Apartment / House / Pets

Author:  Maria Yiallouros, Gesche Tallen, MD, PhD, English Translation:  Hannah McRae, Last modification: 2020/05/14 https://kinderkrebsinfo.de/doi/e74012

The following recommendations should be followed at home:

• Keep the home dust-free; dust with a moist cloth, clean old carpets thoroughly
• Empty the compost and the garbage often
• Mould and mildew on the walls and in the bathrooms must be immediately and professionally taken care of, and if there are bigger problems, professional cleaning services should be considered. In case of any uncertainty, home inspections can be arranged by the social workers in the clinic.
• Dusty areas should be avoided (for example, barns and construction sites). Being around these areas increases the risk of catching fungal infections.
• Do not put flowers or potted plants in the bedroom of the patient. Flower water and dirt are preferential habitats for bacteria and fungi, and can be a source of infection for patients whose immune systems are compromised.
• Keep marshy plants, seeds, and grasses out of the house; mould on the ground must be gotten rid of.
• Playing in the dirt should be avoided; your child should also not help with garden and yard work and/or changing pots for plants. Flower soil contains high levels of pathogens.
• If you have a sandbox, fill it with new sand and cover it with a tight lid or tarp when it is not being used. If you buy a new sandbox, it should be made of plastic and have a sturdy lid. Also make sure your child washes hands after playing.

A patients' contact with pets (for example cats, dogs, birds, sheep) should be limited, because they can often carry pathogens. The recommendations are:

• pets may stay in the family, but new animals should not be obtained
• the animal(s), including birds, should not live in the same room or sleep in the patient's bed
• hand wash after each contact with animals