Peninsula Home Care
wants to help you recover in the best possible place
– your home.
What to do about the flu
• Stay informed. Good sources of information are www.flu.gov and
www.cdc.gov.
• Get vaccinated if you are in one of the at-risk categories.
• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through
coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• Symptoms include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches and nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children than adults)
• Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
– Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
– Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you
cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
– Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social
distancing measures.
• Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
Whether sick from the flu, recuperating from surgery or living with a chronic disease, most people would prefer to avoid the hospital or nursing facility and remain in familiar surroundings, among loved ones, at home. Skilled nurses from Peninsula Home Care help make that possible.
Even something as simple as getting a flu shot can be a hassle for the homebound — those for whom leaving home would require “a considerable and taxing effort” — and in many cases, those are the folks — people with chronic medical conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, cardiac disease, diabetes, renal or hepatic disease or patients who are immunosuppressed — who need the protection the most.
For seasonal flu or H1N1 (“swine”) flu, a vaccine is available which Peninsula Home Care can administer under the supervision and order of your physician. PHC staff will contact your physician for an order. A family member can pick up the vaccine from your doctor, the local health department or the pharmacy and a skilled nurse will schedule a time to administer the vaccine and teach the patient about the vaccine and disease treatment and prevention.
Kay Satchell, branch director for PHC in Seaford, Del., said, “Good health habits can help stop germs.” Those habits include avoiding close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick also. Another good health habit is to stay home from work, child care, school and errands when you are sick, except to seek medical care. You will help prevent others from catching the illness. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Satchell continued, “Hand washing is the first line of defense against any infectious germ.” Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
In addition to educating patients on disease prevention and treatment, Peninsula Home Care staff work together, providing health care services that are ordered by physicians, to help return clients to their previous level of function. Services include physical therapy to restore balance, range of motion, strength and endurance. A therapist can determine whether specialized equipment is needed for the home to help reduce the patient’s risk of falling.
An occupational therapist helps modify the home to make it easier for you to function and to perform daily tasks such as bathing, dressing and basic household activities. According to Satchell, “these ideas might be as simple as a grab bar by the tub or a bench for the shower.” The therapist looks at all the activities of daily living to make recommendations and suggestions on how to help a patient be more safe and independent in their own home.
Speech and language therapy are part of rehabilitative therapies to improve speech, language and cognitive function as well as swallowing problems.
Medical social services can evaluate the need for additional resources such as social and emotional counseling and long range planning.
A home health aide provides assistance with personal care such as bathing, toileting and dressing and provides assistance with ambulation.
Nurses provide such services as catheter care, wound care and bandage changes, injections and IV therapy, medication monitoring, pain management, cardiac care and patient assessment and monitoring.
Above, left to right: Berlin Branch Director Stephanie Mitchell,
Seaford Branch Director Kay Satchell and Salisbury Branch Director Therese Ganster.
Family members are involved from the beginning in developing a plan of care, to make sure that everyone is informed and working together. This service is particularly welcomed by family members who are out of the area and don’t know where to turn for help. A first step might be a visit to the Web site, www.peninsulahomecare.com, followed by a phone call to one of the three offices on Delmarva: Salisbury, Md., 410-543-7550; Ocean Pines, Md., 410-208-4828; and Seaford, Del., 302-629-4914. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; however, nurses from each location are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to talk with you about how Peninsula Home Care can help care for your loved one in their home. In-home services are available 24 hours a day.
Peninsula Home Care believes you will heal faster and better if you are comfortable in your own environment and involved in your care. Get the best care, from the best people, in the best place: home. Let Peninsula Home Care help.