[humanser] Question about cane sanitation for hospital use

Mon Aug 17 19:50:21 UTC 2015

Hi all,

You make a good point, Ginny, about staff not being compliant.  I
certainly don't want to be one of the bad examples here.

I think Music Therapy has been used in some opperations where the
patient might be awake.  It is also used sometimes while mothers are
birthing, though I haven't seen anything that talks about use durring
C-Sections.  It could be possible though.  In that case, I probably
would ditch the cane and hang on to an elbow or a bed rail to get me
in and out of the OR.

I know there are procedures in place for MT-BCs to clean guitars,
other instruments, and even IPads between uses, but I handle my cane
far more than I do my guitar and that's why I'm so concerned about it.

This is a great thread and I'm thankful for the expertese so far.  I'm
learning a lot and am enjoying the process.

On 8/17/15, Ginny Duff via humanser <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> As soon as you touch anything , Elvis and Johnny Cash will no longer be
> sterile.
>
> I have learned that you just let the infection control people set the rules
> and then you lie by them.
>
> Ginny
>
>
>
> Dr. V. Duff
> Clinical Director, West End ACT Team,
> St. Joseph's Heatlh Centre , Toronto
> Staff Psychiatrist, Complex Mental Illness, CAMH
> Lecturer, University of Toronto
> Tel:   416.530.6000, ext 3101
> FAX:   416.530.6363
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Aug 17, 2015, at 2:52 PM, Michael Abell via humanser
>> <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Ginny,
>>    Thank you so much for your contribution. I feel that I will be more
>> aware and informed should I encounter this situation.
>>    I am thinking that I should be first concerned about my personal
>> health. If I remain vigilant, my chances of "carrying" illness to others
>> decreases. I can certainly understand how I could easily develop a phobia
>> about germs!
>>    I am going to sanitize Elvis and Johnny Cash (the names I have given
>> my main canes) as well as my devices as soon as I put this computer down!
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Michael "Big Dog" Abell
>>
>> Helping individuals to find their eyes in the dark.
>> (480) 369-0805
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ginny
>> Duff
>> via humanser
>> Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 11:44 AM
>> To: humanser at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Ginny Duff
>> Subject:
>> =?utf-8?B?UmU6IFtodW1hbnNlcl0gUXVlc3Rpb24gYWJvdXQgY2FuZSBzYW5pdGF0aW9uIGZvciBob3NwaXRhbCB1c2U===?>
>>
>> In most of the situations described in previous e-mails, it sound like
>> these
>> are  patients who on admission were found to be positive for an
>> antibiotic
>> resistant bacteria which may not even make them sick.   The hospitals are
>> trying to keep the bacteria from spreading from patient to patient
>> because
>> some people in hospital who are ill or medically comprimised may end up
>> in
>> trouble if infected by these particular bacteria.   My husband was in
>> hospital and was found to be MRSA positive.   Everyone had to gown, etc
>> when
>> we interred the room.   The second he was discharged however, we all took
>> our gowns off and walked out of the hospital taking his MRSA bacteria
>> with
>> him into the outer world.   Its kind of crazy.  I have found the policies
>> and procedures a bit baffling, but there are reasons behind them.  Having
>> said that, the compliance rates amongst staff are not always 100%.
>>
>> Working in a hospital, we are supposed to use the alcohol cleanser
>> throughout the day to minimize spread of whatever is on doorknobs,
>> elevator
>> buttons , handrailings ,etc.   I slather the alcohol on my hands and on
>> the
>> handle of my cane every time.
>>
>> There are other situations where someone has something more virulent and
>> then there would be higher levels of infection control.  The room might
>> have
>> negative pressure, etc to keep airborn pathogens in the room.   I don't
>> know
>> the rules about cleaning down equipment in those rooms but am sure it
>> would
>> be more rigorous.
>>
>> The highest level of control would be in an operating room, where
>> everything
>> would have to be sterilized.   That is an entirely different ball game.
>> Your unsterilized white cane would be problematic there.
>>
>> Ginny
>>
>>
>>
>> Dr. V. Duff
>> Clinical Director, West End ACT Team,
>> St. Joseph's Heatlh Centre , Toronto
>> Staff Psychiatrist, Complex Mental Illness, CAMH Lecturer, University of
>> Toronto
>> Tel:   416.530.6000, ext 3101
>> FAX:   416.530.6363
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>>>> On Aug 17, 2015, at 2:24 PM, Annely Rose via humanser
>>> <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I'm following this thread and it is very thought provoking.  I am
>>> recalling that when my late husband was in the hospital with a staff
>> infection in his nasal passages, as they called it, all of us had to wear
>> protective gear, but the nurse brought in the medication cart and I'm not
>> aware that anyone wiped it down afterward.  also, there was furniture in
>> the
>> room and other equipment.  I carried my cane in and no one said anything.
>> Even a doctor came in and didn't have a gown on or any facial mask.  go
>> figure.  Maybe this hospital wasn't as strict or should I say they were
