HCAOA The Voice Winter 2019-20

10 HCAOA The Voice FEATURE ARTICLE Recognizing Hazards in the Home: Are Your Caregivers Prepared? By Jennifer W. Burks, RN, MSN At the core of home care services is protecting your clients’ safety. From a fiscal standpoint, you depend on client referrals and satisfaction to keep your agency operating. Prioritize client safety and everyone wins, but to do so your caregivers must be able to recognize all the hazards in a visit. Risk Factors for Clients Clients themselves may have conditions that increase their risk for injury in the home. For example, some might have trouble with balance and are slurring their words. This puts him/her at risk for falling. Slurred speech can be caused by many medical conditions. Slurred speech may also indicate trouble with clear thoughts and decision making. Confused thinking can lead to accidents and injury. Confused thinking can be caused by a medical condition, disease, side-effects from medications, and drug or alcohol use. Some of these factors can be controlled, and some cannot. It is your responsibility to be alert to anything about your clients that might affect their safety. Could your caregivers identify the following risks? Hazards in the Home Each home care setting is different. That means you need to be prepared for anything and know how to react. Your agency will have policies and procedures that you should follow. And always pay attention to your instincts or “gut feelings.” They will often tell you the truth. Conditions in the Home Your agency will have specific guidelines to follow that can help decide if a home is safe place for you to work. You should follow your own agency’s policies and procedures when in a home with safety concerns. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also provides guidelines that might be useful to you as you encounter various safety concerns. Electrical Safety It is always best to have a certified electrician fix an electrical problem. Your job is to notice the problem and report it.