clean hands!

Dear Limo Princess,
How do you tell a grown adult who is your employer that youre uncomfortable with her habits such as this wiping her nose thing with her fingers and touching Everything ...even food! , coughing in the open air... even in the kitchen!, leaving snotty tissues Everywhere, etc. She's always "sick" too. go figure! i dont want to get sick or have these germs on me or in my food either. and i dont want to be following her tracks with a disinfectant all day either! ive tried things like asking "do you need a tissue?" or even just handing her one. ive also expressed my discomfort with having to "run away" from her in the kitchen with the food in hand and covered. the whole habit just grosses me out. how do i communicate the need for stopping this "snotty" behavior in a way thats respectful as she is only human, twice my age, my employer, and housemate?
ANSWER: Oh dear--you have a dilemma don't you? I can only tell you what I would do and that would be:First, I'd find a video on sanitation and then sit down and watch it with her in the hopes that the message will sink in and she will change her ways. This probably won't work, but it lays the groundwork if you must go further--so if it doesn't work, thenI'd sit her down and talk to her gently but firmly and tell her that you are terribly fond of her and don't wish to hurt her feelings and that you have nothing but love in your heart and you must tell her this because you are concerned that she is always sick but you know that if she will listen to you that you can help her not be sick any more. Tell her you believe that the reason she is sick all the time is because of her not washing her hands. It's a medical fact that if you wash your hands six times a day, you will never be sick. Tell her that you want her to live a long and healthy life and that if she follows your advice that is indeed what will happen. Put out some pump bottles of sanitizing gel and tell her that you are worried that if she catches e.coli/whatever that she might not recover from it and you don't want that to happen. Explain to her that covering your mouth when you cough/sneeze and washing your hands after will prevent others from getting sick which will increase productivity at the office. Don't make it a personal attack, as it's the behavior not the person that needs to be addressed. I must tell you that you might want to update your resume and be prepared to move--but I don't think you can live/work around this too much longer judging from the tone of you plea for help.You could also do an intervention as a last resort before you move out and find a new job if it comes to that. I can tell that you are fond of her from the tone of your query and hopefully she will take this in the spirit in which it is intended.
Good Luck! Limo Princess