Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. ! Routine visits to hospitals upon request ! Pre-discharge assessment of patients to determine status under Medicaid/Medicare guidelines. ! Contacting patient' s physician to obtain specific orders for care. ! Consultation and/or observation of special procedures of patient care. ! Interview of patient and family prior to discharge from hospital for creating plan of care. ! Representation of the agency in community health planning activities. ! Arrangement of home health care services to professional personnel. ! Interpretation of home health care services to professional personnel. HOME HEALTH AIDES/CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT (CNA) "Home health aide" means a person who is trained or qualified, as provided by rule, and who provides hands-on personal care, performs simple procedures as an extension of therapy or nursing services, assists in ambulation or exercises, or assists in administering medications as permitted in rule and for which the person has received training established by the agency. "Certified nursing assistant" (CNA) means any person who has been issued a certificate under part II of chapter 464. The licensed home health agency or licensed nurse registry shall ensure that the certified nursing assistant employed by or under contract with the home health agency or licensed nurse registry is adequately trained to perform the tasks of a home health aide in the home setting. All Home Health Aides are trained in the agency's in-service program under the direction of our nursing and paramedical personnel. The home health Aide is an employee/contractor of MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc., who has been specifically trained to provide personal care and related services to the patient. This includes completion of a 75 hour aide training course in an accredited hospital or institution. We coordinate these experiences with provision of additional education in caring for patients in the home. As of early 1990, the Health Care Financing Administration has mandated that all Home Health Aides shall undergo a monthly in-service training which shall last for an hour. The Home Health Aide/CNA is a member of the health team who works in conjunction with the professional personnel and performs basic skills like: 1.Communication skills. 2.Observation, reporting and documentation of patient status and care of service furnished. 3.Reading and recording temperature, pulse and respiration. 4.Basic Infection control procedures. 5.Basic elements of body functions that must be reported to an aide's supervisor. 6.Maintenance of a clean, safe. healthy environment. 7.Recognizing emergencies and knowledge of emergency procedures. 8.The physical, emotional, end developmental characteristics of the populations served by our agency, including the need for respect for the patient, his or her privacy, and his or her property. 9.Appropriate and safe techniques in personal hygiene and grooming, sink, tub, or bed, nail and skin cam, oral hygiene. 10.Safe transfer techniques and ambulation. 11.Normal range of motion and positioning 12.Adequate nutrition and fluid intake. 13.Fire safety (in patients' homes). 14.Prevention of abuse of the elderly. 15.Review of AIDS prevention. Home Health Agency Bylaws H-6