Here are some steps to try and stay home instead of going to your second home (the hospital!)
Prevention
-Do not allow sick people into your house (unless they live there) (Put a sign on your door, put it on your party invitations, etc...)
-Do not go where you know people are sick (ie: your sister's kids are sick, don't go visit)
-When anyone comes home from anywhere (school, store, etc...) wash hands or use hand sanitizer. It is the first thing I say when when we walk in the door..."Hand sanitizer". Have a bottle readily available and kept in the same place somewhere near the door.
-Frequent handwashing during the day
-Wipe all high touch surfaces once a day with lysol wipes...doorknobs, phones, cupboard handles, etc...
Once the sickness hits someone else in the family
-Isolate the sick person to one room that the child with disabilities will not enter. The sick person is not allowed to wander the house. If they are going on a couch, cover the couch first with a sheet which you can wash on hot once they are better.
-Dissolve Emergen-C or Airbourne and give multiple times per day to the rest of the family to boost immune system
-Increase wiping of high-touch areas
-Use bleach in each load of dishes run through dishwasher or use disposable paper products
-Wash clothes in hot where possible
Once the sickness hits the child with disabilities (obviously don't do any treatments that you or or Dr. disagree with)
-Isolate them to keep it from spreading to the rest of the family
-Wash hands pretty much non-stop
-Elevate the head of the bed
-Increase fluids
-Use a room humidifier 24/7 in the same room as the sick child. I have heard that cool mist is better because mold is more likely to grow in warm mist.
-Mentholatum under the nose (there may be a minimum age on this...I don't know...talk to your Dr. or pharmacist)
-Vicks vapor rub on the chest and/or feet (covered with socks) (there may be a minimum age on this...I don't know...talk to your Dr. or pharmacist)
-Elevate the head of the bed
-Get them out of the bed and upright at least 3-4 times per day. It settles into their chest if they are just laying there.
-Depending on the age of your child, you can give both Sudafed D (OTC, but behind the counter) and benadryl at the same time. One makes stuff drain and one dries out secretions. (I can't remember which does which...ask your pharmacist). Make sure it is Sudafed D...not just sudafed. Sudafed D comes in pill or liquid and occasionally you can find the liquid in a generic (still behind the counter).
-Take them in a steamy bathroom
-You can use a saline nose spray as much as you want. It moistens the nostrils and the salt helps break up secretions. This is fine for ALL ages.
-Afrin nose spray for a stuffy nose. Afrin has medication in it (it is not just saline). Your nose can become addicted to Afrin, so you don't want to use it long-term. ENT told me you can use it 3 times a day for 3 days (I sometimes use it a little longer than that). You don't want to use it long-term because it is hard to get rid of it. (there may be a minimum age on this...I don't know...talk to your Dr. or pharmacist)
-Add or increase moisture given with O2
-If they use a vibrating vest or have breathing treatments...increase both. We normally do 2 treatments, but when sick we go to 3 or 4 per day
-We force her to cough after breathing treatments. This helps keep her lungs clear and keeps the gunk from turning into pneumonia (this might not be for everyone)
-Dissolve Emergen-C or Airbourne and give through the g-tube multiple times per day to the child to boost immune system
I would like to look into using oils both on the body and diffusing into the air, but have not done so yet.
There are side effects to many of the suggestions I listed. Such as Sudafed can raise your heart-rate, Benadryl can make you sleepy, Afrin can be addicting, I have heard rumors that mentholatum and vicks can cause increased seizures. For me, the benefits outweigh the side effects, but you will have to choose for yourself.
What other suggestions do you have when your child with severe disabilities gets sick? Please comment below!
You can also like my facebook page to get these posts in your FB feed. https://www.facebook.com/SupportedInOurTrials/
No comments:
Post a Comment