bottles of alcohol gel to bring with you when you are on the go. It’s helpful to have one handy no matter where you are going.

The CDC also provides guidelines on when personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used. PPE items include: gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, and eye-wear, and they are used to create barriers that protect skin, clothing, mucous membranes, and the respiratory tract from infectious agents.

Tips for when to wear PPE to help prevent infection:

• Wear gloves when touching blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, mucous membranes, and contaminated items.
• Wear a surgical mask and goggles or a face shield if there is a reasonable chance that any blood or body fluids may splash or spray into the eyes, mouth, or nose.
• Wear a gown or apron if skin or clothing is likely to be exposed to blood or body fluids.

Finally, the CDC has come up with some guidelines for cleaning and disinfection to help prevent infection. In patient care areas it is possible that patients may have potentially contaminated surfaces or objects that are frequently touched by staff and caregivers (doorknobs, sinks, toilets, other surfaces and items in close proximity to patients). In order to prevent contamination, these surfaces have to be cleaned routinely with disinfectants, following the manufacturers’ instructions.

Most disinfectants are not effective in the presence of dirt and organic matter, therefore cleaning must occur first, before disinfection. To clean a surface properly. wet a cloth with the disinfectant, wipe away dirt and organic material, then with a clean cloth apply the disinfectant to the item and allow to air dry for the time specified by the product manufacturer.

*Please note that some patient care items may be damaged or destroyed by certain disinfectants. Consult with the manufacturer of the items before applying disinfectants.

Awareness and practice of these and other safety measures can help to provide a clean and healthy environment, not only for those you care for, but for yourself.