Questions?
What is the best way to protect myself when I have to handle medical waste?
Your best protection is to always wear disposable gloves. You can buy these gloves in a drug store or medical equipment store.
How do I throw away used needles?
Throw away any used needles or sharp lancets used for blood testing into a sharps container. You can buy these sturdy non-recyclable containers at a medical equipment store or you can use a heavy duty laundry detergent bottle.
The person I care for always soils the bed linen with urine. What do I do?
Launder the soiled linen separate from regular linen or clothes. When you remove the linen from the bed, place it in a plastic bag. When it is time to launder, remove the linen from the bag while wearing disposable gloves. Wash the soiled linen separately in the washer and add some chlorine bleach to the wash cycle. Dry the linen in your regular clothes dryer.
The person I care for has HIV. What do I do if I get stuck by a needle?
Wash the injured area with soap and water and rinse well. The chance of you getting HIV is very low, but call your doctor. The doctor may decide to have you tested for HIV. If you know the person you are caring for has HIV, get a “baseline” blood test before you provide care so that future blood tests can be compared to the baseline