ELECTRICAL
- Arrange furniture so that outlets are available for lamps and appliances without the use of extension cords.
- If you must use an extension cord; place it on the floor against the wall where people cannot trip over it.
- Remove cords from under furniture or carpeting.
- Replace damaged, cracked, or frayed cords.
- Use tape to attach cords to walls and floors. Never use nails, staples, etc. as they may damage cords.
- If the rating on an extension cord is exceeded because of the power requirements of one or more appliances being used on the cord, change the cord to a higher rated one or unplug some appliances.
- If an extension cord is needed, use one having a sufficient amp or wattage rating.
- Unplug small appliances when not in use.
SMOKE DETECTORS
- Make sure detectors are placed near bedrooms, either on the ceiling or 6-12 inches below the ceiling on the wall.
- Locate smoke detectors away from air vents.
- At least one smoke detector should be placed on every floor of your home.
- Check the batteries in your smoke detectors and replace them immediately if dead.
TELEPHONE
- Move the phone so that the telephone cords will not lie where people will walk.
- Install a telephone close to your bed in case of emergency.
- Telephone numbers for the Police, Fire Department, and local Poison Control, along with a neighbor’s number should be posted by the phone.
LIGHTING
- Improve lighting by opening curtains and blinds unless this causes too much glare.
- Use the maximum wattage bulb allowed by a fixture.
- Reduce glare by using frosted bulbs, indirect lighting and shades or globes on light fixtures.
- Install additional light fixtures such as under cabinets and over countertops.
- Install night lights in hallways, passageways, and heavy traffic areas.
BATHROOM
- Apply texture strips or appliqués on the floors of tubs or showers. Use non-skid mats in the tub or shower and on the bathroom floor.
- If you are unsteady on your feet, use a stool with non-skid tips as a seat when showering or bathing.
- Install grab bars to assist you to get in or out of the tub/shower. Check existing bars for strength and stability. Replace as necessary.
- Set the heat setting on your hot water heater to low or 120 degrees.
- Always check water temperature by hand before entering bath or shower.
RUG, RUNNERS, & MATS
- Remove rugs and runners that tend to slide.
- Apply double-faced carpet tape or rubber matting to the backs of rugs and runners.
- Purchase rugs with slip-resistant backing, or place rubber matting under rugs.
- Check rugs and mats periodically to see if backing needs to be replaced.
STAIRWAYS
- If no handrails are present in stairways, install at least one handrail on the right side as you face down the stairs.
- Repair broken handrails. Tighten loose handrails.
- Make sure carpeting is firmly attached to the steps all along the stairs.
- Consider refinishing or replacing worn treads, or replacing worn carpeting. Avoid deep pile carpeting on stairways.
- Paint outside steps with paint that has a rough texture, or use abrasive strips.
FLAMMABLE AND VOLATILE LIQUIDS
- Avoid storing flammable or volatile liquids in your home. Store them in original containers and check periodically to make sure they are tightly closed. Never store gasoline in your home.
- If you must store these items in your home, remove these products from areas near heat or flames such as heaters, furnaces, water heaters, ranges, and other gas appliances.
PASSAGEWAYS
- Rearrange furniture to open passageways and walkways.
- Remove boxes and clutter.
MEDICATION SAFETY
- Never share or borrow medications.
- Take your medication on schedule. If you miss a dose, consult your nurse or physician.
- Do not save old medications for future use.
- Keep your medications in a safe, dry place, out of the reach of children.
- Do not skip, double up, or stop taking your medications. If you feel a medication is causing you side effects, consult your nurse or physician.
- Do not put all your medications into one bottle.
- Always check the label before you take a medication. If you can’t read the print, ask the pharmacist to re-label the bottle with larger size print.
- Many non-prescription medications can affect the way your prescribed medications work. Ask your physician before taking any non-prescription medications.
- If you have trouble remembering to take your medications, a medication box may help.
- Always keep a list of your medications with you at all times.
- If you are allergic to any medications, you should have a medical alert tag or card.
- Always check your current medication list to make sure you are taking the correct dosages.
SPECIAL EMERGENCIES
TORNADO SAFETY/PLAN
- Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls.
- In homes and small buildings, go to the basement or an interior part of the lowest level if there is no basement.
- Closets, bedrooms, and interior halls offer the best protection in many cases.
- Get under something sturdy, such as a heavy piece of furniture or stairwell support if possible.
- In high-rise buildings, go to interior small rooms or hallways on the lowest floor possible.
- In mobile homes or vehicles, leave and take shelter in a substantial structure. If there is no nearby shelter, lie flat in the nearest ditch or ravine with your hands sheltering your head.
- Cover your head and face with blanket or pillow to provide protection from flying debris.
- If you are not ambulatory, get to an innermost hall or room on the lowest level possible.
- If the patient is bedridden and cannot leave the room, move the bed as far away from the windows as possible, and close the drapes/blinds. Use whatever is available to provide protection, especially to the head and face.
COLD WEATHER EMERGENCY
- Keep a 1-2 week supply of food and water, heating fuel, and medications in case of isolation at home.
