Coordination Of Service Is Important In Home Care

There is usually more than one person who will be responsible for caring for an individual in a home care situation.  It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure a client’s schedule is maintained in an efficient manner. This relieves anxiety and stress for all parties involved in the client’s care.

A client may have a physical therapist, social worker, an IV therapy nurse, hospice nurse or podiatrist who will be coming to the home.  There may be social events to attend or friends and family who will be visiting. In order to avoid chaos and missed appointments, communication is of the utmost importance.  There are several things that can be done to facilitate proper and effective communication.

• Have a large calendar with ample space to write in events for each day. Be sure to include contact numbers when writing in the event. That makes it easier to call the correct party should a change need to be made.
• Make sure the client’s folder is in a visible location.  Charts, notes and the care plan should be in the folder.  Everything should be documented and should be legible. Remember that many people may need to read these notes.  For proper continuation of care, everyone needs to be able to read the entries.
• Try to read the notes before the nurse or other provider leaves the home. If you see something you don’t understand, they will be there to answer any questions without delay.
• Discuss the week’s schedule with the client and the involved family members.  The needs of the client’s family must also be met. The client doesn’t live in a vacuum, but is still part of a larger picture.