Role of Care Homes Essay Example

Introduction

Nursing homes are mandated to take care of the elderly patients; the homes ensure that the elderly and the weak in the society get living standards that are at per with what the rest of the community is experiencing. Personal hygiene, nutrition, and expert care are some of the basics in a nursing home. Of utmost importance are the safety and the well-being of the workers and the people in the healthcare facility. What procedures are there to ensure that the elderly are safe, what hazard signs exist to help avert possible issues that would arise? The essay examines the role that health and safety signs play in a hospital, the safety and health management in a healthcare setting and also what should be prioritized in the healthcare facility.

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Role of Health and Safety Signs In a Care Home

Seniors may be quite difficult to handle; there is, therefore, a need to provide signs and also avoid the possible legal repercussions that may arise. To effectively run a healthcare setting, everyone should be encouraged to take note of the signs and obey them to the latter. A clear way to handle the issues in the healthcare setting includes the creation of a reporting system (Age UK., 2018). There should be someone who will be responsible for receiving complaints from workers and the people at the facility. Such a move is essential in seeing that any criticism reaches the management and corrective action is taken immediately. Therefore, one of the safety sign that should be in a hospital is a reporting system or an emergency number.

Another role of the health and safety signs is ensuring the equipment safety, people may be quite inquisitive, and there is a need to provide that they are warned to keep off. A yellow triangle will show that a person ought to exercise caution, for instance, radioactivity materials are in close range. Moreover, there is a need for the hospital to set boundaries between what should be touched by the people in the facility and what is out of reach. Another significant use of safety signs is to show the use of bed rails and how moving and handling should be done. By having signs that indicate the correct use of bed rails, issues such as the number of falls, the entrapments that happen under the tracks or even the risk of falling when using the bed rails is significantly reduced (Age UK., 2018).

Signs on the nature of the surface need to be placed in place; this is especially more for the slippery floor and wet surfaces. A blue sign with someone slipping is meant to be understood that the floor is slippery. Doing this will help to avoid a slip of the caregivers or that of the workers (Iliffe et al., 2018). Since the elderly are likely to be triggered by a rough surface, there is a need to put up a sign that shows the likelihood of a trip hazard especially the unmarked ramps. With the signs in place, the person receiving the care will be ready for any issue that may arise. Fall from heights may also happen in a care facility caused by a confused mental state or deliberate self-harm. With the right signs in place, the person may be much careful, and the hospital may get rid of a possible lawsuit (Iliffe et al., 2018).

With the right health and safety signs in place, a care facility can create awareness of the existence of a possible risk. Some of the safety signs that they may have in place include information signs that are green in color, warning signs that are yellow, and prohibition signs that are red fire signs that are also redcolor. Blue signs mean that the actions are mandatory, such basic knowledge is essential to have in an elderly care facility (Age UK., 2018).

Responsibilities of individuals in a healthcare facility

In a nursing care facility, the people to be found in it are the caregivers who handle the elderly on a day to basis, those people in the management, doctors, office assistant and kitchen assistants. An ideal organogram is shown below.

The administrator in the healthcare facility is in charge of overseeing everything that happens within its jurisdiction. In case there is an override of the patients' rights or something that have to be answered to the public, it is the seniors who will answer the questions that may arise. They are also answerable in case a lawsuit is brought against the facility (Iliffe et al., 2018).

Other people of importance in the facility are the dietary directors, the housekeeping director, business office manager and the director of nursing. The nutritional director is mandated by the law to ensure that the older adults in the facility receive quality diet. They director oversee the food preparation by the cooks and the food service workers.

The housekeepers are under the housekeeping director; they play an essential role in the facility as they are in direct contact with the elderly in the facility. The quality of care received in the facility depends on them; it is, therefore, essential for the housekeeping director to make sure that the housekeepers are willing to work. The business office works to ensure that the operations of a facility are running as they should. People in the docket include the receptionist and office manager, the accountant and even procurement officer.

The business office works hand in hand with the maintenance office to ensure that everything that is required in the hospital is available. As the people in the hospital are quite vulnerable due to their low health condition, there is a need to ensure that everything is to avoid the risk that may arise. The head of maintenance provides that everything is in order (Sykes et al., 2013). The director of nursing is in charge of the nurses; they ensure that the nurses and the nursing assistants provide the required care to the people in their facilities. The nursing director is also in charge of outsourcing specialist who will handle the issue with that affect specific patients.

