Visiting in the NURSING HOME.

K

Kelli

New member
Hello,
I was just reading a post about grandparents and it got me thinking. My great grandma is in a nursing home (assisted livng but basically same thing).
I know people aren't great about handwashing etc., and when one person gets sick there is just goes around and around. (Like a dorm).
But do any of you go to nursing homes to visit people? I guess I just freak out about the germs. I know everyone wants to hold my hand and you have to get right in their faces to 'yell' since most cannot hear. (my g. grandma for example, I literally yell the whole time I am there.)
Then on top of it before I leave my great grandma kisses me on the lips. Ew. I only do that with my husband, no other family members. And she smoked for 70+ years and has a ton of respritory problems constantly. It makes me so uncomfortable but yet I say nothing.
How do any of you handle this? I'm just worried about getting sick when I go see her.
Any good advice.........or what do others do?
~Kelli
29 f CF
 
K

Kelli

New member
Hello,
I was just reading a post about grandparents and it got me thinking. My great grandma is in a nursing home (assisted livng but basically same thing).
I know people aren't great about handwashing etc., and when one person gets sick there is just goes around and around. (Like a dorm).
But do any of you go to nursing homes to visit people? I guess I just freak out about the germs. I know everyone wants to hold my hand and you have to get right in their faces to 'yell' since most cannot hear. (my g. grandma for example, I literally yell the whole time I am there.)
Then on top of it before I leave my great grandma kisses me on the lips. Ew. I only do that with my husband, no other family members. And she smoked for 70+ years and has a ton of respritory problems constantly. It makes me so uncomfortable but yet I say nothing.
How do any of you handle this? I'm just worried about getting sick when I go see her.
Any good advice.........or what do others do?
~Kelli
29 f CF
 
K

Kelli

New member
Hello,
I was just reading a post about grandparents and it got me thinking. My great grandma is in a nursing home (assisted livng but basically same thing).
I know people aren't great about handwashing etc., and when one person gets sick there is just goes around and around. (Like a dorm).
But do any of you go to nursing homes to visit people? I guess I just freak out about the germs. I know everyone wants to hold my hand and you have to get right in their faces to 'yell' since most cannot hear. (my g. grandma for example, I literally yell the whole time I am there.)
Then on top of it before I leave my great grandma kisses me on the lips. Ew. I only do that with my husband, no other family members. And she smoked for 70+ years and has a ton of respritory problems constantly. It makes me so uncomfortable but yet I say nothing.
How do any of you handle this? I'm just worried about getting sick when I go see her.
Any good advice.........or what do others do?
~Kelli
29 f CF
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
I volunteered at a local nursing home for years and frequented the one at our local hospital when I worked. I had no additonal problems. Yes there are some where germs are worse then others, but just like any public place you need to take precautions. As far as your Grandma kissing you on the lips....just turn your head or kiss her on the cheek and say that you are feeling "not right" and dont want to give it to her.
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
I volunteered at a local nursing home for years and frequented the one at our local hospital when I worked. I had no additonal problems. Yes there are some where germs are worse then others, but just like any public place you need to take precautions. As far as your Grandma kissing you on the lips....just turn your head or kiss her on the cheek and say that you are feeling "not right" and dont want to give it to her.
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
I volunteered at a local nursing home for years and frequented the one at our local hospital when I worked. I had no additonal problems. Yes there are some where germs are worse then others, but just like any public place you need to take precautions. As far as your Grandma kissing you on the lips....just turn your head or kiss her on the cheek and say that you are feeling "not right" and dont want to give it to her.
 
E

Emily65Roses

New member
I worked at a retirement home when I was 16, and that's where I got MRSA. *shrug* It's basically like a hospital. Some are gross-er than others, but you want to be careful in general when you're in either.
 
E

Emily65Roses

New member
I worked at a retirement home when I was 16, and that's where I got MRSA. *shrug* It's basically like a hospital. Some are gross-er than others, but you want to be careful in general when you're in either.
 
E

Emily65Roses

New member
I worked at a retirement home when I was 16, and that's where I got MRSA. *shrug* It's basically like a hospital. Some are gross-er than others, but you want to be careful in general when you're in either.
 
