Regulations can be all over the map in private duty home care. In some states where no licensure is required there may be no guidelines when it comes to handling medications in a private duty home care case. Having served hundreds in private duty home care I can tell you first hand that uniform guidelines matter.
If they do not matter to you as the provider of services they surely matter to your client and their family and to your liability insurance company. Policies that govern the following are of importance to the person being served and the personnel providing the service:
- Medication storage
- Medication administration protocol
- Administering insulin
- Administering insulin on a sliding scale
- Hygienic handling of medications
- Medication reminders
- Medications the family brought that were not physician prescribed
- Medication disposal
- Medication side affects
Direct care staff are called upon to function in a variety of environments. The private home of clients is one of them. If the client likely did not take any meds they probably would not need you to be present.
Of course, in some areas your staff is not allowed to administer meds but only to remind the client it is time to take them. In others, direct care staff can administer oral medications, document the same and ensure a physician’s directives are followed.
This creates a wonderful incentive for sticking to a uniform set of standards. Based upon your state of purchase we enclose customized guidelines to ensure you comply with any local regulations. What is important is that you can assure your clients this important area of staff development and preparedness is not ignored.
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