Document text
Healthy Aging By Sharon Johnson At the sink, sing: 'Wash, wash, wash your hands' You can never wash your hands too often. I always have believed that. Lately, it has been reported that frequent hand washing may be important in the fight against anthrax. It may be difficult for you to believe clean hands might avert terrorist intentions, but this hand-washing business merits thoughtful consideration. This is lifesaving material I am about to share with you. Hand washing always has been the single most important way to prevent food-borne illness. As we age, food-borne illness is a much greater risk. If I ate a bacteria-laden piece of turkey (let's say, one that had been sitting out on the counter, not refrigerated, for over three hours, perhaps, after a Thanksgiving meal), it might give me stomach cramps and some indigestion. That same piece of turkey could be fatal to my 78-year-old neighbor. The immune systems of older people are much more easily compromised. Actually, that is true for certain other folks too - pregnant women, babies, people with severe illnesses. Those simple things you do, such as keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold - and washing your hands - are important. For vulnerable populations, it is lifesaving. In this uncertain and crazy time, hand washing is still the easiest and most beneficial way to protect against illness. Potentially, it's more important than ever before. There is a bit of an art to hand washing. Wash your hand for 15 to 20 seconds (as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song or "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"). Wash your whole hand and use warm/hot water and soap. It does not have to be antibacterial soap. Dry with a paper towel, if possible. Next time you wash your hands, count the seconds. Twenty seconds will seem a whole lot longer than the typical amount of time you have been spending on your hand washing. Guaranteed. It is such a simple procedure. Numerous studies have shown that we say we do it. We may even actually think we do it, but we do not. A study done a few years ago used video cameras in public rest rooms. The videos clearly portrayed that we have a lot of washing yet to do: 95 percent of us say we "scrub down" after using the toilet, yet only 67 percent of those on the videotape actually washed their hands. Another study at the University of Idaho a year ago examined families preparing meals at home and found that 55 percent never washed their hands at all. And of those who did wash, only 16 percent used soap, and 41/2 seconds was the average time spent on hand washing. We are all feeling heightened alert regarding overall safety. The idea that something as easy as holding our hands under warm running water and singing a tune can offer some protection in this unsettled, upside-down world is, actually, pretty amazing. So, just do it. And try to find yourself a senior citizen to wash and sing right along with you. Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension and a member of the Senior Advisory Council. Reach her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.