Consumers and care providers are strongly encouraged to tell each other about any health conditions they have that may adversely affect the other’s health. This includes all infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, MRSA and others. The Registry advises care providers to use Universal Precautions against infectious disease in all cases, whether or not there is disclosure of a medical condition.
Universal Precautions
Care providers must assume that all clients can potentially infect the care provider, regardless of whether an infectious disease has been disclosed. They should use methods of preventing the spread of blood and air-born germs, viruses and parasites. We recommend that care providers follow these Universal Precautions:
- Wear latex or vinyl gloves when there is a chance of contact with blood or body fluids, including emptying or cleaning a commode, cleaning the bathroom, dealing with dirty laundry or providing personal care.
- Wash hands and other skin surfaces immediately after contamination.
- Clean up blood and body fluid spills promptly, and wear gloves.
- Wear gloves when assisting a client with changing adult diapers, pads, handling bed linen, or doing bowel and bladder care.
- Wear gloves if giving a bed bath.
- Wear gloves when there is possible contact with open sores, burns or hangnails.
- Wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before preparing or eating food, before and after treating a cut or wound, after handling garbage, after going to the bathroom, and after sneezing, coughing or blowing nose.
The IHSS consumer is to provide gloves to the care provider. The IHSS Public Authority will provide your care provider with a limited supply of disposable gloves, disinfectant wipes and masks upon request.