Caregivers let’s talk about what we can do about the flu in your life and that of our clients and family. Flu this year is very wide spread and certainly has given way to some large figures in the population being affected. This is especially difficult for the elderly, disabled and small children. Caregivers are supposed to be helping us no matter what.
Please if you are a paid caregiver and believe you are coming down with a cold or flu, call in to your employer and take some medical time. These are difficult times and many of us live from pay check to pay check. We take time off and that is money out of our pocket. This is understood, however, should we bring flu into the house where we work, we may not have that work any longer and have the guilt of bring in the flu to boot. If our work takes us into a house where the client has flu our choices are limited to three. 1. Go to work and don’t consider the consequences. 2. Call our employer and ask what they would like us to do (stay or leave). 3. Work with the client and use precautions (wear a medical mask, wash hands often and use a cap full of bleach in the rinse water for dishes or use a dishwasher) Should the client or family member begin to run a fever call their physician immediately.
If you are the person who has hired the caregiver please think about the risk to other clients. Have medical masks and gloves available at all times for the caregiver. Use a mask yourself if you have flu or a cold. And wash your hands often. If you are using tissues for the cough or to blow the nose, please ask the caregiver to set-up a trash for your tissues and you put your tissues in it. Hopefully it will have a plastic bag liner and the caregiver can use that liner to dispose of the litter. Please do not have company in during the time you’re experiencing the flu, and have spray disinfectant or disinfectant wipes for the telephone.
Flu is nasty but we have had it before and we know what to do to keep from spreading the germs. We have learned from significant flu in the past and we will make it through this time. Please use precautions. www.guardiancaregivers.net/code-of-conduct
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