As crisp autumn air settles over the Milwaukee area, we face the familiar transition into cold, flu, and RSV season. At Professional Home Care Services, Inc., we know that changing seasons require a shift in how we approach daily wellness. Delivering exceptional Milwaukee home health care directly to you is our highest priority. Therefore, we take proactive steps to protect one another during respiratory season.
Keeping our community healthy is a shared team effort. Here is a look at the rigorous standards our home health caregivers follow to protect older adults and families, and how we can work together this season.
Our Commitment to Your Health and Safety
When you welcome our team into your home, you place immense trust in us. We honor that trust through strict infection control practices. These protocols specifically protect older adults and individuals with vulnerable immune systems.
Our caregivers are your front lines of defense. Every single day, they adhere to rigorous hygiene protocols, including:
- Frequent Hand Hygiene: We mandate diligent handwashing and the use of alcohol-based sanitizers before and after every client interaction. Proper handwashing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) handwashing guidelines.
- Sanitizing Equipment: Caregivers thoroughly clean and disinfect any medical or assistive equipment brought into the home.
- Symptom Monitoring: Our dedicated professionals prioritize their own health so they can safely care for you. Caregivers must monitor themselves for illness. Furthermore, they stay home if they feel unwell. You can learn more about local health tracking through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services respiratory illness data.
- Protective Gear: We utilize masks, gloves, and other protective equipment whenever necessary to minimize transmission risks.
We are incredibly proud of our staff. Their daily dedication to these safety practices is what makes excellent skilled home health care and personal care services possible across southeastern Wisconsin.
How We Can Partner Together
Just as our team takes steps to protect you, we rely on open communication from the families we serve. Our caregivers visit multiple homes daily. Consequently, keeping our staff healthy ensures they can safely continue providing essential services to everyone.
Here is how you can successfully partner with us this winter:
- Keep Us Informed: If the individual receiving care, or any household member, develops a fever, cough, or tests positive for a virus, please notify our office immediately. Timely updates help us prevent the spread of seasonal influenza and other viruses (CDC).
- Practice Good Hygiene: We encourage everyone in the household to wash their hands frequently and cover coughs.
- Prioritize Ventilation: When weather permits, briefly open a window to circulate fresh air. Additionally, reviewing the National Institute on Aging’s cold weather safety tips is a great way to prepare your home for winter while keeping indoor air quality in mind.
By letting us know about illnesses in the home, we can quickly adjust our care plans. We can equip our staff with extra protective gear or reschedule non-essential visits until your household recovers.
A Season of Gratitude
Navigating respiratory season requires mutual respect. To our clients, thank you for trusting us with your in-home care. To our incredible employees, thank you for the empathy and rigorous safety standards you bring to the field every day.
If you have any questions about our infection control protocols, please reach out to the Professional Home Care Services team. Stay warm, and stay healthy!