Preventing infections

People living with advanced HIV disease or AIDS can get very sick from common germs and viruses. But there are things you can do to keep your loved one as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Here are some steps caregivers can take that help protect the people they care for. Click on any of the steps to get more information.

Wash your hands often When taking care of a person with HIV, be sure to wash your hands before you make food and after you go to the bathroom. Also, wash your hands after you sneeze or cough into your hands. Use lotion if your hands get dry or sore. Using hand lotions that fight germs is also a good way to help prevent infection. You can buy them at your local pharmacy or grocery store. Click to close.

Cover your sores If you have an open cut or sore, make sure to keep it covered with a bandage. When you are taking care of a person with HIV, you do not want to pass on an infection and you want to make sure your open sore does not come into contact with body fluids that contain HIV. Click to close.

When taking care of a person with HIV, don't allow visits from people who are sick People who are sick should stay away from the person you are caring for. What should you do if you are sick and no one else can help out? Wear a tight-fitting hospital mask over your mouth and nose. This protects the person you are caring for from infection. You can buy these masks at a pharmacy. Also, wash your hands more often. Click to close.

Get your childhood shots and boosters When taking care of a person with HIV, make sure that everyone in your house has been vaccinated for mumps, measles, and rubella. Ask your healthcare provider if you should get boosters (revaccinated) for these shots. Click to close.

Polio vaccine If someone in the house needs polio vaccine, be sure he or she is given an inactive form of the vaccine. If they get an active form, there is a chance they could accidentally make someone with advanced HIV disease or AIDS sick. Click to close.

When taking care of a person with HIV, take special care if you have pets or if you work in the garden You can pick up germs and infections from pets and from working in the garden. Be sure to wash your hands after playing with an animal or gardening. It is fine for pets to be around you and a person with advanced HIV disease or AIDS. Just make sure you both wash your hands after touching the pet. Also, to prevent infection, people with advanced HIV disease or AIDS should never touch animal feces or clean a cat's litter box. Click to close.

Beware of chickenpox. Chickenpox can be deadly for people with advanced HIV disease or AIDS. They must stay away from anyone who has chickenpox or shingles (another disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox). Even people who have recently been around someone with either of these diseases can put the person with HIV at serious risk. Contact a healthcare provider right away if the person you care for is exposed to chickenpox or shingles.

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