Health Aide in Home Care - Essay Example

?Essay Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts (17 01, Outline Introduction 2. Role of home health aide 3. Principles of safe home environment 4. Procedure, equipments and supplies for house hold tasks 5. Washing and drying dishes 6. Laundering household and personal items 7. Organizing house hold tasks 8. Conclusion Cleaning tasks in home care 1. Introduction. Home care entails maintaining cleanliness and safety in the home. A clean home prevents accumulation of dirt which could be a health hazard and reduces chances of getting infection. This essay describes the role of home health aide in maintaining a clean, safe and healthy environment. The essay further talks about principles of safe home environment and procedures for house hold tasks. It explains how to clean utensils, linen and personal items. Guidelines on organizing the household tasks are discussed in this paper. 2. Role of home health aide. Home health aide gives safety, cleanliness and health assistance by giving personalized care, checking for physical dangers and report to medical authority about the client. By helping in bathing, dressing and toileting they reduce the chances of discomfort and infections (Prieto, 2008, p. 184). Assistance in movement, taking medication and feeding reduces accidents. Purchasing, preparing, serving and feeding ensure the client remain healthy. In some cases the home health aide educates the client and family which facilitate their cooperation when it comes to maintaining a safe, clean and healthy environment. Home health aide gives support to client and family by ensuring the surrounding is comfortable and can allow safe mobility (Anene 2009, p. 46). 3. Principles of safe home environment. To maintain a safe home environment avoid objects that could cause stumbling. One can put hand rails or bars in the house for support. Cabinets with dangerous substances and tools should be locked. Allow temperature for water heater to be adjusted to prevent burns. Naked flames should not be left unattended. Moreover, ensure there is an equipped first aid kit and functional fire extinguisher ready and accessible. Communication should be encouraged. A safe environment will ensure that there is no risk of burns, drowning, chocking, cuts, falls, loud noise, falling objects, broken items, robes and naked electric wires. It may be necessary to implement a system of monitoring movement like a door alarm, bell or supervision. Ensure there is a working telephone in case of an emergency. The home health aide can practice appropriate body mechanics when moving, lifting and transferring client (Birchenall and Streight 2003, p. 4). In addition cover the mouth when coughing and wear a mask if the client is coughing frequently. Avoid sitting or standing too close to the patient when they cough or have flu. Ensure there is ventilation to allow flow of fresh air. Soiled cloths, linen and items should be kept away from the clean ones. They can be kept together in a room. The soiled linen can be wrapped so that the soiling is at the middle and does not spill. 4. Procedure, equipments and supplies for house hold tasks. Leahy et al (2008, p. 17) point out that, it is necessary to collect and get the right equipment and supplies to protect self and to avoid infection when cleaning. House hold equipments and supplies required include: broom, mop, dust pan, disinfectant, bleach, rag, scrub brush, vacuum and scrap. Infection control measures should be considered in every procedure. Wear gloves when performing tasks and handling soiled linen, equipment or cloths. Clean hands regularly, preferably before and after completing tasks. Separate dirty and clean areas. The bathroom should be cleaned with cloth and the toilet wiped with a disposable cloth. When cleaning the kitchen start with the top to bottom, wipe spills and throw garbage daily. To clean the bathroom cleaning starts from top to bottom then clean sinks, shower and then the toilet. The floor and the water spills should be cleaned last. To clean the living room, begin with vacuuming the carpet. If there is no vacuum cleaner, sweep the carpet with a brush, collect garbage and throw it in a dustbin. Loose rags can then be tacked. Dust and wipe the furniture or items and return them to original place. To clean the floor, sweep first, then mop and finally dry the floor. 5. Washing and drying dishes. When washing and drying utensils, it is important to establish if there is any utensils that need sterilization. Those that need regular cleaning should be kept together. To begin the cleaning processes gather all the utensils and equipment for sterilization. Get plenty of water, soft cloth and soap. Sort the utensils according to type and dirt. Clean hands and wash less dirty items first. Wash one item at a time. Avoid overcrowding the utensil because it can cause glass to fall and break. Clean utensils in warm soapy water using a soft dish cloth. Rinse the utensils in clean water, place them in a utensil drying rack and leave them to drip dry for a while. Wipe with a clean dry cloth and place in appropriate place. If the utensils were to be sterilized clean and place them in a clean pot with cold water. Place the glass at the bottom and avoid overcrowding. Close the top and heat until there is steam. Let the steam sterilize for the next twenty minutes. When the heat is put out and the steam is no longer there open the lid. The lid should be open only if the steam has dispersed. Remove utensils using tongs. Keep the sterilized equipment away from the other utensils that are unsterilized (Rice 2006, p. 85). 6. Laundering household and personal items. Rice (2006, p. 89) indicates that when laundering household and personal items for a client, wear gloves before beginning the tasks. Sort the soiled and unsoiled cloths and linen first. Get information if the cloths or linen are to be washed using a machine and get the instructions on how to operate it. If they are to be hand washed, it may be necessary to consider wearing gloves and using the disinfectant. Empty any contents that may be found in the pockets. Then sort the cloths and the linen according to color. Some cloths and linen can be cleaned separately if soiled or delicate. Then find out about drying; if to be air dried or to be dried using the drying machine. 7. Organizing house hold tasks. Household tasks can become overwhelming if proper planning is not done. Begin with a list of household tasks. Then the tasks can be sorted and arranged according to time. Activities can be grouped into daily, weekly and monthly tasks. For example, vacuuming can be done weekly, paying telephone, water and electricity bill monthly, and buying medication upon advice. The rooms can be cleaned once a week. After arranging according to time remove and reduce the unnecessary tasks. For instance, the dishes need more time for cleaning than the fan. Some duties can be designated. If the tasks are too many to handle, one can ask for assistance. This will ensure that all prioritized and necessary tasks are completed. Practice what is in the plan and make adjustments where necessary. When a routine is maintained and adapted household tasks can be accomplished (Gingerch 2008, p. 163). 8. Conclusion. To create safe, clean and healthy environment the home health aide practices personalized, and hygiene in giving care. They use body mechanic skills to move patients and educate family together with the client for them to assist in the cooperation of maintaining a clean, safe and healthy environment. Cleanliness is maintained for comfort. Assistance is given in feeding and medication. A safe environment is maintaining by eliminating any danger. The home is cleaned using bleach, a broom, dust pan, scrap, mop, disinfectant, vacuum, and rag and scrub brush. Utensils are washed and dried or disinfected. Lined and personal items are sorted so that the soiled ones are cleaned separately. To organize household tasks, a list of all work is written. The tasks are arranged according to time and the less necessary tasks omitted. Help when there is a lot of work is needed. The plan is followed and adjusted accordingly. Bibliography Anene, E. C. (2009) Home Health Aide Training Manual And Handbook, Bloomington: iUniverse. Birchenall, J. and Streight, E. (2003) Mosby’s Text book for the Home Care Aide. Missouri: Mosby. Gingerich, B. S.  (2008) Pocket Guide for the Home Care Aide, Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Leahy, W., Fuzy, J., and Grefe, J. (2008) Providing Home Care: A Textbook for Home Health Aides, 3rd Edition. New Mexico: Hartman Publishing, Inc. Prieto, E. (2008)Home Health Care Provider: A Guide to Essential Skills, New York: Springer Publishing Company Rice, R. (2006) Home Care Nursing Practice: Concepts And Application New Jesry: Mosby. Read More