Conrad Boyd

School-to-Career Coordinator Paul Robeson School for Business and Technology

Safety Training Home Health Care/ Health Aide

Types of Home Care Personnel:

Housekeepers or Chore workers

 Basic household task, light cleaning or washing windows and/or heavy cleaning.

Homemaker (Supervised by an agency)

 Meal preparation, household management and medication reminders

Home Health Aide (Cert N.Asst, Nurses Aide)

 Supervised by Agency’s Registered Nurse - provides personal care, hygiene essentials, walking and exercise, household services essential to health care; assistance with medications.

Homecare Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

(1) Start the process while family member is in the hospital.

(2) Trust your instincts. (3) Use a geriatric care manager, if necessary.

(4) Be clear about your expectations.

(5) Help to prevent burnout.

Don’ts

(1) Don’t hire help solely based on cost.

(2) Don’t relinquish control to the homecare worker.

(3) Don’t have the homecare worker handle important communications with doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. (4) Don’t share financial information with homecare workers.

(5) Don’t let the homecare worker intimidate you or patient.

Training Task – HH Aides

Minimum of 75 hours of mandatory training Pass a competency evaluation program within four (4) months of employment By completing program – certification is issued by State registry of nursing aides.

Attend lectures, workshops, and in-service training



Exception: Psychiatric aides must complete a formal training.

Federal Government:



If under Medicare, HH Aides must pass a competency test covering 12 areas.



Communication skills

   

Documentation of patient status and care provided Reading and recorded vital signs, basic infection control procedures, etc.

Personal hygiene and grooming Basic Nutrition, and more..

Training Task (cont.)

Applicants should be:        Tactful Understanding Emotionally stable Patient Honest Discreet Dependable Desire to help people Team player Good communication skills Flexible Motivated Resourceful Quick-Thinking Willing to perform repetitive tasks Available nights and weekend hours

Pre-Test – T/F

A HH Aide needs to speak English.

A HH Aide can work without training.

Federal Gov’t wants training for all HH Aides.

HH Care training is required on a continuous basis.

Medicare and Medicaid services are not involved in State regulations.

Ans. F, F, T, T, F

HH Aides Services Domestic service in households Performs companionship services Care, fellowships and protection General household work Patients deserve full attention and respect Compassionate/Passionate about their work.

Appropriate Clothes

HH Aide – Flexible clothing (mobility): Easy care, non-restrictive Comfortable and conservative Durable and stain resistance Patient - Limited range of mobility: Buttoning a blouse – use snaps Tying a shoelace – use Velcro Flexible clothing designs – wraps, slip on, draw strings Special closure items – fasteners, one button closures

Sibling Conflicts

Caring for family members often sets maximum stress levels Advise learning as much information Getting a neutral mediator to diffuse tension Find options available Try to use “I statements” rather than making accusations Be ready to say “I’m sorry,” and “I forgive you.”

Safety Equipment

Knowing different device operations Straps/Lifting Pullies Wheelchair accessible locations Home Alarms, Medic Alert devices Always prepared…

Tools: Humane Skills

Skilled Nursing (RN, LPN) Personal Care (Home Health Aide) Support (Homemaker) Therapy (PT, OT, ST, MSW) Pediatrics Geriatrics Rehabilitation

Equipment/Machinery

Either manual/electronic wheelchairs Heart monitors Bed Lifts/Pulleys and Folding/Retractable Bed Trays Computer Health Diagnostics

Electrical Devices

The answers to life's problems aren't at the bottom of a bottle: they're on TV!

– Homer Simpson Amplified phone receivers Voice Recognition Voicemail Feedback Email Messages via TV Internet Usage via voice tracking

Inspections: Floors, Doors and Exits

Questions to consider include:

Is the home/facility/nursing home close to friends and near someone they can visit often?

Is the home child-friendly?

Does the home/location feel like a home away from home?

Is the home’s furniture properly arranged for mobility?

Are the floors/doors/exists accessible for a safe exit?

Ergonomic Hazards

Each room of the house poses its own risks, and avoidable accidents can occur easily in areas that have not been modified to meet their occupants' needs. Using a bath bench can be helpful because you can sit down and then swing your legs over. Or you can have a grab bar installed that's lined up with the side of the tub, so there's something to hold on to as you step over the side of the tub.

With existing computer usage, we are utilizing relatively large saccades (30 45 o ) to continually reposition the screen/keyboard/copy-viewing-area targets onto the fovea. With large angular-difference re-fixations, transient dysmetria (under-shooting the subsequent fixation point) is not uncommon.

Medicines (Knowledge of)

Daily Dosage Medication side-effects Pharmaceutical Resources Prescription updates Even simple “Old Home” Remedies Homemedics, Homeopathic Care

Infectious Diseases

Be alert for symptoms colds/flus/virus’ Make sure all medicines are clearly marked.

Thoroughly wash hands Use anti-bacterial cleansers, if necessary.

Frequent laundering to prevent re-infections

Patient/Client Safety

Create conducive environment for patient Know medical emergency locations Access to medical assistance in home Access to Family or Relative contacts Familiar with medic alert bracelets/devices Develop routine for rapid emergency drills http://seniormag.healthology.com/search_new.asp?b=&s earchText=home+health+aide&search_help=&mySearch =2&ignored=&valid=1#

Angry/Threatening Clients

Argumentative Demanding Assaultive Hostile History of multiple incidents Passive/passive aggressive Sexual acting out behavior Verbally abusive (most common) Stress Management http://seniormag.healthology.com/search_new.asp?b=&searchText= home+health+aide&search_help=&mySearch=2&ignored=&valid=1 # Incontinent History of substance abuse Incompetent, organic brain syndrome (OBS) Manipulative Intrusive Mute

HOW and WHOM: to report(s) an injury

Ambulance Attendant Law Enforcement Official Physician (MD and DO) Certified Nursing Assistant/LPN/Physicians Asst.

EMT’s/Occupational Therapist/Social Worker Emergency Room Personnel Physical Therapist (if applicable)

Post-Test (T/F)

There are Federal regulations for HH Aides.

Some patients are argumentative and aggressive.

HH Aides should know the patients medical history.

A nurses aide must contact the official physician in an injury.

All home aides must wash their hands thoroughly.

Home aides can not work all day.

Restrictive clothes are recommended for HH Aides.

Household chores are always performed by the patient.

Ans: T,T,T,T,T,F,F,F,F,T,TF,T,F,T,T The tools used by HH Aides are skilled, caring, and being obnoxious.

Home alerts and medic bracelets are important.

HH Aides can accompany patient to doctor’s visit.

RN’s are not allowed to become HH Aides.

Family members/HH Aides must know about patient’s mechanical devices.

Housekeepers should know about the patients personal financial history.

Homemakers always prepare food for patients.

HH Aides are good companions.

Safety Web Resources

http://www.consumer.gov/health.htm

http://www.elderlifeplanning.com/links/ http://www.drugs.com/hs/elder+care/br_elder+care