N

NoExcuses

New member
A nursing home is <b> NOT </b> "just like any other public place!"

Nursing homes are just as bad as hospitals for germs, including nosocomical infections. When microbiologists partner with ID's & general docs to prescribe antibiotics for an infection, they take into account the fact that the infection is nosocomically aquired.

Germs are more virulent in nursing homes than in other public places. Quinolone resistant PA is more frequent (generally in UTI form not lung form...but that's easily transfered) as is MRSA.

Can you take your grandma out to visit? If she's bedridden, I realize this is not an option.

But like anything it's a balance between risk & reward. If you are close with grandma and want to visit, just know that you're being exposed to bacteria like if you were to visit someone in the hopsital.
 
N

NoExcuses

New member
A nursing home is <b> NOT </b> "just like any other public place!"

Nursing homes are just as bad as hospitals for germs, including nosocomical infections. When microbiologists partner with ID's & general docs to prescribe antibiotics for an infection, they take into account the fact that the infection is nosocomically aquired.

Germs are more virulent in nursing homes than in other public places. Quinolone resistant PA is more frequent (generally in UTI form not lung form...but that's easily transfered) as is MRSA.

Can you take your grandma out to visit? If she's bedridden, I realize this is not an option.

But like anything it's a balance between risk & reward. If you are close with grandma and want to visit, just know that you're being exposed to bacteria like if you were to visit someone in the hopsital.
 
N

NoExcuses

New member
A nursing home is <b> NOT </b> "just like any other public place!"

Nursing homes are just as bad as hospitals for germs, including nosocomical infections. When microbiologists partner with ID's & general docs to prescribe antibiotics for an infection, they take into account the fact that the infection is nosocomically aquired.

Germs are more virulent in nursing homes than in other public places. Quinolone resistant PA is more frequent (generally in UTI form not lung form...but that's easily transfered) as is MRSA.

Can you take your grandma out to visit? If she's bedridden, I realize this is not an option.

But like anything it's a balance between risk & reward. If you are close with grandma and want to visit, just know that you're being exposed to bacteria like if you were to visit someone in the hopsital.
 
J

JustDucky

New member
That's an excellent question...I used to work in a nursing home, two different ones in fact and they both had issues with infection control. The last one I worked in was the worst by far. The staff didn't even think twice about bringing a resident with a 102 temp to the community dining room, all the while hacking away- nice way to spread an infection, don't you think?. I was a supervisor on the 3-11 shift, I used to isolate people like that, anyone who had any signs of GI or respiratory illness. I did get yelled at by the head honcho at times for doing that, saying that it wasn't necessary and was often questioned by the assistants when I told them to bring a resident back to his or her room. Infections were rampant in that place, either it was a bad strain of cold or flu or some nasty GI bug with diarrhea. Don't even mention handwashing practices. People used to call me over vigilant (this was before my CF diagnosis but I had bad asthma and was sick often) I washed my hands so much they were raw!

I guess it depends on the nursing home....I would say be very careful, if it were I, I would make sure that there is no outbreak going on (usually it is posted, some nursing homes quarantine their residents if too many are sick), perhaps wear a mask at the very least (I would go for the gown myself as well), especially if your great grandma coughs alot (alot of residents coughed in my face, some had some really nasty bugs such as MRSA or PA, very common in institutionalized folks). I know some of you might say this is overkill, but trust me, after working in those places and seeing what goes on, I am definitely justified in being "vigilant" especially with CF. If she wonders why you have a mask on, just say thay you might be coming down with something and that you don't want to give it to her. I hope that this has helped, hugs Jenn<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
J

JustDucky

New member
That's an excellent question...I used to work in a nursing home, two different ones in fact and they both had issues with infection control. The last one I worked in was the worst by far. The staff didn't even think twice about bringing a resident with a 102 temp to the community dining room, all the while hacking away- nice way to spread an infection, don't you think?. I was a supervisor on the 3-11 shift, I used to isolate people like that, anyone who had any signs of GI or respiratory illness. I did get yelled at by the head honcho at times for doing that, saying that it wasn't necessary and was often questioned by the assistants when I told them to bring a resident back to his or her room. Infections were rampant in that place, either it was a bad strain of cold or flu or some nasty GI bug with diarrhea. Don't even mention handwashing practices. People used to call me over vigilant (this was before my CF diagnosis but I had bad asthma and was sick often) I washed my hands so much they were raw!

