Assignment 2: Course Project, Part V: Evaluation, Final

Running head: HOME HEALTHCARE RISKS

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HOME HEALTHCARE RISKS

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Risk

Description

Patient Care Environment

Falls, trips and slips are some of the common causes of the injury that home healthcare workers are likely to face. Also, the patients are also vulnerable to such risks of injuries, and utmost precaution should be ensured to avoid them. Safety should always be among top priorities to prevent potential problems (Harris, 2012).

Infection control

Healthcare workers should make sure that they are responsible for use and disposal of health care facilities such as sharp objects they use within the patient’s environment. It is possible to find contaminated sharp objects at the patient’s home especially when the healthcare workers assume that proper disposal equipment will be available. Disruptive family members and pets may also cause risks by interfering with healthcare workers who holds sharp objects that may contact another person.

Patient handling

Physical handling of employees is another major challenge that causes injuries. Healthcare workers should be aware of all the materials provided to lift and transfer the patient and policies related to safety. Such facilities like mechanical hoists, belts, rollers, slings and slide boards are provided as assistive devices of reducing strain.

Pets and animals

Scratches and animal bites are also part of the risks that home healthcare workers face. When such care personnel are bitten, they might be forced to undergo surgical operations while tripping, scratches, and allergic reactions cause injuries. Animals become aggressive every time they feel an intruder is making the working conditions for healthcare workers risky.

Documentation

It is critical that medical professional maintain a complete documentation of log of events. Uniquely challenging circumstance may arise, and if health professionals are driven by emotional feelings and fail to record anything, liability may arise later, and they will not manage defending themselves (Harris, 2012).

Party

Risks

Healthcare workers

Healthcare workers face such risk as hostile animals, blood borne pathogens and biological hazards, ergonomic hazards from patient lifting and, hostile family members, danger on roads while traveling and unhygienic conditions (Monks, 2013).

Healthcare facilities

The risk of being contaminated by pets and violent family members and damage resulting from dangers related to driving or slippery home working environment where healthcare worker falls (Kavaler, 2014).

Patients

Physical risk due to mishandling by a health worker who does not follow safety policies, the danger of being treated by contaminated healthcare facilities and slippery home environment that can damage them further(Harris,2012).