/qFlu season started in October of last year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 9.7 million people have gotten ill, 87,000 have been hospitalized, and 4,800 have died from influenza. While you are working on keeping your residents safe, don’t forget about your employees, your family, and yourself:
- Get the flu vaccine if you haven’t already done so. Don’t assume if that if you already had the flu that you can’t get it again and, therefore, don’t need the vaccination.
- Follow precautions such as washing hands frequently, eating right, getting enough sleep, and avoiding contact with people who are sick.
- Contact your healthcare provider as soon as you experience symptoms such as cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, headaches, muscle/body aches. Don’t try to self-medicate. Prescription antibiotics can alleviate symptoms quickly and prevent complications such as sinus infections.
- Stay home if you are sick. Stress to everyone that “being a hero” by coming to work with the flu endangers others.
Share all of these tips/reminders with everyone in your organization. Consider holding an influenza awareness day with safety/hygiene reminders, free orange juice and healthy snacks, and giveaways such as “care packages” (with tissues, cough drops, hand sanitizer, and other items).
