Introduction
Home health care is becoming more and more common, especially in developed countries due to its advantages considering the quality of care provided and its ability to save on costs and time. Home health care helps in reducing congestion in hospitals, hence allowing doctors and other medical workers to handle emergency cases and chronic patients. According to various research articles, the largest number of people under home health care is above the age of sixty (Gershon, et al., 2008). The most critical factor in home health is the safety of the patient and of the medical personnel which affect the recovery period and the ability of the professional to provide specialized care. The teaching of home health care to professional such as nurses can use the following teaching plan:
- What does home health fully entail and its benefits to the patient?
- What are the common issues that can be addressed through home health care?
- What are the main problems facing the efficiency of home health care?
- What are the main risk factors and safety guidelines that should be taken into consideration?
Patient Issue
Home health care can be used to help in the management of a patient suffering from injuries that take a lot of time to heal, for example rib injuries. These wounds require constant monitoring of the patient and their healing progress as simple mistakes can lead to the disability or damage to vital organs such as those found in the rib cage (Gershon, et al., 2008). It might also result in internal injuries that can lead to the slow death of the patient. However, various foods recommended at the hospital may be expensive for some patients, hence may not be able to live according to the requirements which contribute to the development of the disease.
Risk Factors
The main risk factors that may affect this patient includes violence, involvement in physical tasks and hygiene concerns (Suarez, Agbonifo, Hittle, Davis, & Freeman, 2017). Violence can also be a risk factor for the medical personnel, because they may not be able to provide the required help in time. Involvement in physical tasks such as lifting heavy loads is also a risk factor, especially for casual laborers who are expected to support their families. Hygiene concerns apply in areas such as bathrooms and other floors in the home which should be kept clean and dry.
Statistics
Typically, freestanding proprietary agencies provide 55% of the formal home care services. In addition, there are approximately 110,000 nurses who can provide homecare services (Gershon, et al., 2008). Similarly, hospices, which is another form of home care, are also growing in popularity at a prolific rate since the year 1983. On the other hand, the size of informal/unlicensed homecare is significant.
Prevention
The prevention of risk factors related accidents is a key, as it would help in preventing more problems and helping in the patient’s recovery. Prevention may also help to avoid injuries of other family members. The medical personnel analyze the situation and recommend various solutions and initiatives that can be taken into consideration.
Safety Principles and Importance. Quality Improvement Techniques
The medical personnel help the patients learn various ways to escape these risk factors, therefore, increasing the speed of the patient’s recovery. As mentioned above, the patient is able to learn various healthy styles of lifting objects and avoiding conflicts that might result in violence and more injuries (Gershon, et al., 2008). The main focus of the medical personnel when considering quality improvement is to ensure that the patient is safe against the risk factors in their environment.
References
Gershon, R.R, Monika, P. M., Kristine, A. Q., Patricia, W. S., Allison, N. C., Stephanie, M. S.,… Martin, S. P. (2008). Home Health Care Patients and Safety Hazards in the Home: Preliminary Findings. Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches, (Vol 1: Assessment). Web.
Suarez, R., Agbonifo, N., Hittle, B., Davis, K., & Freeman, A. (2017). Frequency and Riskof Occupational Health and Safety Hazards for Home Healthcare Workers. Home Health Care Management and Practice., 29(4), 207 – 215. Web.