Home care – What you need to do!
1. Give sick people a separate place at home.
It can also protect the sick person from getting infected with other disease causing agents.What you need to do:
§ Keep the sick person in a room separate from the common areas of the house. Keep the sickroom door closed.
§ Keep this room well-aired by making use of natural breezes from doors and windows.
§ If possible, set aside a separate bathroom for the sick person. This bathroom should be cleaned daily with household disinfectant.
§ Unless necessary for medical care, persons with the flu should not leave the home when they have a fever or during the time that they are most likely to spread their infection to others up to 7 days after they get sick.
§ If persons with the flu need to leave the home for medical care, they should cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and wear a loose-fitting (surgical) mask if available.
§ Have the sick person wear a surgical mask if they need to be in a common area of the house near other persons. They should be at least 1 metre away from healthy people.
2. Assign a single caregiver to a sick person.
§ The caregiver must always cover their mouth and nose when coming into contact with the sick person.
§ When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
§ The caregiver must wash their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub every time after contact with the sick person.
§ Everyone else in the household should also clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
§ There should be good ventilation in shared household areas (e.g., keeping windows open in restrooms, kitchen, bathroom).
§ Check with your healthcare provider to see if some persons in the home, such as the caregiver, should use antiviral medications.
§ Monitor yourself and household members for flu symptoms and contact your health care provider if symptoms occur.
§ Assign the mother as the caregiver if her breastfed infant is sick.
3. Give plenty of fluids to the sick person.
§ Ensure the sick person drinks as much as she or he can.
§ Use “sweet waters”, fruit juice, soup and/or oral rehydration salts.
§ Continue to breastfeed sick infants unless the clinical condition of the mother does not permit this.
4. Recognise danger signs and seek prompt care.
§ Observe the sick person closely and ensure he or she receives immediate medical attention if they show any of the danger signs.
Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre
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