The Importance of Hand Hygiene in Seniors

1. The Importance of Hand Hygiene in Seniors Health and hygiene always go hand-in-hand. The most significant reason for ensuring good hygiene is maintaining physical health and fitness. There is an alarming rise of healthcare- associated infections worldwide which is drawing tremendous attention. This is because of the growing recognition that such ailments are preventable with extra-ordinary advancements in understanding its underlying pathophysiology. Besides, the spurt in the spread of multi-drug resistant infections and availability of new antimicrobials call for revamping the basic practices of infection prevention. The simplest and low-cost approach to that is ‘Hand Hygiene’. Good hand hygiene is important for people in all environmental settings. There are undisputed evidence to depict that strict adherence to it reduces the probabilities of infection transmission. With ageing, the body’s immune system weakens and is not robust as earlier. Therefore, germs and viruses become worst enemies of seniors. The body mechanisms in older generations sometimes even fail to detect invading pathogens. This puts them at high-risk of getting infected. So, every possible precaution must be taken since the senior community occupies substantially a big share of the global population. Senior infection prevention can be done by maintaining good hand hygiene and regularly taking the prescribed dosage of adult vaccinations. This helps in evading the common germs that cause

2. flu, cold, cough, stomach problems and respiratory issues. Medical Health Check Up for Seniors, should therefore, not only monitor and treat various medical conditions but must also strongly reinforce concepts of hygiene and adult immunization. This goes a long way in preventing undue hospitalizations, untimely deaths and simultaneously improves the public healthcare standards. Hand Washing Procedure Hand Washing Procedure The Center for Disease Control(CDC) offers specific guidelines to be followed for hand washing. Deploying this technique ensures that the hands are completely clean and acts as an effective way of killing germs. Nurses in hospitals and professionals offering home nursing services should thoroughly train elders on this. Steps Include - Steps Include - Wetting – (preferably an anti-bacterial one) must be applied. Lathering – entire area including the back of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails. Additionally, a nail brush may be used for cleaning dirty nails. Scrubbing – thorough cleansing and hence should not be done in a hurry. Rinsing – ensure that the fingers point downward to allow the soap and germs to get washed away completely. Drying – air drier or a clean hand towel may be used. Using disposable towels is also recommended for better hygiene. Wetting – For this, either warm or cold water may be used. After wetting the hands, soap Lathering – Both hands must be rubbed together to produce lathering. The lather must cover the Scrubbing – The hands must be scrubbed slowly for at least twenty seconds. This step is crucial for Rinsing – Rinsing of hands should be done under running water. Towards the end of this step, Drying – The washed hands must be dried fully to get rid of any moisture. For this a paper towel,

3. Hand Washing Tips for Seniors Hand Washing Tips for Seniors ➔ Hands must be compulsorily washed -  Before and after preparation of meals, eating and touching a sick person or an open wound  After using the bathroom, changing diapers, sneezing, coughing, blowing the nose, caring for an animal (including pets), handling garbage and touching common areas in public places as railings, switches and door knobs. ➔ Instead of water, a good alcohol-based sanitizer or hand-rub may be used for washing. ➔ Insist on hand hygiene from your caregivers and medical staff who may be in contact with other patients. This warrants infection control. ➔ Hand Hygiene can prevent several illnesses like diarrhea, influenza and gastroenteritis ➔ Good hand washing also lessens the likelihood of resistance development to antibiotics and other medications.