Health and Safety Priorities in an Elderly Nursing Home

Both the employer and the employee have tasks that they should give top priorities, the managers and the owners of the elderly care facility should focus on providing a safe place for the elderly residents and the workers. There is a need to ensure that the home meets the requirements of the health and safety act (1974). There is also a need to provide safe plant and equipment's at the place of work; this will work to see that the workers can meet the requirements set for them by the law.

On the other hand, the employees have a duty of taking care and being responsible for everyone eats the place of work. The elderly may not be aware of the risk that is in place of residence, and it is, therefore, that task of the employees to take care of them. They are also mandated to cooperate with the employer to ensure that the place of work is safe for the people living in it. Besides this, they should not interfere with the safety arrangement of the working place, and they should carry out a regular risk assessment of the place of work. This will work to ensure that workers and the residents are safe (Sykes et al., 2013).

Task 2

Case Study Risk Assessment

In the case, the highest risk that the people in the facility face are the risk of burns. The risk is in line with the health and safety at work act (1974). The hazard, in this case, is that people who get into the bath may be elderly, weak or young and they may not be in a position to call for help. In such a case, they are at risk of suffering severe burns. As per the case, the water should be at a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius. In the case, the resident was lowered into a bath containing water of 56 degrees Celsius.

In the second case, a resident choked to death due to lack of adherence to the specialist recommendation. The risk in the case is choking due lack of supervision. To avoid the issue, the care facility should have an elaborate care system in place. Some of the things to do include risk assessment, this is the overall process of hazard identification and identification. The organization easily identify the risk posed to its residents. Hazard identification is the next step; it includes listing and characterization of hazards (Iliffe et al., 2018). Risk analysis involves comprehending the nature of risk and determining the level of risk in the resident's place. Risk evaluation and risk control are meant to see that there are systems in place to avoid the risk from happening.

Impact of the Health and Safety Policy

To control the issues such as choking and burns, the staff has to be aware of the food and safety act of 1990, the general food hygiene regulation of 1995. According to Ben, (2018), the general food hygiene also covers the food temperature control. When the workers are aware of the act, they will take the necessary care to see that the food that they serve to the elderly is in the right temperature, they will also ensure that water in bath places is of the right temperature. According to the acts, the people preparing the food will be clean and maintain clean practice when making the food (Ben, 2018). They should also be able to trace the source of the food; such measures will ensure that what is prepared is good for the people in the care facility.

Addressing Dilemmas at an Organizational Level

To address dilemmas that may happen in the organization, there is a need to know the law as an organizational leader; you may research on the municipal, labor and even the statutes regarding healthcare facilities. Having a proper understanding of the law will ensure that you can teach your employees and make the rules applicable. For instance, it will be easy to follow the several food acts that are in place (Ben, 2018). There is a need to seek legal advice on issues that may arise at the place of work. Under the health care law, a patient may be liable to be compensated for damages in care their rights were violated. The care facility may also risk losing its operating license or even the clients who visit it. A damage lawsuit may not be the best thing to handle.

Setting expectations also help to handle dilemmas that may happen in the care facility, coming up with a place of work policy based on the organizational philosophy and code of conduct will help the workers know what is expected of them. The standards set will help to hold employees responsible for their actions. Training the employees greatly helps them to understand what is required of them and the meet it at all times.

Issues such as ethics, following instructions and the leaning process, should be given top priority at a care facility. When workers are well equipped, it becomes easy to ensure that the set standards are followed. Some things that can be done include simulations, case studies, and real-life examples. Moreover, creating effective workplace relationship will see that those who are not conversant with the workplace requirements easily learn from others. Having the organization comply with the regulatory requirements helps avoid the issues that may arise when workers are not conversant.

Within the organization, there is a need to have someone who is in charge of the rest, for instance, the organization should have someone who will oversee the working of the employees. In case there is an issue within the organization, the workers will report to them. The employee who is in charge should be available for consultation, and they should ensure anonymity in case there is a confidential issue being handled. When applying the workplace policy, it is essential to be fair to the workers. Be consis...