Download Week 3: Health Issues

Week 3: Health Issues
I’ve Never!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Give yourself 5 marks on your card.
First person shares name, where you live,
and something you have never done but that
someone else might have like, “I have never
been to downtown fort Worth.”
Anyone that has done this must give up a
mark.
The next person shares and everyone does
same.
Continue until someone loses all of their
counters.
Video
Infectious Disease

Illnesses caused by infections with specific
germs—viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites.
 Communicable diseases can be spread from
one to another
 Spread by:






The intestinal tract
The respiratory tract
Direct contact or touching
Blood contact
What are your fears about infectious disease?
How do you identify infectious disease?
Confidentiality
Is it all right to tell your assistant?
 How should you file the child’s medical
records?
 Would you be willing to be tested for HIV
if they would report to your boss?

The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act
Requires providers not to discriminate on
the basis of disability or HIV
 Cannot refuse to take a child with HIV &
disabilities unless:

church operated
 Has a secondary infection
 Would cause an undue burden on program
or fundamentally alter program

What would you do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Parent informs you they are HIV positive but
not child
Told by a friend that a child is HIV infected
that you care for
You discover the classmate of your 2 year
old is HIV positive
One of the teachers at the center tells you
she is HIV positive
You discover your infant’s caregiver is HIV
positive
What does licensing say?

Each group will take a section and
summarize
Policies of Care for Health
Do not assume that a child is healthy--assume that he may not be!
 Establish requirements for health with
parents that promote health
 Provide appropriate medical forms
 Conduct a daily health check
 Be vigorous about hand washing for all
 Use universal precautions

Establish requirements for health
with parents
Include stated and written policies on:

What temperature is too much to be in care and how
long after fever (without a fever reducer) before
children can return

What symptoms exclude children from care,
including color of nasal drainage, vomiting, diarrhea,
and rashes. Be specific by describing and telling
how long after symptoms disappear before return.

How soon after notification that a child is sick must a
parent come to pick them up before a late fee is
charged.
Provide appropriate medical forms:


Permission to give medications. Remember
don’t give even Tylenol or use antibiotic
ointment unless you have written permission
from the parent. A blanket permission for
such things can be included in enrollment
forms, but be specific about what products
you will use.
Permission for emergency treatment.
Include doctor to contact, hospital to take
them to, and emergency permission to
receive treatment for child. Have this
notarized.
Conduct a daily health check








When children come into your home each morning do a quick,
routine check including:
asking parent how their night and morning was including did
they sleep and eat
feeling their head to see if they are hot
check eyes and head for conjunctivitis and lice
check their head, legs, and arms for rashes or signs of abuse
when you change babies or toddlers check back for signs of
unusual bruises
whether or not child seems lethargic, out of sorts, or is
behaving strangely.
These checks should be done discretely if parents are there or
you can wait until parent is gone. With problems inform parent
at once and isolate child if you think they might be contagious.
Be vigorous about hand washing for all.




Children should wash hands after toileting (even babies need
their hands washed after being changed), after wiping their
noses, using tissues, touching animals, going outside, and
before eating.
Caregivers must do the same. Keeping a bottle of liquid hand
wash that doesn’t require water handy and disinfectant wipes
will cut down on germs.
Hands should be washed for a minimum of 20 seconds before
rinsing. Identify a hand washing song such as ”The ABC song”
or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and have the children (and you)
sing as they wash to make sure they take sufficient time. Be
sure to wash back of hands, knuckles, between fingers and
wrists.
Remember that when you are diapering and preparing food it is
easy to spread disease so be extra vigilant about hand
washing before food preparation.
What are Universal Precautions?
Procedures that protect you from
infection due to contamination by blood
or disease
 They include procedures that you follow
 They include procedures the children
follow

Universal Precautions for Children







Check outdoor areas before play
Teach children never to touch a syringe
Teach children not ot touch anyone else’s
blood
Don’t let children share toothbrushes
Encourage child to wash his own wounds and
use tissue for bleeding
Promote nonaggressive behavior
Teach children to wash hands after toileting,
wiping noses, before eating
Scenarios
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
You’re on a field trip when Suzanne falls and cuts her chin. It
bleeds profusely.
You are in the center’s play yard when Jesse falls and cuts his
head. There is a lot of blood, and you have neither your gloves
nor your first aid kit.
Picture yourself in the nap room at your child care center.
You’re alone on duty, and the children area all asleep. Max
gets a nosebleed.
Amy in the toddler class bites Randy and draws blood.
Avery is playing in the block center and he suddenly begins
throwing up and throws up on the blocks, floor, and two other
children
Annie, 3, has asthma and suddenly begins turning blue and is
having trouble breathing