New Embrace Exclusive Online Content The following is an excerpt from a new article available exclusively online at embracethemagazine.com. Want to read more? Just click the logo at the end of the excerpt! Welcome Visitors - But Not Their Germs Working together to promote hand hygiene By Laura Kuhn Even though it feels like summer just got here, fall is right around the corner, bringing with it cooler temperatures, clothing with longer sleeves and - much to the chagrin of children everywhere - a new school year. Unfortunately, many students bring unwanted guests to and from school with them: germs! How can you prevent the grandchildren and other guests who visit your residents from bringing germs into the facility? One key strategy is effective hand hygiene. Nursing home staff, residents and visitors can all work together to kick germs to the curb. Who, what, when? The CDC recommends that residents take a proactive role in encouraging their guests to practice good hand hygiene while at the facility. Residents, guests and staff should clean their hands1: Before preparing or eating food After using the restroom After blowing their noses, coughing or sneezing Before touching their eyes, nose or mouth After touching surfaces that could be contaminated with germs, including bed rails, bedside tables, doorknobs, remote controls and the telephone Study: Long-Term Antibiotic Use Can Calm COPD Flare-Ups A new study has found that long-term daily doses of azithromycin, an antibiotic, can help prevent life-threatening chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) flare-ups. COPD is a lung disease that includes both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. According to the study, those who took the antibiotic daily were 27 percent less likely to experience a flare-up in their symptoms than participants who took a placebo pill. Flare-ups can be caused by bacterial and viral infections. The study's investigators hypothesized that azithromycin has anti-inflammatory properties that calm COPD. However, they caution that it has also been linked to irregular heartbeats and hearing loss in people with hearing impairments and should be prescribed with caution. To learn more, click here. Compliance® Skin Caring Hand Sanitizer is tough on germs but gentle to your skin. It kills 99.9% of the most common illness-causing germs, but it also contains Vitamin E and moisturizers to soothe your skin without stickiness or residue. Additional Features: Works in as little as 15 seconds pH balanced Enriched with aloe and Vitamin E Manufactured using USP purified water Product pricing is only visible to registered promedsupply.com customers. If you are not yet registered, one of our Customer Care Professionals will be happy to get you set up. Just give us a call at (800) 648-5190.