Today our Director of Operations, Jenna Schrumpf, is in Lansing to meet with fellow brain injury advocates and legislative leaders. We invite you to follow along her day in our Capitol Day interactive timeline!
V. Joe (2012, October 16). “A Guide to Nursing Specialties.” Retrieved on May 9, 2016 from http://allnurses.com/nurses-rock/a-guide-to-792385.html
We come into contact with germs every day. According¹ to Philip Tierno, Director of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at NYU and author of “The Secret Life of Germs,” 60,000 types of germs to be exact. They are on gas pumps, shopping carts, cell phones, elevator buttons, and the list goes on. Being in the healthcare industry, it is not only important for our staff to practice proper hand hygiene before assisting our clients but it is also important that we share these techniques to the public to help prevent the spread of infections and diseases. Below you will find tips to improve your hand hygiene techniques.
First, what exactly is Hand Hygiene?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)²,
“Hand Hygiene means cleaning your hands by using either handwashing (washing hands with soap and water), antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub (i.e. alcohol-based hand sanitizer including foam or gel), or surgical hand antisepsis.”
When should you perform Hand Hygiene?
The CDC suggests you should clean your hands4:
- Before eating
- Before and after having direct contact with a patient’s intact skin (taking a pulse or blood pressure, performing physical examinations, lifting the patient in bed)
- After contact with blood, body fluids or excretions, mucous membranes, non-intact skin, or wound dressings
- After contact with inanimate objects (including medical equipment) in the immediate vicinity of the patient
- If hands will be moving from a contaminated-body site to a clean-body site during patient care
- After glove removal
- After using a restroom
If you hands are not visibly dirty, cleaning your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the preferred method. When your hands are visibly dirty with blood or other body fluids or after using the toilet, you should wash your hands with soap and water. With both methods, the duration of time for rubbing your hands clean is at least 15 seconds. The image below shows the technique for washing your hands. These hand motions can be applied to when using the hand sanitizer method as well as the soap and water method. Note: with the soap and water technique, you should dry your hands thoroughly with a towel and use that towel to turn off the faucet.
Figure 2: How to Hand Rub. “Hand Hygiene: Why, How & When?,” by World Health Organization, (2009).
What are the “My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene?”
The “My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene” were identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as five crucial moments when hand hygiene is required during the care of patients. Figure 2 includes illustrations of the My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene. According to the WHO³, the patient zone in a home care setting “…corresponds to the patient (his/her intact skin and clothes) and the home environment, which is contaminated mainly by the patient’s flora. Any care items and transportation containers brought by the [Health Care Worker] HCWs represent the health-care area. The point of care is where the procedure takes place.” Because there are various direct and indirect contact with the patient, proper hand hygiene is imperative.
Figure 2: Illustration of the My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene and zone concepts. “Hand Hygiene in Outpatient and Home-based Care and Long-term Care Facilities,” by World Health Organization, (2012).
Want to learn more?
For more resources on Hand Hygiene, visit the following sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/providers/index.html
http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/en/
¹ Brownstein J., Chitale R. (2008, Spetember 5). “10 Germy Surfaces You Touch Every Day.” Retrieved May 2, 2016 from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=5727571&page=1
² The Centers for Disease and Prevention. (2016, March 15). “Clean Hands Count for Healthcare Providers.” Retrieved May 2, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/providers/index.html
³ World Health Organization (2012). “Hand Hygiene in Outpatient and Home-based Care and Long-term Care Facilities.” Retrieved May 2, 2016 from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/78060/1/9789241503372_eng.pdf?ua=1
4 World Health Organization (2009). “Hand Hygiene: Why, How & When?” Retrieved May 2, 2016 from http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Hand_Hygiene_Why_How_and_When_Brochure.pdf?ua=1
How much do you know about strokes? For all awareness levels, this is a great introductory video for National Stroke Awareness Month!
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Source: National Stroke Association (2016, April 9). National Stroke Awareness Month: Are You StreetSmart About Stroke? Retrieved May 4, 2016 from www.stroke.org
BAY CITY, MI, Apr. 26, 2016- Dobson Healthcare Services, Inc. is hosting a Recruitment Open House on Tuesday, May 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Bay City Corporate Office located on 3741 Wilder Road, Bay City, MI 48706.