- Do not attempt to go out during a snow storm or if there is significant snow fall forecasted.
- Stay in, stay warm. If you absolutely must go out, dress warmly. Protect your skin from frostbite.
- Keep your car properly serviced and filled with gas. Keep emergency supplies in the car: container of sand, windshield scraper, blanket, and flashlight.
- Carry a cellular phone (if available).
HOT WEATHER EMERGENCY
- Wear loose-fitting, light weight clothing.
- Drink water and other fluids to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through sweating.
- Stay in a cool environment. Fans help to cool the environment, but air conditioning is preferred on very hot days. On days over 90° F and with humidity over 35%. Fans simply blow hot humid air around creating a convection oven effect.
- Take it easy on hot days. Rest, and read a book, or watch television.
- If you do not have air conditioning in your home, and can travel, go to a cooling center. Call the Illinois Department of Human Services hotline at 800-843-6154 during normal business hours, or refer to the list below for the cooling center closest to your location. if you cannot travel, call 311 and ask for non emergency assistance. You may also call the agency for assistance.
FIRE SAFETY
IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE:
- Get out as quickly as possible.
- Leave all possessions behind.
- Never go back inside for any reason.
- Crawl low under the smoke.
- Test all doors before you open them. Open a door only if it is cool, and even then be prepared to close it quickly if smoke or flames rush in.
- Stop, Drop, and Roll if your clothes catch on fire. Cover your face with your hands.
- Don’t panic if you are trapped:
- – Close the door between you and the fire.
- – If there is a working phone in the room, call the fire department and tell the dispatcher the location of the room, even if you see fire trucks outside.
- – Stuff rags, towels, clothing, or blankets around the door cracks to keep out smoke.
- – Wait at a window if possible, Signal Fire-fighters with a light colored cloth or flashlight. If possible, put a wet cloth over your nose and mouth.
- – DO NOT break the window.
FIRE SAFETY AND ESCAPE PLAN
If person is ambulatory:
- 1. Immediately evacuate the building.
- 2. Dial 911
If person is non-ambulatory, but is not bedridden:
- 1. Transfer person to wheelchair or other moveable piece of furniture that will go through doorway.
- 2. Evacuate the building.
- 3. Dial 911
If person is bedridden:
- 1. Close the door to the room the person is in and seal the cracks with towels or blankets.
- 2. If fire is inside the room, remove the person by any method available, close the door to the fire, and seal the cracks with towels or blankets.
- 3. If unable to remove the person from the room or building where the fire is present, move the person as close to the floor as possible, and cover with wet sheets/towels while waiting for help.
- 4. Evacuate the building.
- 5. Dial 911 or to report the fire, and notify the fire department that a disabled person is trapped and needs assistance.
- 6. The caregiver may attempt to put out the fire: after the patient’s safety is secured, and the fire department has been notified, and only if there is no threat to the caregiver.
PAIN AND PAIN MANAGEMENT
What is Pain?
Pain is the body’s alarm system. It lets us know that something is wrong. When part of the body is injured or hurt it releases chemicals signals. Nerves send the pain signals to the brain, where they are recognized as pain.
Pain often tells us that we need to do something, For instance if we touch a hot pan, pain signals make us take our hands away from the heat.
Long-lasting (chronic) pain, such as arthritis pain is different. It tells us that something is wrong, but it often isn’t easy to relieve. Managing chronic pain is important, because it can disrupt a person’s life.
How Does the Body Control Pain?
Pain signals are sent through a complex system of nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The body can produce pain-blocking chemicals called endorphins. The body can produce endorphins naturally through thoughts and emotions. It can also produce endorphins in response to outside controls such as medicine.
What Can Make Your Pain Feel Worse?
- increased disease activity
- stress
- excessive physical activity
- fatigue
- anxiety
- depression
What Can Make Your Pain Decrease?
- positive attitude and positive thoughts
- careful monitored exercise
- relaxation
- medication
- massage
- distraction
- pleasing sights
- topical lotions
- humor
- heat or cold treatments
Communicating Your Pain.
If you are feeling pain, you need to be able to describe it to your healthcare providers. Try to use words that will help others understand what you are feeling. Your doctors and others who are caring for you need to know:
- Where do you feel your pain?
- When did it begin?
- What does it feel like? Sharp? Dull? Throbbing? Steady? Shooting? Sickening? Etc…
- How bad is it? On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0= no pain at all and 10 = the worse pain in the world, how do you rate your pain?
- Does it prevent you from doing your daily activities? Which ones?
- What relieves your pain?
- What makes it worse?
- What have you tried for pain relief? What helped? What did not help?
- What have you done in the past to relieve other kinds of pain?
- Is your pain constant? If not, how many times in a day (or week) does it occur?
- How long does it last each time?
- Do other symptoms, such as nausea, dizziness, weakness, constipation, diarrhea, or perspiration accompany your pain?
- Does the pain affect your ability to sleep?
- Does it affect your desire to eat?
- Does the pain affect your physical activity? In what ways?
- Does the pain affect your relationships with others?
- Does the pain make you feel afraid, angry, unable to concentrate, depressed, irritable, or suicidal?
