Macon County General Hospital
Working for Your Better Health
Macon County General Hospital
Working for Your Better Health


Know What to Do About the Flu

Caring for a Sick Person at Home

Special precautions are necessary if you are taking care of a sick person at home.

  1.        Ask the person's health care provider about any special care that might be needed.
  2.        Ask the person's health care provider whether the patient should take antiviral medications.
  3.        Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible, especially others who are at
             high risk of complications from influenza.
  4.        Remind the person to cover coughs and clean his/her hands with soap and water or an
             alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after coughing and/or sneezing.
  
Get Medical Care Right Away If the Sick Person

  • Has difficulty breathing or chest pain
  • Has purple or blue discoloration of the lips
  • Is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
  • Shows signs of dehydration such as feeling dizzy when standing, being unable to urinate, or in infants - crying
    without shedding tears
  • Has a seizure
  • Is less responsive than normal and becomes confused.

Protect Other Persons in the Home

  • The sick person should not have visitors other than caregivers.  An e-mail, text message or phone call is safer than a
    visit.
  • All persons in the household should clean their hands with soap and water.
  • Use paper towels for drying hands after hand-washing, or dedicate cloth towels to each person.  For example, have
    different colored towels for each person.

Protect Yourself While Caring for Others

  • Avoid being face-to face with the sick person.
  • When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
  • Clean you hands with soap and water.
  • If close contact with a sick individual is unavoidable, consider wearing a face mask, if available and tolerable.

Household Cleaning, Laundry and Waste Disposal

Please follow certain cleaning and disposal procedures in an effort to maintain the health of the caregiver and
others living in the household with the sick person.

  • Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by the sick person in the trash.  Wash your hands after
    touching used tissues and similar waste.
  • Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, doorknobs and toys for children) clean by
    wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
  • Linens, eating utensils and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but
    importantly these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.
  • Wash linens (such as bed sheets and towels) by using household laundry soap and tumble dry on a hot setting.  
    Avoid "hugging" laundry prior to washing it to prevent contaminating yourself.  Clean your hands with soap and water
    or alcohol based hand rub right after handling dirty laundry.
  • Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or hand wash with soap and water.



Please Note:  All information contained herein is for educational purposes only.  
For specific medical advice, diagnoses and treatment, please consult your doctor.