The goal of the Recruitment Open House is to fill open caregiver positions including but not limited to Home Health Aides (HHAs), Certified Nursing Assistants, and Registered Nurses. These openings are throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. Attendees to the event will be able to speak with the Recruitment and Scheduling Team at Dobson Healthcare and participate in on-the-spot interviews.
The Recruitment Open House is open to the public and walk-ins are welcomed. Before attending on Tuesday, however, applications for employment are suggested to be completed online and a call made to the Recruitment and Scheduling Team to schedule an appointment. “Before the Open House, we’re encouraging those interested to visit our website and submit an online application,” said Barbara Reynolds, Human Resources Director for Dobson Healthcare. “Submitting an application prior to the event allows us to schedule interviews and make them a priority at the open house.” The application can be found at http://www.dobsonhealthcare.com/careers/.
In addition to being one of the highest paying home healthcare agencies, Dobson Healthcare offers caregivers opportunities to earn Holiday and Service Bonuses as well as flexibility with their schedules.
Founded in 1988, Dobson Healthcare Services, Inc. has over 100 years of combined experience in the Private Duty Home Care industry. Clients of all ages, from pediatric to geriatric, who benefit from services generally include individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injury survivors, individuals requiring Infusion Therapy, ventilator/trache dependents, veterans with qualifying benefits, and individuals requiring wound care.
For more information on the Recruitment Open House hosted by Dobson Healthcare, please visit www.dosbonhealthcare.com or contact the Recruitment and Scheduling Team at 866-866-8984 or by email at jobs@dobsonhealthcare.com.
We are excited to officially announce the launch of our newly designed website! The update included showcasing our Dobson yellows, adding new functions, improving the content and readability of our service pages, and more. The updated site can be found at the same URL: www.dobsonhealthcare.com.
As a leader in the Private Duty Home Care industry, it was important to us to utilize current technology and create a modern website that has an inviting look for our visitors. Our main goal with this new layout is to provide visitors an easier way to learn about Dobson Healthcare’s services. Now, the website is organized in a way that is more user-friendly and promotes easier access to all information you may need about Dobson, helping you make an informed decision about home care. Furthermore we wished to create a site that would be considered a resource for home care education and support. Current and prospective clients, caregivers, and referral sources will find useful information about our services, industry resources, and healthcare trends throughout the site.
In addition, the website has new features including special links to Thrive (our online newsletter), our Service Overview flipbook, and various social media outlets. We will be consistently updating our content to provide helpful information, company announcements, articles, and more in our Dobson Happenings and Home Care News blogs.
We wish to thank our staff as well as Cosens Web Consulting for their hard work and dedication to put this website together.
We encourage you to visit and explore the redesigned website. For any questions, feedback, or comments please email us.
Thank you!
Alison Jarabeck
Marketing Communications Associate
Clear out the clouds and let the sun shine!
Having a positive mindset can make a huge impact on your health and wellness. It can aide in reducing stress, help you fight off disease, and more! Want to make a change to bring more positivity in your life? Start by breaking small, negative habits and work towards a larger goal; and don’t forget to reward yourself a long the way. Participate in events or volunteer with organizations you love! Here are a few more tips to create positive energy in your life!
The Huffington Post. (2013, October, 03). How Positive Thinking Can Improve Your Health. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.huffingtonpost.com
GalTime. (2014). 8 Steps to Attract Positive Energy into Your Life. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.galtime.com
Junttila, H. (2011). 7 Powerful Ways to Supercharge Your Life With Positivity. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.becomingminimalist.com
Love or Above. (2014, May 10). 11 Ways to Bring Positive Energy Into Your Life. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.loveorabove.com
May Clinic. (2014, May, 04). Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.mayclinic.org
Pawar, D. (2016, January 13). “What is Occupational Therapy (OT).” Retrieved April 19, 2016 from www.occupationaltherapyot.com
Do you have the urge to begin your annual spring cleaning routine?
Many individuals are using this time to clear out gutters, freshen up their landscape, wash windows, and so much more. If you’re ready to start clearing out the old and sweeping in the new, don’t forget to include or adhere to these important safety tips!
Consumer Reports. (2013, March). Spring Cleaning Health And Safety Tips. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.consumerreports.org
Household Management 101. (n.d.). Top Ten Spring Cleaning Safety Tips. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.household-management-101.com
National Safety Council. (n.d.). Spring: A Great Time to Review Your Safety Checklist. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.nsc.org
Schwartz, D. B. (n.d.). How to Change a Furnace Filter – Bob Vila. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.bobvila.com