Really?? C- Diff??

Because of your mother's age they PROBABLY WON'T ASK if she's living in a home with small children.

You need to speak to the social worker at the hospital and make sure they know she's living with you and your young children. It will probably be possible to have her transfer to a nursing/rehab facility until she's no longer contagious if the hosptial doesn't want to keep her. Such facilities are covered by insurance and it would seem to be a perfect solution... since it's essentially a hotel room with nursing staff.

5 moms found this helpful

Discuss this with the doctor. My mother unfortunately ended up with a C. diff infection following chemo and hospitalization for treatment of leukemia. She did spend 4 days in our house with us because she was in-between hospitalizations (she couldn't be home alone) and we had our then 2-year-old daughter home with us as well. She had been treated with antibiotics and was not taking them at the time, so it apparently was "under control" but was still having bad diarrhea. We all ended up being fine, but practiced some extra-strict hygiene - my mom only used one bathroom and nobody else used it. We wore latex gloves and bleach solution to wipe down the toilet, floor and sink each time it got used. We all washed our hands like crazy. But my mom was fine to be around our daughter otherwise - just eating together at the table or sitting on the couch was okay. But then again, I think she was past the "highly contagious" stage. Everyone has C. diff bacteria in our GI tract but normally the "good" bacteria and our own immune systems keep it in check. My mother was on chemotherapy drugs which wiped out her immune system, plus other antibiotics to cover against other bacterial infections which killed off the "good" bacteria, AND she was older and in the hospital for several weeks at a time - so essentially it was the "perfect storm" for contracting C. diff. Almost none of that sounds like a factor for you guys.

Discuss your concerns with her doctors, the hospital social worker, and talk to your pediatrician as well.

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get your familyon a probiotic ASAP 3x a day. 10 bucks at GNC vitamine shoppe ect. They have liquid and chewables and powder. wash hands and keep your bathroom sanitized. its in the fecal matter its not like a sneeze type of thing. DD had it over summer yes it was terrible pain wise but we kept her changing area very clean and used disposable hand sanitizer wipes NO towels. Make sure she washes her hands in HOT soapy water and uses paper towel to dry and throw away in basket. Dont let the kids eat or drink off of her things. It will be okay. We all have it in our gut its just dorment, until conditions are right, ie having taken a strong antibiotic that wipes out good and bad bacteria in our gut. That is why the probiotic is so important while taking an antibiotic, gl it will be okay.

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Just took care of my mom with C-diff. It was awful. She should be on a probiotic and you should take a probiotic, too. Check with the doc on whether your kids could take it. For my mother, who is elderly, it would have been impossible to care for her at home. Her mobility is so bad anyway and the urgency and lack of control with c-diff meant she was in diapers, no way could she even make it to a commode. No sooner would we change her diapers, then she was filling them again. I would see if she could go to a nursing facility until she finishes her course of Flagl and stops having diarhea, Usually, they maintain isolation procedures at the hospital until you have 3 negative cultures done. Try to talk to the doctor about a skilled nursing facilty. Bleach is not particularly effective with C-diff and it can live for a long time on surfaces, wear rubber gloves, even when visiting her. Good luck.

3 moms found this helpful

C-Diff can be really really dangerous.
Talk to the social worker at your mom's doctor's office.
They should be able to provide you with a list of precautions and procedures to apply in your home.
Make one bathroom hers, if possible.
Everything goes in the dishwasher.
Wash your hands with soap and water, and do it long enough that you can sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice.
Wear masks and gloves.
Disinfect. Use hospital grade, chlorine-based products
Use antibiotics judiciously to avoid creating resistant "superbugs."

Your family and your kids HAVE the good bacteria and that alone should keep them pretty resistant to the infection!

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I have been in the hospital several times of late. :-( Each time, before my discharge, I had a social worker come speak with me about whether I had everything I needed when I was discharged. Most obvious, if I was going home in a wheelchair, they would make sure I had a ramp... for instance. The social worker also asks a number of questions about the home environment. For me, the questions have been mostly focused on whether I had help to care for my children, but in the case of your mother, she would definitely want to bring up concern for the other people in the house, especially the children, contracting her infection. They can provide you with some materials and protocols for keeping your mother quarantined. They may also suggest that your children go ahead to their doctor and get tested for exposure. You don't have to wait on this. Have you mother ask to speak to a discharge coordinator or something like that as soon as possible. They can help you.

