Whether private care or care in a nursing home – skin problems on the hands are often pre-programmed by the frequent cleaning, disinfecting and wearing of gloves. If not enough attention is paid to skin protection, in the worst case this can even have an impact on the risk of infection in everyday care: Even the smallest cracks or micro-traumas in the skin can be potential reservoirs of pathogens, and skin that has not been cared for cannot be properly disinfected. With targeted measures, nurses can protect their hands from skin damage and ensure hygienically impeccable work with people in need of care.
Holistic skin protection programme: The three phases
Due to the current coronavirus pandemic and the associated risk of infection, disinfection and hygiene measures are becoming more and more relevant: in order to effectively counteract the spread of infectious diseases and to avoid sick leave as well as infection of those in need of care, a holistic skin cleansing and skin protection programme is necessary, especially in nursing.
The relevant product categories in which investments should be made are divided into three different phases: Skin protection and care before work, during work and after work. Even before starting work, caregivers should provide their hands with sufficient moisture through skin protection spray lotion as a preventive measure, thereby supporting the skin’s barrier function.
This prevents the skin’s own protective film from becoming detached and paving the way for harmful substances and germs. The use of skin protection creams and sprays before activities that are harmful to the skin and after every hand washing ensures that carers are also protected from skin damage during work. Ideally, products without fragrances and allergenic preservatives should be used here – the additives can irritate the skin and cause allergies. Skin protection products should support the skin in maintaining physiological function without leaving an annoying greasy film.
During work processes, hands should also be disinfected regularly to remove any dirt, germs and bacteria that occur immediately. Disinfection with an alcohol-based hand disinfectant that has been tested and found to be effective plays an extremely relevant role in everyday care: while excessive hand washing and too high a water temperature can damage the skin’s barrier function, hygienic hand disinfection is much gentler on the skin.
In addition to application on dry skin, caregivers should place special emphasis on wetting all areas of the skin, such as fingertips and wrists. If additional cleansing of the skin is necessary in individual cases, a liquid cleansing agent with a pH value below 6.5 is recommended. Carers should also be sure to use disposable paper towels for drying for a hygienic cleaning routine – their absorbency and absorption can effectively remove bacteria.
Skin protection measures should also be continued after working with those in need of care: Due to the high stress on the skin in everyday care, the additional use of skin care creams to regenerate the skin is recommended.
Here, it is also important to use products without fragrances and, if possible, without allergenic preservatives. For an optimal skin protection routine, carers should therefore use a skin protection cream before starting work and before activities that are harmful to the skin, as well as after washing their hands, and massage it in carefully. After work, a skin care cream should complete the skin cleansing and protection routine to protect caregivers from long-term skin damage.
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Author info:
Maximilian Schwack is a quality management employee at Blanc Hygienic Solutions GmbH. The company is a specialist in washroom and workroom hygiene and combines over 30 years of product development knowledge, market experience and industry know-how into a single unit. A product portfolio that is coordinated in detail, as well as a wide range of paper, filling and additional products, offers a selection of tried and tested quality products that meets the needs of the market and ensures a comprehensive range of products from a single source.
