Caring for Your Aging Parent? Please Read This

Please Be Extra Careful When Caring For Elderly Parents!!!

There are a lot of people caring for their aging parents at home. I want to spread the word about HAND WASHING and other safety measures. I contracted drug-resistant staph (MRSA), and several other strains of bacteria from my dad, which progressed into necrotizing fasciitis (NF) aka "flesh eating bacteria."

I was Dad's in-home health care provider. I had to do almost everything for him. I gave him "Push IV" antibiotics and when his bladder was catheterized, I was responsible for changing the bags and keeping the tubing free of debris.

My forearm got drenched in his urine while I was trying to dress him one day. He was 86 years old at the time and showing signs of the onset of Alzheimers Disease. He pushed his foot against my arm to steady himself ... his sock was soaked in urine (his bag had leaked).

Dad's HMO kept sending him home with hospital-acquired infections (MRSA, VRE and more) time and time again. They never once warned us of how infectious he was. In fact, they implied that his infections were internal and did not pose a risk to others.

It is vital that you wash your hands often while caring for the sick or elderly. Do not touch urine, pus or other secretions. Flesh eating bacteria generally are not airborne, but can readily be passed via skin-to-skin contact.

You can read more about my ordeal at:
http://doreen.mkbmemorial.com/NF/