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Riley said exactly what I was going to say... I'm a Nurse and C-Diff is a huge thing!!

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Talk to your doctor. They will most likely put you and the kids on the antibiotic also. You could also talk to the hospital about having her transfer to an after-care facility given the situation. Depending on her age, the state or county may cover the costs.

2 moms found this helpful

Maybe this will make you feel a little better. My nephew has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, gets every kind of infection that comes a long, and he has had C-Diff at least once that I remember. He survived and has survived a couple of open heart procedures and many heart caths..

Your children are healthy. Get some big bottles of hand sanitizer and insist that everyone use it constantly. Watch your mother close, keep her on a short leash if you see she isn't taking hygiene seriously.

PRAY!

1 mom found this helpful

Does her Doc... know that... she resides with you AND that you have young children, one of whom is a baby?????
If not, I would talk to the Doctor, personally... and ASK all of the pertinent questions and concerns.
Because, sometimes with a very contagious infection/disease... young children cannot be exposed.
The Doc, needs to know that one of the children is UNDER 2 years old. Or anyone else with compromised immune systems or in poor health themselves. For example.

Your Mom... should not be at home, so soon.

And, is bleach, even effective, in this case?

I would seriously talk to a Doc or someone higher up the food chain. About it.

Now... in the long term... your parents are living with you.
Your Mom... has serious health problems. You are not a nurse. Your Husband is not a nurse. You have 2 young children.
Let me tell you... that care-giving... for an ill parent.. is VERY hard.
I know. I did that for my late Dad for THREE years, until he died. But.. it took me/my Husband AND my Mom... ALL tending to him, 24/7, day and night. I did not work at that time. Because, someone had to be home.... with him, due to his health problems.
It is not... easy. It is very hard.
You SERIOUSLY... need to think about what is best for your Mom. And that is... having medical care... or a Nurse Aide or something, to care for her. You or a layperson, is not equipped for that nor with the medical knowledge... to take care of her.

You really, need to think about this.... and with any siblings you have. You should not have to be the sole... care-taker. And, it does put a lot of stress, on the other family members.

Take care.

1 mom found this helpful

Ask if there is any way she can stay at the hospital. She probably can't, but if so, let the dr know you have small children and need her to stay there. This is difficult. But if she comes home you'll have to do the best you can without resentment too. Isn't there anyone that can help. Ask the hospital if there are any places they can recommend. This is a tough one. Keep her isolated and have your dad care for her and try to keep everyone and everything separate until this passes.

Sending the Best to you.

1 mom found this helpful

C Dif is gross. Basically it's diarrhea, w/ some funky bacteria. Do you have more than 1 bathroom? Have her use 1, and everyone else use some thing else. and make sure she is washing her hands. Ask the Dr what they recommend. My son has had c dif and none of us got it, and we all used the same bathroom. It is most susceptible if you are immunosuppressed.

I'd have them stay at an inexpensive hotel near your home. This will allow you to help as needed but keep the sickness away from your family.
Either that, or send your kids to a friends house for the two weeks if you have someone close to you that can help out.

If she has insurance - have her go to rehab.

I don't blame you for being very upset. You don'd have to have OCD to worry about disease.

And best of luck to your mom!

Since your in-laws are IN YOUR CARE - you NEED to let the doctor caring for her that she lives with SMALL CHILDREN. The doctor might assume that she's living on her own and you are coming to visit. So you MUST inform them about WHERE and WHO she lives with.

Ask the doctor what the incubation period for C-Diff is. Since she had it while she was around your children and no one has gotten sick yet - they MAY have avoided it.

Keep in mind that C-Diff is when the good bacteria gets wiped out. You can make your home too clean..I know that sounds funky - but it's okay to have some bacteria in your home - it helps the body's defenses/immunity.

I would ask if eating yogurt will also help those in the family keep the good colon/gestational bacteria there...

Wash yours and your kids hands frequently....try to keep their fingers out of their mouths - I know you have a 14 month old! YIKES!!!

I don't know if you can limit the area in which your MIL is while in the home and recovering from this? That might help keep the contagions down.

Bottom line - talk to the doctor - tell them that she is living with young children.

Good luck!