The winter holidays may be your favorite time of year, but they also signal the start of cold and flu season. Because hand-washing is an effective germ deterrent, seniors who live in communal settings, such as a nursing facility, should be especially vigilant about keeping their hands clean. Here’s how you can help the senior in your life avoid wintertime infections. 

A Care Guide for Washing Hands

Hand-Washing & Disease

A Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, is credited as the first medical professional to make the connection between septicemia and hand washing. In 1846, by requiring midwives and doctors to wash their hands before treating patients, he significantly reduced childbirth deaths from infection. This was the beginning of the antiseptic era, although the practice of hand-washing took time to become standard hospital practice. 

Older adults with compromised immune systems have a harder time getting over colds, let alone a virulent flu bug. Although we now consider hand-washing to be routine, an elderly loved one in an assisted living or a nursing facility who doesn’t wash their hands will spread germs. Washing with soap and warm water, along with frequent use of hand sanitizers, will help them stay healthy.

How Germs Spread

The common germs that spread diarrhea, respiratory infections, and flu are salmonella, E. coli, and norovirus. These germs, found in animal and human feces, can contaminate hands after changing a diaper, using the bathroom, or handling raw meat. Just a speck of human waste contains trillions of germs. Germs spread from hand to hand or by touching a contaminated object. Coughing and sneezing also spread germs. To reduce the incidence of infection and illness, help your senior wash hands after using the bathroom, before eating, and after returning from a communal living space to their room. 

The simple act of hand-washing helps keep elderly loved ones healthy. If you’re considering an assisted living or skilled nursing facility for your senior family member, Englewood Health Care Center in Monroeville, AL, offers safe, professional, and compassionate care. Call (251) 575-3285 to schedule a visit, or go online to find the locations of the communities they serve.