Patient Safety in Home Care Setting

Posted by Ainsley Aiken on December 23rd, 2019

The demand for home care is increasing with the growing aging population. However, safety in that setting is more crucial than anywhere else because people with such needs often have more than one health issues. Direct efforts can be made in that direction to make home as safe as possible. Here’s a checklist of what you can do to enhance safety for your dear ones at home:

Important medical equipment and supplies

While hospitals and clinics have a vast supply of necessary equipment, there’s nothing like that at home. Purchasing the right medical supplies and equipment for home care is the sole responsibility of the caregiver. Let’s see what you can do to make things easier in this regard:

• Talk to the medical care team regarding the best equipment and supplies
• Look for high-quality medical equipment from renowned brands like Skil-Care
• Refill medicines even before they run out of the stock
• Adopt a healthy practice like in the hospitals to keep germs away. Using sanitizers before and after handling patients is a good practice
• Use proper disposal system for medical waste such as needles, medicine wraps, etc.

Prevention of slips and falls

• After basic hygiene, it is crucial to prevent injuries in the form of slips and falls. Here’s how to do it:
• Do a regular inspection of house for possible hazards such as missing steps, loose rugs, etc.
• Proper lighting must be available so that the patient gets to see things rather easily.
• Proper installation of handrails and grab bars are essential.
• Use products for bed positioning and roll control to ensure patient comfort and safety.

Prevention of accidental falls in bathroom

Slips and falls are more common in bathroom as the area remains wet for longer. Since the use of a bathroom is private and the patient may not want to compromise their privacy, safety becomes a little more important.

Along with the installation of grab bars and hand rails, you would also want to add other safety products. Safety mats, transfer benches and safety alarms, etc. would ensure additional measures of safety for the patient.

Other safety instructions:

• Do not leave patient alone at home
• Stay in touch with the health care provider to ensues the best health care facility
• Keep the list of medications handy

Home health care is more critical than one might think. Amending the home environment for patient care can be the way to go.