Winter Storm January 2011: The Home Care Perspective

Client care is synonymous to SAFETY and the wellbeing of home care clients should motivate decisions taken in a Home care agency particularly in the event of an inclement weather.

Management and Coordinators in collaboration with Case Management worked should work together to ensure the safety of all clients before any storm.

Agencies should follow the Policy and Procedure for Disaster Preparedness which should require that all clients be contacted and informed of the possibility of missed visits for some days and the reason why. Uninterrupted services would need to be approved and provided to level 1 clients and other clients who live alone and would have a problem caring for themselves if there was no assistance in a day or two.

In addition to the calls and extended services, the local Emergency Service Call Centers and Red Cross should be alerted with specific list of clients who might need a well person check as situation would permit. However, 24 hours telephone assistance should also be available to all client and daily phone calls should be made throughout the storm to ensure that all clients remain safe.

All staff should also be contacted to encourage them to take decisions that would ensure their safety for the duration of the inclement weather.

These would ensure that all clients are catered to accordingly with the least probability of calling for emergency because there has been a strategic plan and implementation of the P&P for Disaster Preparedness.

Exceptional dedication of the direct care staff and the team spirit of all would reduce healthcare cost and keep a smile on the faces of all clients and their families.

Even in the face of the storm, there is a need to keep faith with promoting a healthier community by creatively generating solutions and delivering quality home care services safely to clients in the comfort of their homes.

Bukky Olaoye

APremium Healthcare Solution, LLC