Policies and procedures

Policies

  1. Be polite and friendly to clients at all times.
  2. Respect client's dignity, right to personal choice, and independence.
  3. Encourage a positive view of your organization and your co-workers.
  4. Do not make promises to clients.
  5. Show respect for clients’ culture, spiritual preferences, and their personal modesty and privacy.
  6. Do no harm.
  7. Maintain clients’ confidentiality.
    1. Tell your supervisor any client information relevant to your role.
    2. You may tell other team members client information on a need to know basis.
    3. Do not tell client’s personal information to anyone else.
    4. Clients may see their own notes but may not keep them. If they believe that your notes are incorrect or want a copy for themselves, refer them to your supervisor.
  8. Keep yourself and your clients safe at all times.
  9. If the client or a member of their family is abusive or violent to you for any reason, do not get angry or involved. Leave immediately and report the incident to your supervisor.
  10. If you notice signs of abuse, do not intervene or discuss the matter with anyone. Report it to your supervisor as soon as possible.
  11. Do only:
    1. what you know how to do, and,
    2. what is in your job description.
  12. Ask for help and advice when you don’t know what to do.
  13. When a case is beyond your role or expertise, refer it to your supervisor. The office maintains a list of agencies to whom clients can be referred.

 

Procedure for client visits

  1. Before workers go on a visit:
    1. Get an up-to-date copy of the client’s care plan from the supervisor and read it.
    2. Check with your supervisor for any news about the client that is not in the care plan.
    3. Choose a time to visit that will suit the client. (It should be noted on the care plan.)
  2. When you arrive, check what the person needs.
  3. Give them the kinds of help they need. As you do so, explain what you are going to do and how you will do it, and get their agreement.
  4. When you leave, check when they will need another visit.
  5. Reporting
    1. Report anything unusual to your supervisor by word of mouth
    2. Fill in a log book of your visit and give it to your supervisor.
    3. Debrief in next staff meeting

 

During client visits

  1. Have a positive and supportive attitude.
  2. Independence:
    1. Encourage them to be independent if they can be.
    2. Encourage changes that would help them live more independently.
  3. Notice any changes in the client’s needs, including health and emotional wellbeing.
  4. Notice any health problems (e.g. poor hygiene, neglecting medicines, etc.)
  5. Notice any signs abuse and neglect, and report them to your supervisor.
  6. Notice anything dangerous and handle it appropriately e.g.
    1. Poor or inappropriate lighting
    2. Slippery or uneven floor surfaces
    3. Combination of electricity and water
    4. Physical obstructions (e.g. furniture and equipment)
    5. Poor home and domestic appliance maintenance
    6. Inadequate heating / cooling devices
    7. Inappropriate footwear and clothing
    8. Unhygienic conditions
    9. Evidence of self-neglect
    10. Behaviors of concern
    11. Impaired judgement and problem solving abilities
    12. Impaired cognitive functioning
    13. Sudden or unexpected change in health status including sensory loss
    14. Inadequate security
    15. Social rights infringements
  7. Check that they have their own social support networks, and encourage them to develop one if they feel isolated.
  8. If the client is experiencing loss and grief, you need to recognize it, respond appropriately and give them support during your visit.

 

Kinds of help workers can be asked to give

  1. Bed bathing
  2. Cleaning
  3. Domestic laundry
  4. Dressing, undressing, and grooming (including pressure stocking)
  5. Eating and drinking (using appropriate feeding techniques)
  6. Filing in government forms
  7. Financial matters
  8. Help with personal hygiene
  9. Home and garden maintenance
  10. How to use aids and/or equipment
  11. Hydration and nutrition (including dysphagia)
  12. Maintaining skin integrity and pressure area prevention
  13. Mobility and transfer, including in and out of vehicles
  14. Monitoring medication (as appropriate to work role)
  15. Nail care
  16. Oral hygiene and health care
  17. Pain, rest and sleep
  18. Personal correspondence
  19. Pet care
  20. Prepare food
  21. Recovery from falls
  22. Shaving
  23. Shopping
  24. Showering
  25. Toileting and using continence aids
  26. Transport to appointments
  27. Transport to social and recreational activities

 

You can also be asked to do any of the following kinds of health care in which you have been trained:

  1. Measure blood pressure
  2. Measure blood glucose level
  3. Measure temperature, pulse and respiration (TPR)
  4. Give simple wound care
  5. Tracheal suctioning
  6. Gastrostomy feeds
  7. Catheter care (doesn’t include inserting or removing tubes)
  8. Apply protheses
  9. Apply auto-thrombotic stockings
  10. Help with breathing tubes (under direct supervision of a health professional)
  11. Give simple eye care