>> careless.  And where did my husband get this infection?  He was home with
>> us
>> 2 days before and a day in ICU before they diagnosed it and none of the
>> family came down with it.  The ICU staff didn't wear anything protective.
>> Makes you wonder.  And if you get sick, they say that there are staff
>> germs
>> everywhere, even on our skin.  Our canes go everywhere with us and who
>> knows
>> what the tips come in contact with on a daily basis.  I try to wipe mine
>> clean, but many times forget.  When I fold it up, I never put it in my
>> purse
>> and try not to touch it either on my skin or on my clothes.  And, of
>> course,
>> I never put it on a table anywhere.  If I set it on a chair in a
>> restaurant,
>> I'll leave the tip hanging over the edge.
>>>
>>> Annely
>>>
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------
>>> On Mon, 8/17/15, Michael Abell via humanser <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Subject:
>>> =?utf-8?B?UmU6IFtodW1hbnNlcl0gUXVlc3Rpb24gYWJvdXQgY2FuZSBzYW5pdGF0aW9u
>>> IGZvciBob3NwaXRhbCB1c2U===?> To: "'Human Services Division Mailing
>>> List'" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: "Michael Abell" <bigdog4744 at gmail.com>
>>> Date: Monday, August 17, 2015, 12:18 PM
>>>
>>> Hello,
>>>    These are all fantastic and thought provoking answers! I am taken
>>> by the new frontiers that we are blazing through.
>>>    I have special canes for occasions. What about a cane that would
>>> be used for just such purposes. You could remove any porous material
>>> (grips, tips . and elastic) even going to a solid cane. This would
>>> make it easy to sanitize and you could limit its use for these
>>> purposes.
>>>    J D brings up very salient
>>> points about instruments and devices. I would ask the hospital staff
>>> what they do with their devices. I am also waiting to hear what our
>>> dear friend Dr. Chapel has to say on this subject!
>>> Mary?
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Michael "Big Dog" Abell
>>>
>>> Helping individuals to find
>>> their eyes in the dark.
>>> (480) 369-0805
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On Behalf Of Ginny Duff
>>> via humanser
>>> Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 9:06 AM
>>> To: humanser at nfbnet.org
>>> Cc: Ginny Duff
>>> Subject: Re:
>>> [humanser] Question about cane sanitation for hospital use
>>>
>>> I work in a hospital
>>> although being in psychiatry, I rarely have to worry
>>> about this issue.   I agree that the
>>> cane is essential.   Its one thing to
>>> leave it outside the room when you are just visiting but it would be a
>>> completely different matter if you were working there.
>>>
>>> I'd be just as concerned
>>> about the tip and the handle.   If you touch
>>> something with your gloves then you have transferred anything
>>> contaminated to the handle and then once you take the gloves off your
>>> hands are in direct contact with the
>>> handle.   Of course when you fold the cane up you
>>> then
>>> touch the whole thing.
>>>
>>> You could contact the head of
>>> infection control and let them mull that over.
>>>
>>>
>>> What to do
>>> with the cane would be analogous to what staff do with a walker or
>>> medical equipment that is taken
>>> out of the room later.   They must wipe
>>> that equipment down with something that would
>>> work on your cane.    Alcohol
>>> swabs are a
>>> bit too small.
>>>
>>> Ginny
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dr. V. Duff
>>> Clinical Director,
>>> West End ACT Team,
>>> St. Joseph's Heatlh
>>> Centre , Toronto
>>> Staff Psychiatrist, Complex
>>> Mental Illness, CAMH Lecturer, University of Toronto
>>> Tel:   416.530.6000, ext 3101
>>> FAX:   416.530.6363
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>> On Aug 17, 2015, at 11:43
>>> AM, JD Townsend via humanser
>>> <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hello Kaiti & All:
>>>>
>>>> Interesting
>>> question.  I do work in a hospital and precautions are
>>>> always an issue.
>>>>
>>>> My questions are:
>>>> Do
>>> other staff wear street shoes or cover them with booties?
>>>> Do other staff wear full body coverings or
>>> are pants exposed?
>>>>
>>>> Alcohol wipes are always present in
>>> hospitals.  A clean wipe of my
>>>> white
>>> cane would provide much better protection than the exposure to
>>>> my shoes or pants and much better
>>> protection than nursing clipboards or
>>> exposed hair.
>>>>
>>>> According to my best knowledge, your white
>>> cane is considered a
>>>> prosthesis, like
>>> a prostetic leg and as such there ought be no problem
>>>> if it is kept as clean as one of those
>>> devices.
>>>>
>>>> If shoe
>>> booties are called for, just use one for your cane tip.
>>>>
>>>> I would be more
>>> concerned about your music insterments - players and
>>>> the like, and your cell 'phone.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> JD Townsend LCSW
>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>> Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System
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-- 
Kaiti Shelton
University of Dayton-Music Therapy
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students 2013-Present
Secretary, The National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts
Division 2015-2016

"You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back!"