Which infection-control practice is essential during home visits?

Which infection-control practice is essential during home visits?

• A. Perform hand hygiene and wear gloves.
• B. Skip gloves if client is well.
• C. Share gloves between clients.
• D. Reuse single gloves.

Answer: (D)

In home visits, infection control hinges on standard precautions: clean your hands before and after every client interaction and wear gloves when there is potential contact with blood, body fluids, mucous membranes, or contaminated surfaces. Gloves protect you and the client, but they aren’t a substitute for hand hygiene—hands should be cleaned before putting gloves on and after removing them. Gloves are single-use and must be changed between clients; sharing gloves or reusing them can spread infection. So the essential practice is hand hygiene along with proper glove use, changing gloves between clients to prevent cross-contamination.