Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. a. Assisting the patient with personal hygiene, following appropriate and safe techniques, that include bed bath, sponge, tub, and shower bath; hair shampooing in sink, tub, and bed; nail and skin care; oral hygiene. b. Assisting the patient with ambulation/physical transfer, following safe transfer techniques c. Assisting the patient with eating d. Assisting the patient with dressing e. Assisting the patient with shaving 2. Maintenance of a clean, safe and healthy environment, which may include light cleaning and straightening of the bathroom, straightening the sleeping and living areas, washing the patient’s or client’s dishes or laundry, and such tasks to maintain cleanliness and safety for the patient or client. Patient related activities as taught to the Home Health Aide/CNA by a Licensed Health Professional employee for specific patient. Such activities include: a. Assisting with change of colostomy bag, reinforcement of dressing b. Measuring temperature, pulse, respiration, or blood pressure c. Measuring intake and output of fluids d. Assisting with the use of devices for aid to daily living example, a walker or wheelchair. e. Assisting with prescribed range of motion exercise (such exercise are limited to those taught to the Home Health Aide/CNA and the patient by a professional employee) f. Assisting with prescribed ice cap or collar g. Doing simple urine tests for sugar, acetone, and albumin. h. Measuring and preparing special diets. 3. Keeping records of personal health care activities 4. Observing appearance and gross behavioral changes in the patient and reporting to the registered nurse. 5. Supervision of self-administered medication in the home limited to: obtaining medication container from the storage area for the patient, ensuring that the medication is prescribed for the patient, remind the patient that is time to take the medication as prescribed, and observing the patient self-administering the medication. 6. The Home Health Aide/CNA may also provide the following assistance with self-administered medication, as needed by the patient, in accordance with 400.488.F.S.: a. Prepare necessary items such as juice, water, cups, or spoons to assist the patient in the self- administration of medication. b. Open and close the medication container or tear the foil of prepackaged medications c. Assist the resident/patient in the self-administration process, such as steadying of the arm, hand, or other parts of the patient’s body so as to allow the self-administration of medication d. Assist to the patient by placing unused doses of solid medication back into the medication container. Assisting with tasks associated with elimination: i. Toileting ii. Assisting with the use of the bedpan and urinal iii. Providing catheter care including changing the urinary catheter bag iv. Collecting specimens v. Emptying ostomy bags, or changing bags that do not adhere to the skin 7. THE HOME HEALTH AIDE/CNA SHALL NOT PERFORM THE FOLLOWING TASKS a. Changing of sterile dressings. b. Irrigating body cavities such as giving enema c. Irrigating a colostomy or wound d. Performing a gastric irrigation or enteral feeding e. Catheterizing a patient f. Administering medications g. Applying heat by any method h. Caring for a tracheostomy tube i. Any personal health service which has not been included by the Registered Nurse in the patient care plan. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 1. Able to speak, read and write in English. 2. Able read assignments, follow directions. 3. Able to communicate and respond clearly on telephone and respond to patient’s spoken needs.4. The ability to physically transfer, lift or assist patients whose average weight is 160 pounds with or without the aid of mechanical devices. 5. Able to spend 80% of the work standing and/or Home Health Agency Job Descriptions I-22