I guess it depends on the nursing home....I would say be very careful, if it were I, I would make sure that there is no outbreak going on (usually it is posted, some nursing homes quarantine their residents if too many are sick), perhaps wear a mask at the very least (I would go for the gown myself as well), especially if your great grandma coughs alot (alot of residents coughed in my face, some had some really nasty bugs such as MRSA or PA, very common in institutionalized folks). I know some of you might say this is overkill, but trust me, after working in those places and seeing what goes on, I am definitely justified in being "vigilant" especially with CF. If she wonders why you have a mask on, just say thay you might be coming down with something and that you don't want to give it to her. I hope that this has helped, hugs Jenn<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
J

JustDucky

New member
That's an excellent question...I used to work in a nursing home, two different ones in fact and they both had issues with infection control. The last one I worked in was the worst by far. The staff didn't even think twice about bringing a resident with a 102 temp to the community dining room, all the while hacking away- nice way to spread an infection, don't you think?. I was a supervisor on the 3-11 shift, I used to isolate people like that, anyone who had any signs of GI or respiratory illness. I did get yelled at by the head honcho at times for doing that, saying that it wasn't necessary and was often questioned by the assistants when I told them to bring a resident back to his or her room. Infections were rampant in that place, either it was a bad strain of cold or flu or some nasty GI bug with diarrhea. Don't even mention handwashing practices. People used to call me over vigilant (this was before my CF diagnosis but I had bad asthma and was sick often) I washed my hands so much they were raw!

I guess it depends on the nursing home....I would say be very careful, if it were I, I would make sure that there is no outbreak going on (usually it is posted, some nursing homes quarantine their residents if too many are sick), perhaps wear a mask at the very least (I would go for the gown myself as well), especially if your great grandma coughs alot (alot of residents coughed in my face, some had some really nasty bugs such as MRSA or PA, very common in institutionalized folks). I know some of you might say this is overkill, but trust me, after working in those places and seeing what goes on, I am definitely justified in being "vigilant" especially with CF. If she wonders why you have a mask on, just say thay you might be coming down with something and that you don't want to give it to her. I hope that this has helped, hugs Jenn<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
K

Kelli

New member
Thank you so much, I do appreciate all of your responses. I will just be as careful as possible.
I like to go in the evenings and then come home, strip and shower. That way I'm not carrying 'germs' on me. And I will try to wear a mask when I'm out and about.
Thanks again!
KELLI
 
K

Kelli

New member
Thank you so much, I do appreciate all of your responses. I will just be as careful as possible.
I like to go in the evenings and then come home, strip and shower. That way I'm not carrying 'germs' on me. And I will try to wear a mask when I'm out and about.
Thanks again!
KELLI
 
K

Kelli

New member
Thank you so much, I do appreciate all of your responses. I will just be as careful as possible.
I like to go in the evenings and then come home, strip and shower. That way I'm not carrying 'germs' on me. And I will try to wear a mask when I'm out and about.
Thanks again!
KELLI
 
J

JustDucky

New member
Kelli, it's funny when you say you strip and shower as soon as you get home...whenever I came home, I literally stripped going up my stairs (my kids were little at the time), shoes stayed near the door. When I worked in the ICU, same thing....big bad cooties there too, but I didn't get as sick there as when I when I worked nursing homes because the nurses and docs were more careful about washing hands and such. Also, all of the patients had their own rooms, so no germ swapping between others unless people were careless. Definitely wear the mask. Hugs, jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
J

JustDucky

New member
Kelli, it's funny when you say you strip and shower as soon as you get home...whenever I came home, I literally stripped going up my stairs (my kids were little at the time), shoes stayed near the door. When I worked in the ICU, same thing....big bad cooties there too, but I didn't get as sick there as when I when I worked nursing homes because the nurses and docs were more careful about washing hands and such. Also, all of the patients had their own rooms, so no germ swapping between others unless people were careless. Definitely wear the mask. Hugs, jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
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