If you have pain, tell your physician and your home health care providers, so that an effective pain control program can be put into effect for you. There are many pain control methods available. We want you to be as comfortable and as pain-free possible.
INFECTION CONTROL IN THE HOME
- If possible, have your own room.
- Clean your room daily. Items such as toys, books, and games may be cleaned with soap and water or wiped down with alcohol. Wash trash containers with soap and water; then spray the containers with commercial disinfectant. Wash the floors and the furniture with a commercial disinfectant. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning medical equipment. Usually soap and water are fine. When it is possible, open the windows and air out your room.
- Clean up spills of blood or urine with a 10% bleach solution (1 part of bleach to 10 parts of water) daily. Throw away unused bleach solution at the end of the day.
- The family should wear disposable gloves if contact with the patient’s blood, wound drainage, feces, urine, open areas of the skin, or other bodily fluids is a possibility. The family members should wear utility gloves if they are handling soiled linens, cleaning the patient’s living area, or cleaning up spills of blood, urine, or feces.
- Clean utility gloves with hot soap and water; then disinfect the gloves with a 10% bleach solution. Throw away and replace cracked or torn utility gloves.
- Bag your trash separately (from that of the family) in a plastic leak resistant bag. Double bag as needed to prevent leakage of soiled bandages or disposable items. Keep animals and pets out of your trash.
- Place needles, syringes, lancets, and other sharp objects in a hard-plastic or metal container with a screw-on lid or with a lid that fits securely. Don’t use a glass container. If you use a coffee can, be sure to reinforce the plastic lid with heavy-duty tape. Keep containers with sharp objects out of children’s reach.
- Family members should maintain personal cleanliness by washing their hands before and after using the bathroom and before handling food. Family members should wash their hands before and after giving patient care. (Keep patient as clean as possible.)
- Use a liquid soap in the bathroom. Cover the faucet and the handles with tissue paper before touching them. Each family member should use his or her own toothbrush and drinking glass.
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of germs. Turn your head to avoid droplets from coughs or sneezes.
- Refrigerate milk and other perishable foods. Drink safe water. The household may use the same cooking pots and utensils; however, commonly used or unclean eating utensils should be avoided. Do not share food from the same plate. Wash the patient’s dishes last, or use disposable dishes.
- Maintain health at a high level by eating a balanced diet and getting adequate amounts of sleep, rest, sunshine, fresh air, and exercise.
- Obtain and maintain protection against the diseases for which there are known immunizing agents. Talk to your physician about your immunizations.
- Call your physician and home health nurse when you have complaints of frequent coughs; sudden weight loss; diarrhea; vomiting; increased redness of any wounds; elevated temperature; areas of skin breakdown; lethargy; night sweats; aching; rashes; sore throat; headache; burning during urination; painful urination; or stiff neck.
- Keep in mind the following regarding infection control in the home: (a) good common sense usually provides the best solutions to many situations, and (b) the liberal use of soap and water is still one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection.
OXYGEN SAFETY
OXYGEN CAN BE DANGEROUS IF NOT USED PROPERLY
- Do not smoke near oxygen. Oxygen makes smoldering fires, like cigarettes, burst into flames. Put easily seen “No Smoking” signs in the rooms where the oxygen is used or kept.
- Do not use or store oxygen near stoves, space heaters, or other heat sources. Oxygen under pressure explodes if it gets too hot.
- Keep oxygen away from electrical outlets and appliances. Do not use electrical blankets or heating pads near the oxygen. Do not use poly or nylon bed linens and clothing.
- Use skin care products that contain oil or alcohol with caution while using oxygen.
- Do not run oxygen tubing under clothing, bed linens, furniture, rugs or similar objects.
- You should be able to see the oxygen tubing clearly at all times.
- Keep oxygen container in an upright position.
- Turn off the oxygen when it is not being used. This prevents oxygen leaks and lessens the chance of unexpected combustion.
- Alert the electric company, the local fire department, and the local ambulance about the use and storage of oxygen in your home. Put their numbers and the number of your oxygen supplier next to the telephone.
- Oxygen is medication. Do not change the flow rate or pattern of use from that prescribed by your physician.
PRECAUTIONS AND REMINDERS FOR SPECIFIC OXYGEN DELIVERY SYSTEMS:
OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS:
- Do not use with extension cords.
- Clean filter at least twice each week.
- If power failure occurs, turn off the concentrator and use a back-up oxygen tank until power is restored.
- Turn off the concentrator, use a back-up oxygen tank, and call your supplier if any of the following happens:
- – The alert buzzer does not come on when the power switch is pushed.
- – The power light goes out and the alert buzzer goes on during use.
- – The alert buzzer sounds.
LIQUID OXYGEN:
- Always keep the unit upright in a well ventilated area.
- Avoid touching the unit’s metal parts with your bare hands since frostbite may occur.
COMPRESSED OXYGEN (TANK):
- Keep the oxygen tank away from congested areas in your home.
- Keep at least a 3 day supply of oxygen at your home.
- Open windows and call your oxygen supplier if the tank empties too quickly or if the tank makes a hissing sound.
