April 04, 2009 3 Comments

When a pandemic hits at your home you need to be prepared a care for your patients. There are many aspects to this but for today determine which room in your home will act as the isolation room, or room where those who are ill will be cared for.

Whenever possible this should be a room with it’s own bathroom facilities, even if this means giving up your master bedroom. After all, one of the best ways to spread germs is by using a towel that someone who is ill has used. If your patient uses a bathroom that no one else has access to, you eliminate this risk. Any risk you can eliminate or minimize will greatly improve the chances of keeping illness to a minimum, maybe even to only one family member.

If you have a bedroom which is separated from other bedrooms in the home, this would also be a good choice. In some cases a master bedroom or guest room is separate, in another part of the home, from the remaining bedrooms. The greater the distance you place between those who are ill and those who are not, the better. You may be worried about hearing your patient during the night but this can easily be remedied by placing a baby monitor in your recovery room with the receiver in your own bedroom, or during the day, in any room where you may be located.

When possible, this room should also include a TV with DVD player.  You will want to keep your patient distracted during the daylight hours. If they like to read this is a great option after a few days but during that first day, or two, a movie is better. When I was very ill with a painful condition the only relief I found was the brief time I was distracted by a movie or favorite TV show. I never did make it through an entire show, but for a few minutes it made coping much easier. A good movie which occupies a child will also give you time to rest in another room so you will have the energy you need to care for your family and, hopefully, remain healthy yourself.

Finally plan for the possibility you will need to set up a second bed in that room. If another member of the household becomes ill you will want all your patients in the same room. Do you have a twin bed you could move in? What would you have to move out to make room?  One Christmas while we were visiting family my husband become ill with pneumonia. He had to sleep on an air mattress the entire time, it was no fun. Plan for a real bed.

If you happen to have a room with an outside entrance or a balcony this is a huge plus. Imagine what a boost it would be to someone who is ill if they could sit out in the fresh air and the sun for a few minutes. We all know how a five minute break outdoors can completely change our attitudes. Again, this could all be accomplished with the risk of spreading germs through the house.

I firmly believe when we think through what we might need to do during an emergency, that the crisis is easier to handle. Thinking now about your options for the care of a family member, will greatly reduce stress later.

Please take a moment to read the important comment on this post. It was received shortly after I posted. There is a link in the post for more info but here is another http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517790,00.html

Pandemic

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