Newsleer
In this issue
Home Care Assistance News.............1
Spotting and preventing food poisoning...1-4
Managing cleanliness and infection.............1-4
Caregiver Spotlight ............................................4
Taking the bite out of
foodborne illness
Seniors are especially vulnerable to foodborne
illness, also known as food poisoning. The CDC
estimates it to afflict at least 33 million every year.
Many cases go unreported.
Older people’s immune systems do not respond as
quickly or effectively as a younger person’s. Even
the decline of acidity in seniors’ stomachs
eliminates an important natural defense against
foodborne bacteria. Severe food poisoning is most
life-threatening to people over 70.
“When seniors have a food-borne illness, the
consequences are more apt to persist or to lead to
secondary types of illness,” says Dr. Margy J.
Woodburn at Oregon State University.
While some viruses and parasites can the culprit,
most foodborne illness is caused by bacteria such as
E. coli, (found in unpasteurized milk and
undercooked ground beef) and salmonella (found in
raw chicken, raw meat, and eggs). E. coli can cause
kidney failure and brain damage.
Other foods can also become contaminated if they
come in contact with the bacteria indirectly, such as
from knives, cutting boards or hands that have
previously touched infected meat.
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Volume II, Number 1
How to ensure cleanliness
and control infection
in an older adult’s home
As people age, their immune system’s ability to
fight off disease decreases. In addition to the normal
aging process, recent surgery, poor diet and lack of
exercise also make seniors more susceptible to
infections.
Meanwhile, difficulty with toileting, bathing and
housekeeping put many seniors at higher risk of
contamination. That’s why it’s especially important
to help manage the cleanliness of older adults’
homes. This not only ensures the safety of seniors,
but also the safety of others in the home, including
caregivers.
Here are some important and often simple steps you
can take to improve cleanliness and reduce the risk
of infection in a home where seniors live.
Laundry
If there is the potential that sheets or clothing are
soiled with body fluids, wear disposable gloves and
wash the items in water with detergent and bleach.
Dirty Dishes
Always use hot water and soap to wash dishes.
Wear dishwashing gloves and scrape off all
(Continued next page...)
Home Care Assistance News
New locations! Home Care Assistance
announces the opening of our newest offices,
located in Milwaukee, WI and Chicago IL.
CareNotes Newsleer, Volume II, Number 1
Food illness (continued):
Cleanliness (continued):
remaining or baked-on foods from dishes and pans
before washing, even before using an automatic
dishwasher. For extra disinfecting by hand, you can
also add a small amount of chlorine beach to the
final rinse water and soak all items in this solution
for at least one minute. Rinse them again in hot
running water and allow them to air dry.
Kitchen and cooking surfaces
After cleaning, sanitize stove and counter tops,
refrigerators and freezers using a bleach solution or
a chlorine-based disinfectant cleaner, not
ammonia. Wear gloves.
How to make a bleach solution
Symptoms
Diagnosing food poisoning can be tricky. Common
symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramping,
fever, headache, vomiting and severe exhaustion.
Sometimes blood or pus appears in the stools,
Symptoms vary according to the type and amount of
contaminants eaten.
Symptoms may come on as early as half-hour after
eating, but sometimes the onset doesn’t begin for
days or weeks and it can be mistaken for a stomach
flu. They usually last only a day or two, but in some
cases can persist a week to 10 days.
In case of illness
If you suspect that you or a family member has
foodborne illness, follow these general guidelines:
1. Preserve the evidence. This will help doctors
diagnose the cause. If a portion of the suspect
food is available, wrap it securely, mark
“DANGER” and refrigerate it. Save all the
packaging materials, such as cans or cartons.
(Continued next page...)
You can make a bleach solution using 2 teaspoons
of bleach in one gallon of water or 1/4 teaspoon
bleach in a quart of water. You must make a fresh
solution every time you use it.
Toilets and bedpans
Wear gloves and clean regularly using a chlorinebased disinfectant cleaner.
Disposing of waste
Wear disposable gloves when discarding issues,
paper towels, diapers, etc. All infectious body
wastes and contaminated items should be placed
in leak-proof containers such as heavy duty plastic
bags, tied shut, and then placed in a second plastic
bag before discarding. Label the bag “contaminated
items.” Feces or any liquid blood must be flushed
down the toilet.
Controlling infection
Diseases that can be spread from one person to
another include colds, flu and pneumonia. Here are
some simple and even common sense ways to keep
such germs from spreading.
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CareNotes Newsleer, Volume II, Number 1
Food illness (continued):
Write down the food type, the date, and time
consumed, and when the symptoms started.
2. Seek treatment immediately, especially in
case of frequent or bloody diarrhea or if
diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than 24 hours.
3. Call the local health department if the
suspect food was served at a large gathering,
from a restaurant or other food service
facility, or if it is a commercial product.
