Sepsis and Home Care

If you are receiving home health care (also called home health services), this means that you need some medical care, but not enough to be admitted to a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

There are several advantages to receiving home care, such as you:

  • Aren’t exposed to the microbes (germs) that may circulate in the facility.
  • Have less frequent person-to-person contact with staff, volunteers, and others patients who could expose you to an infection.
  • Are in a familiar and more comfortable environment.

However, there is still a risk that you could contract an infection while you are receiving home care. Any type of infection could cause sepsis. If you are a caregiver to someone receiving home care, this information is important for you as well. Sepsis, which was often called blood poisoning, is the body’s life-threatening response to infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Suggested Citation:
Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis and Home Care. 2023. https://www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/home-care/

Updated October 25, 2023.

 

More About Home Care

Infection Risks

When people receive home care, it is because they are ill, injured, or unable to care for themselves without help. Some of those people may be at increased risk of infection because they:

  • Are very old; the immune system becomes less robust as people age.
  • Are recovering from invasive medical or surgical procedures, or childbirth; open wounds are a source for infection.
  • Have an invasive medical device, such as a urinary catheter or intravenous; breaks in the skin or entries into the body can allow bacteria to enter.
  • Have one or more chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or COPD; people with chronic illnesses may get infections more easily.
  • Have a weakened immune system; a weakened immune system makes it harder to fight infections.
  • Are immobile; staying in one place for extended periods can increase the risk of pressure injuries (ulcers). It can also contribute to pneumonia because deep breathing and exercising helps the lungs expand and air flows more easily.
  • Are malnourished; the body requires nutrients to stay strong and to keep the immune system healthy.
Infection Prevention

Infection prevention is sepsis prevention. There are some simple steps to follow that will help decrease your risk of getting an infection while you are receiving home care.

  • Ask everyone, including the healthcare providers, who enters your home to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.
  • Wash your own hands frequently, especially before touching a wound, dressing, IV, or catheter, even if you will be wearing gloves.
  • Ensure there is a clean space to keep dressing or treatment supplies and ensure that the dressing changes are done in a clean environment.
  • Eat a healthy diet.
  • Get all recommended vaccines.
  • Move about as much as you can.
  • Take all medications, including antibiotics, for the recommended length of time as prescribed.
  • Don’t share personal items, such as towel, razors, and toothbrushes to reduce the spread of germs.

If you are the caregiver of someone receiving home care:

  • If the person is incontinent of urine or stool, ensure frequent changes of their briefs or pads. Clean the skin well, but gently. Report any redness or signs of the skin breaking down in the genital area to the home health provider.
  • If the person unable to move about on their own, they need regular positioning from side to back to side so they are not staying too long in one spot. This will reduce the risk of pressure injuries (ulcers or bed sores) from forming. Inspect the skin regularly, especially the hips, coccyx (backside), and elbows. These are the areas that break down most easily.

Related Resources

Common Risk Factors for Infections in Home Care
Guide
Infection Prevention at Home
Guide
Infusiones en el hogar: Prevención de infecciones
Guide
Home Infusions: Infection Prevention
Guide
Infusiones en Domicilio: Conozca los Signos de Infección para Prevenir la Sepsis!
Video
Home Infusions: Know the Signs of Infection to Help Prevent Sepsis!
Video
Guía de zonas: Conozca los signos de infección para ayudar a prevenir la sepsis
Symptom Card
Zone Sheet: Know the Signs of Infection to Help Prevent Sepsis
Symptom Card
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Other Topics

Aging

Sepsis can and does affect people of all ages, but people who are over 65 years old are even more susceptible to sepsis.

Invasive Devices

Devices like IVs and urinary catheters are commonplace in most healthcare facilities and with home-based infusions.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD is a term used to refer to a group of chronic lung diseases related to poor airflow to and from the lungs.

Diabetes

People who have diabetes are at risk of developing wounds and sores that don’t heal well and are vulnerable to infection.

Cancer

Cancer is a term that describes several malignant diseases that can affect just about every organ and system in the body.

Amputations

Poor blood flow from sepsis or its treatments can cause amputations. Infections can also stem from associated wounds.

Dementia

Dementia causes memory loss, personality changes, and - as it progresses- your body’s ability to function physically.

HIV/AIDS

HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, is the virus that causes AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Joint Replacements

Joint replacements are common surgeries which can improve quality of life, but any surgery carries the risk of infection.

Kidney Failure

A major cause of acute kidney injury is sepsis. As the body is overwhelmed, organs like the kidneys can shut down.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects your brain and nervous system. Patients are at risk of developing infections.

Paralysis

Paralysis is the loss of muscle function. People with paralysis can be at higher risk of developing infections.

Parkinson’s Disease

Many chronic or progressive diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, put you at risk for developing infections.

Pressure Ulcers (Pressure Injuries)

Pressure ulcers occur when pressure causes damage to the skin. These breaks in the skin can become infected.

Surgery

Surgery is a procedure that can affect your body in many ways aside from the reason for the operation itself.

Burns

A burn is damage to your skin caused by heat, chemicals, or electricity. Burns can become infected and lead to sepsis.

Margaret Foster

My mother died of sepsis on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at the age of 73. She had a history of diverticulitis, but was told after her routine colonoscopy in 2023 that although she had diverticulitis throughout her colon, that she could either schedule a colonoscopy in 10 years, or she could choose to never have one again. On the morning, of February 13, my mother called me and said she was in terrible pain and needed to go to the hospital. I rushed to her home, saw that she had a high fever, called 911, and she was at the ... Read Full Story

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Ann Catherine L.

I had some female surgery. A few days later, I was a little achy and sleepy. I lost my appetite. I got out of bed on Monday morning and couldn’t stand up. I called my daughter and said, “I think I need to go to the hospital”. When we arrived I was taken right into a bed. My BP was 51 over 40. I was frozen. I couldn’t form a sentence. I was pumped full of different antibiotics until all the blood tests came back, then they used drugs that worked. I remember very little of my week in hospital. ... Read Full Story

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Lindsey Rowe

I’m 35 and have been an ICU nurse for 13 years. I have taken care of many patients in septic shock. Yet when I was sent home from two ERs with a “just a virus” diagnosis, I didn’t think much of it. I was the sickest I had ever been, but if they thought I was okay? I must be. I woke up from a nap literally blue. Everything hurt, including wearing clothes. My husband luckily didn’t listen to me and immediately called 911. The paramedics who came couldn’t get my blood pressure to read. They had an even harder ... Read Full Story

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Elexa Ferguson

My sepsis story is long, but I’ll try and keep it short. The week of Thanksgiving 2024 I felt fine, slight sore throat but nothing extreme. Day before Thanksgiving I had some lethargy but managed to help make dinner with my mother in law. Then on Thanksgiving day, in the morning my body aches set in. Extreme all over body aches, nothing could stop them. I was in tears I was in so much pain. I tried to eat thanksgiving dinner with my family, but it was cut short by my body aches and pain. I spend evening, while everyone ... Read Full Story

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Eunique Gipson

After a high-risk pregnancy and complicated birth on November 24,2023, Eunique called 911 due to having chest pains. She had given birth via C section on November 16,2023. When she arrived in the emergency department she was on the brink of death. (Sepsis and Pregnancy & Childbirth) The doctors immediately started Eunique on antibiotics and oxygen. They told her that she was in septic shock and needed to be sedated on a ventilator. She was scared and fought against the doctor’s medical advice for two days. Her condition is was worsening she finally decided to be sedated. Eunique fought for ... Read Full Story

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