[nabs-l] Sanitizing canes for use in hospitals

[Kaiti Shelton]

Hi, Jamie,

This was sort of what I was thinking about.  It would definitely work
in most situations.  The only tricky part will be figuring out
something for those very risky situations.  I know some units have
scrubs that are washed, while ones on intensive care units are just
thrown away to minimize spread of germs in the wash rooms.  I think
then getting some sort of plastic tubing might work, possibly?

I do like the idea of keeping a few cane tips around, or possibly
getting scrub-like covers made for the tip.  I haven't decided how
feasible it will be for me to switch tips if I need to do my job
quickly, but it's an option.  The other idea I have since come up with
is to just keep multiple canes around so I have one that stays home
from the hospital or at least away from any of the patients, one that
I keep on-hand for everyday cases and those with minimal protection
required (like the little sheet cover), and a third kept somewhere
else that I would just use for special cases with high risk of
contamination and I would clean thurroughly immediately after each
use.

I'm still looking for someone who has experience in this, but so far
no one seems to be or know of an authority on the issue.  This has
given me ideas, though, and it probably won't be hard to have covers
made.  If I have several of them ready to go, I can change them out
each day.

On 8/13/15, Jamie Principato via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> One thing you could do is make a sanitary sheath for your cane out of the
> same material as the scrubs and head/shoe coverings you already use in
> sterile environments. It would be like a cloth tube that you slide your cane
> into tip first and tie off at the top of the handle with a drawstring.
> You'll need to wash it and store it somewhere clean like you would your
> scrubs, but it would be more convenient than washing the entire cane by
> hand. You might also consider keeping a clean tip that you only ever use in
> sterile environments and swapping out tips before washing your hands.
>
> -Jamie
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Aug 13, 2015, at 6:08 PM, Kaiti Shelton via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm hoping to work in a hospital for my job, and recently was there to
>> visit an ill relative.  It occured to me while I was putting on gloves
>> and a gown that in some situations I will need to clean my cane as
>> well.  Music therapists do work in isolated areas on occasion, and
>> also may work in preop or postop.  In this case, I was visiting
>> someone who had an infection that could be contageous.  The idea of
>> washing my hands and scrubbing up, but not sanitizing my cane, then
>> washing up afterwards and touching the cane again kind of grossed me
>> out.  Not only could it track in germs from the outside to the sick
>> person in the room, but it also could transfer anything the person has
>> back to me.
>>
>> I already do sanitize my cane because I work a lot with kids and/or
>> elderly people, but in this situation Lysol wipes won't always be
>> sufficient.  Has anyone had experience with this?  I'm just asking
>> around and will try the human services division as well.  I've also
>> asked an Orientation and Mobility Speciailist if he's ever seen this
>> done.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> --
>> 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!"
>>
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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!"