main-ah-logo-horz-w_gradbox
 
  • Home Care Services
    • 24 Hour Home Care / Live-in Care
    • After Surgery Care | Post Hospital Care Services
    • Alzheimer’s and Dementia Home Care | Memory Care Services
    • Assisting Hands Help Alert
    • Companion Care
    • Elderly Care
    • ENSUREPrograms
      • ENSUREConnect
      • ENSURECheck
    • Home Care for Veterans and Surviving Spouses
    • Hospice Care at Home
    • In Home Care Services
    • Overnight Home Care
    • Parkinson’s Home Care
    • Respite Care – Short-term Care
    • Senior Home Care
    • Transitioning from Facility to Home Care | Transitional Care
    • Full List of Services
  • About Us
    • Our Caregivers
    • Caregiver of the Month Program
    • Meet the Team
    • Hospital Readmission Penalties
  • Service Areas
    • Home Care in Boynton Beach, FL
    • Home Care in North Palm Beach, FL
    • Home Care in Palm Beach & West Palm Beach, FL
    • Home Care in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
    • Home Care in Wellington, FL
    • See All Served Areas
  • FAQ
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

Blog

Home Blogs by Assisting Hands Home Care Palm Beach Senior Care Safety: Reducing the Risk of Infection at the Hospital

Senior Care Safety: Reducing the Risk of Infection at the Hospital

April 14, 2016Blogs by Assisting Hands Home Care Palm Beach, Senior Care in Jupiter FLAdmin

Senior Care in Jupiter FL

Senior Care in Jupiter FLMost people think of the hospital as a place of healing and support. If you are on a senior care journey with your elderly parent, however, a trip to such a medical treatment facility can have serious unintended consequences. A visit to the hospital is intended to be something that will bring healing and comfort for a person who is suffering from an illness or injury, or who is in need of a procedure to handle a medical need. While spending time in the hospital, however, your parent could be exposed to germs and bacteria that could lead to infections that put her health at serious risk.

Referred to as Healthcare Associated Infections, or HAIs, these infections occur because of exposure to the germs and conditions of a healthcare environment, particularly a hospital. Seniors are at greater risk of developing these infections because of several reasons, including:

  • Greater frequency with which elderly adults seek care or receive procedures and treatments in hospital or healthcare settings.
  • Tendency for seniors to have suppressed immune systems that make them more vulnerable to infection and illness, and make it more difficult for them to fight off and recover from these issues if they do arise.
  •  Higher instance of multiple health concerns that make the body more vulnerable to infection
  • Longer times spent in care

Some things that you should know about HAIs include:

  • More than 722,000 Healthcare Associated Infections occur each year
  • Approximately 75,000 of those who develop an HAI will die during the course of their hospitalization
  • More than half of HAIs do not occur within the intensive care unit, which is where most people assume that the most serious in-hospital events occur
  • Common HAIs include pneumonia, surgical site infections, gastrointestinal infections, bloodstream infections, and urinary tract infections

As your parent’s family caregiver, it is important that you are your parent’s advocate whenever she is in the hospital. This means taking steps to make sure that she is protected from the possibility of an infection. Some ways that you can do this include:

• Insist on handwashing. Every single person who comes into contact with your parent during the course of her time in the hospital should wash their hands each time that they come in the room. This includes doctors, nurses, orderlies, and friends and family who come to visit. Provide hand sanitizing gel for visitors to improve germ fighting.

• Stay aware. Make sure you know what is happening at each stage of your parent’s care and treatment. This means knowing when your loved one will undergo an IV, test, injection, catheter insertion, or other procedure and ensuring that proper infection management techniques are used at each step. This also means recognizing possible signs of infection such as lethargy, redness, swelling, fever, or new complaints of pain or sick feeling.

• Support nutrition. A well-nourished, strong body will be able to resist infection and illness much more effectively than one that is not well nourished. Make sure that your parent is eating enough and that she is eating the right balance of foods, as well as getting enough hydration.

http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/prevent/top-cdc-recs-prevent-hai.html

If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Professional Senior Care in Jupiter, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff at Assisting Hands Home Care at 561­-829­-3080 Today.

  • About
  • Latest Posts

Admin

Latest posts by Admin (see all)

  • Music to Our Ears: How Music Promotes Healthy Aging - August 15, 2020
  • When Family Members Disagree: Holding a Productive Caregiving Meeting - August 1, 2020
  • 5 Tips for Coping with Family Conflict during Your Caregiving Journey with a Senior with Alzheimer’s Disease - July 1, 2020
Tags: Senior Care in Jupiter FL
Previous post 6 Safety Tips for Steps and Stairs in Your Elderly Loved One’s Home Next post How a Home Care Provider Can Help a Senior with Wandering Tendencies Stay Safe

Caregivers can be placed in as little as 24 hours.

Click to chat

Click to call


The greatest compliment a client can give us is their trust. That's why we are so incredibly pleased to receive such glowing reviews. It makes work a pleasure.
best home care awards home care trusted provider

Home Care Services

24 Hour Home Care & Live-in Care
After Surgery Care
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Home Care
Elderly Care
Home Care Services
Hospice Care at Home
Overnight Caregivers
Parkinson’s Home Care
Senior Home Care
Transitional Care

 

Served Areas / Locations

Boynton Beach, FL
Palm Beach, FL
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Juno Beach, FL
Jupiter, FL
Lake Worth, FL
North Palm Beach, FL
Singer Island, FL
Wellington, FL
West Palm Beach, FL

Read +39 Real Reviews

chat-icon

Read Our Newsletter

Read More

Facebook

Twitter

Google+
apache_pb

Download Our Brochure

Download
logo

assisting hands

Assisting Hands Home Care provides elder care services and senior in home care services for families across the country.
AHCA LIC HHA299 994 061

  • Call Us (561) 781-5885 | For Jobs (561) 829-3080
  • 1870 Forest Hills Blvd., Suite 212, West Palm Beach, FL 33406

Locations

Boynton Beach, FL | Greenacres, FL | | Juno Beach, FL | Jupiter, FL | Lake Worth, FL | North Palm Beach, FL| Palm Beach, FL | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | Royal Palm Beach, FL | Singer Island, FL | Wellington, FL | West Palm Beach, FL

Company

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Assisting Hands Home Care – Palm Beach County – Contact Us
  • Career

Services

  • Aging In Place
  • Companion Care
  • Fall Prevention for Seniors
  • Full List of Services

legal

  • Hospital Readmission Penalties
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Statement

2020 Assisting Hands Home Care. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Powered by Path