4. Contact the FDA Consumer Food
Information Line at 1 (800-FDA-4010) if you
have questions.
Practice prevention
Practice safe food preparation and sanitation to
prevent cross-contamination.
Cleanliness (continued):
Wash your hands!
This is the the singe most effective way to reduce
infection. Wash your hands using soap and water as
hot as you can stand for 20 seconds or as long as it
takes to sing “Happy Birthday.” Handwashing is
especially important...
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Before and after caring for a person’s body
After using the bathroom
After removing gloves or protective clothing
Before preparing food and after handling raw
meat, poultry or fish
After eating or smoking
Immediately after hand contact with blood or
other body fluids or feces
After shaking hands or other bodily contact
After handling money
Frequently throughout the day
• Use separate knives and cutting boards for
meats and vegetables.
• Wash every kitchen
Wear gloves
surface and utensil
Wear disposable gloves if
with hot soapy water
there is contact with body
or a bleach solution
fluid including:
after food has been
prepared using it.
• Blood
• Use disposable paper
• Infectious materials
towels instead of
such as body fluids
dish cloth.
• Mucous membranes
• Replace sponges
• Broken skin
regularly, throw them
• Soiled fabrics or
in the dishwasher or
surfaces
boil them.
• Wash your hands
Always wear gloves if you
A good rule of thumb is to wash your hands for as have open cuts, sores, or
well with soap and
long as it takes you to sing “Happy Birthday.”
water after handling
dermatitis on your hands.
raw meat and eggs.
• Don’t leave cooked or perishable foods out at
Use only intact gloves. Don’t use gloves if they are
room temperature longer than two hours.
peeling, cracked or discolored or if they have holes
• Keep foods out of the danger zone of 40°F to
or tears in them.
140°F. Between those two temperatures,
bacteria multiply rapidly.
Sneezing and coughing
• Divide up leftover food and store it in shallow
If you or someone you’re caring for is sneezing or
containers no more than two inches deep so it
coughing, take these precautions:
cools faster.
(Continued next page...)
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CareNotes Newsleer, Volume II, Number 1
Food illness (continued):
• Keep refrigerators at 40°F or lower and keep
freezers at 0°F or lower.
• Use a meat thermometer to make sure meat is
cooked thoroughly to 160°F or even better to
170°F. Poultry should be cooked to 180°F.
• Don’t wash poultry before cooking because
that gives bacteria a chance to spread.
• Shellfish, especially oysters, are particularly
dangerous when eaten raw.
• Wash fruits and vegetables under running
water, preferably twice.
• If a food doesn’t look right or smell right or if
it bulges, throw it out.
Dining out safely
Here are some tips for avoiding contaminated food
when eating away from home.
• Avoid menu items that are made with raw or
undercooked eggs, such as hollandaise sauce,
Caesar salad, fresh mayonnaise, unless they
were made using a pasteurized commercial
egg product. Ask your server to ask the cook.
• If you’re in a city that requires restaurants to
display their heath department ratings, eat
only at “A-rated” or “90%+” establishments.
• Observe the cleanliness of your server’s
hands. See if your food is being handled in a
sanitary manner. Judge the tidiness of the
whole restaurant, including the restroom. If
the place is in poor shape, they may also have
a problem following food safety standards.
• Monitor food temperature. If foods meant to
be hot or cold are served to you lukewarm,
send them back.
• Avoid eating salad mixtures such as pasta
salad, potato salad or chicken salad, which are
handled after they are prepared and may not
have been stored at the correct temperatures.
This is especially true at outdoor gatherings.
Observing safe food handling steps will go a long
way to preventing unpleasant and even lifethreatening foodborne illnesses.
Cleanliness (continued):
• Do not use a handkerchief; use disposable
tissues and do not reuse them.
• If you are unable to cover a sneeze or cough
using a tissue, cough or sneeze into the crook
of your clothed elbow—not into your hands.
• Wear a disposable face mask.
By following these procedures, you will help reduce
the risk to yourself, your family and the elders in
your care.
Caregiver Spotlight
Elaine Ellis, a caregiver
from the St. Louis,
Missouri HCA office, is a
CNA with more than 12
years experience in caring
for others.
One of Elaine’s greatest
attributes is her ability to
establish trust with clients, allowing them to
openly share their issues and concerns. Elaine’s
positive attitude has won over even the most
demanding clients. Her knowledge of
dementia has been invaluable with several
clients. She has helped family members learn
techniques to better deal with their loved ones.
Elaine’s dedication was evidenced over the
holiday weekend, when she filled-in to care for
a live-in client more than 100 miles away until
the regular caregiver could return.
Elaine also contributes to the community as a
Case Manager/Instructor for MERS Goodwill
in St. Louis where she assists individuals
seeking employment, helping them with
training, resume writing and interviewing
techniques. Whether at HCA or MERS
Goodwill, Elaine is truly a strong mentor
and inspirational individual.
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