Home Care Companion, Vol. 3: Creating Healthy Home Care Conditions--Infection Control

Increases in longevity, skyrocketing medical expenses and shorter hospital stays are all leading to a marked increase in "home care" for family members who are ill or recuperating from, say, surgery or chemotherapy. The Home Care Companion series, a relatively low-budget but information-packed and affordable set of volumes, will go a long way towards helping home caregivers provide safe and knowledgeable care for their patients. In the latest entry (the others were reviewed in VL-7/96 and VL-9/97), host/narrator Marion Karpinski, R.N. guides viewers through hands-on instruction in controlling infections. The topics covered include an overview of germs and how they are spread, a demonstration of proper handwashing, the use of gloves and other protective clothing (Karpinski's simple rule of thumb here is "if it's wet, use gloves"), washing patient laundry, disposal of waste, and more. As in the earlier volumes, the instruction is straightforward, non-commercial, and very well-organized. Likely to be of great use in aging and caregiver collections, this newest addition to the Home Care Companion series is recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)