Would you be offended?

Would it offend you if you went to someone's house for dinner or a small party and you were asked to wash your hands when you came in because someone who lives in the house has a compromised immune system?

Would it be more polite to be offered some sanitizing gel when you walked in?

Is there any way this could be requested without being offensive?

It shouldn't offend anyone if you explain to the guests that someone has a compromised immune system.

It wouldn't offend me at all.... There are so many germs that would harm the person with the compromised immune system and someone could bring them in without even realizing it.

I dont think its offensive.

I mean, put your self in that position, what would you say to the guest?

I personally dont like sanaitising gel. I only say this because i went to a family members house and when my cousin had Lukemia everything had to be clean, I did feel slightly offended when we got up from the chair and my aunty wiped the chair down with antibacteria stuff.

That wouldn't offend me at all. I would understand the risk of spreading germs.

I wouldn't be offended, I actually had to do that, when we adpoted our oldest daughter, we got her at 10 week she weighed only 6 lb, she was born 12 weeks premature weighed 2lbs, and very ill. she had a very weak immune system, I needed to protect my baby.

No i would not be offended. My friend Lance had a bone marrow transplant, and we had to be careful around him for a while. I would never be offened by this at all, I wouldnt want the person to get sick

I feel that asking someone to wash his or her hands is like saying "your hands are dirty!" Even my MIL has held up her palms to me and says, "Oh, they are clean."

And should I go into a medical explanation with every person who comes through my door? Isn't that tedious and putting a damper on the evening from the very beginning?

What about a sign with an attached sanitizer dispenser in our front room?

Just explain to them when they walk in that you have someone with a compromised immune system and as an extra precaution you have everyone that enters the house to wash their hands.

That way no one will be offended and they will understand completely.

Originally Posted by Duchess15

Just explain to them when they walk in that you have someone with a compromised immune system and as an extra precaution you have everyone that enters the house to wash their hands.

That way no one will be offended and they will understand completely.

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I would just add that you need them to wash their hands because of germs,

I wouldn't be offended at all! As long as it was explained, I can't imagine anyone being offended

It's not offensive at all! Regardless of how clean your hands look, they are still riddled with bacteria between hand washings. Everything you touch IE: door handles, keys, a telephone, shopping cart, your face, hair or clothing, and especially money have astronomical amounts of bacteria on them that transfers to your hands.

http://environmentalhealthandsafetyo...atio_5324.html

And most people touch their face, mouth, nose and hair without even realizing that they do it.

And most everyone forgets that they handle money, between handwashings, which has been handled by many other people and who knows where they had their hands!!!! Up their nose, scratching their crotch or butt, using the bathroom without washing their hands..... *barf*

When you go to a hospital and visit a person on isolation, regardless of how freshly washed you look, they still make you put on a sterile gown, glove or even just wash your hands.

A person at home gets used to the bacteria in their homes so if they require a sterile procedure for a wound dressing in the hospital, when they are at home they can usually just use a "clean" procedure that is non sterile.

However as people come into your home they introduce "foreign" bacteria that the person's body is not acustomed to, and that can cause the person to get sick or sicker.

You do not need to go into a long medical explanation about the reasons. Just politely asking them to wash their hands so they do not introduce foreign bacteria into your home is adequate enough.

Print out some articles and hand them out to those who feel offended:

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/disea...ing_hands.html

The Importance of Handwashing

Flu Information

You can also buy some posters to hang near your front door and in your bathroom:

http://www.1st-in-handwashing.com/

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But would washing their hands really take care of the germs? What about on their clothing, feet, or a sudden cough/sneeze? If someone was in my home with a compromised immune system, I'd think twice about having anyone over, hands washed or not. But that's just me...

Nope, I wouldn't be offended in the slightest. And I would much prefer to wash my hands rather than use hand sanitizer. I would just make sure you have a stack of paper towels rather than a hand towel, otherwise the germs are just going to sit in the damp hand towel, and get spread to the next person drying their hands.

Originally Posted by taterbug

But would washing their hands really take care of the germs? What about on their clothing, feet, or a sudden cough/sneeze? If someone was in my home with a compromised immune system, I'd think twice about having anyone over, hands washed or not. But that's just me...

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You can't keep everyone away forever. And people are most likely to pass germs on through touching things. I imagine guests aren't likely to wipe their feet all over a sick person, or pick up cups with their feet

I'm sure if anyone's sick, they'll stay away. People were really good about that when I got out of hospital, and I didn't need to ask or check.

It was my experience that when i explained ,how fragile my daughter was everyone cooperated, I had no problems.

I wouldn't be offended. I'd want to know if there was anything else I could do to help.

No I would not be offended at all, I would just do it.

You are all welcome in my home!

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

And most everyone forgets that they handle money, between handwashings, which has been handled by many other people and who knows where they had their hands!!!! Up their nose, scratching their crotch or butt, using the bathroom without washing their hands..... *barf*

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I've been to a few strip clubs (in my youth out of curiosity ) and am reminded about some of the places those bills go.

Thankfully, most people take their shoes off when they come in our house and I don't ever say anything. But eyebrows always go up if you ask someone to wash his or her hands.

Nope! Do not find it at all offensive!!! I would just do it, it would be the right thing to do, considering the circumstances.