Putting on the gloves

I remember when my mom had to have a colonoscopy. I still wonder if she had to have it, nevertheless she was sent for one. "Lie back and think of England... "   I digress.
When we met the surgeon at the initial consultation he was suitably dressed to impress with good quality trousers, long sleeved shirt and a tie. In the theatre however he was quite a formidable sight with his industrial strength plastic apron, white gumboots and brandishing his camera stuck on that long flexible pipe. The pipe probably has a correct medical name but they tactfully spare us the finer details.  They adhere to the theory that the less we know the better. Anyway it was not quite " the devil wears Prada," but certainly he dons plastic.

Personal Protective Equipment

The image of the surgeon in his protective gear was what came to  mind when covering the topic in training. The surgeon had done the procedure loads of times and he knew the kinds of things that could happen. People have worked out long back that disposable protective kit is way better than complicated and near impossible laundry. As a carer you will most likely be handling the laundry too.
If your assignment entails personal care, do yourself a favour and get the stuff you need. Just try and be really discreet and laid back about how you put it on and take it off when in front of the client. Humour will help a lot too.

Cleaning the loo

While we are "talking dirty" I have another strong image in my mind that compares very favourably with any training I have ever had on health and hygiene. A friend  of mine was undergoing medical training and shared the surprising results of a field trip the students were taken on. They were measuring the fecal content of the display shelves at the local take away. The look of disgust on her face said it all. The hygiene was considerably lacking in an area where absolute cleanliness was critical.  

Another school colleague was a newly graduated doctor in private practise in the local community.
I met her in the supermarket and saw about ten bottles of really strong thick toilet cleaner dominating the space in her trolley. Her training must have emphasised the importance of toilet hygiene, and this vivid picture in my mind has been a permanent reminder of something that is really important in every home.

Gloves

Strong rubber gloves and disposable ones are essential for a number of tasks in the home. Using them for cleaning the loo makes the job less daunting. If you are allergic to one kind you may not be to another. Be sensible about their use and disposal, and minimise the risk of infection.  There are some great You Tube videos on cleaning toilets in case you have lived this long without having to clean your own and need to confirm the best method. You can get it down to fine art and be done properly in under three minutes. Your health and that of your client depends on it
So put on your gloves and just go for it.