Question
Today you have been given a client who has been receiving care and support from your
organization for five years from the same career. The career has just finished work with your organization. You have read over your new client, Miss Rose’s care plan. She has been living
independently for many years, but informed her previous career last week, that her sister, who
she sees every week, had suddenly passed away.
Today she seems distant and not able to communicate clearly, often speaking in first language,
Italian, which she apparently does not do during career visits. There is a very bad smell in her
home and you notice that there are some heavy boxes in the hallway that make it difficult to
get to the bathroom easily. Miss Rose seems to be unclear in her responses and communication, and she does not get up
and make a cup of tea for you both as she usually likes to do. You are concerned about her
health and safety. You make a cup of tea for you both and sit and talk with her. While you are
in the kitchen, you notice that the element on the stove is on but nothing is on it. You also
have a mild slip in the kitchen from a puddle of water.
1)Identify risks or potential risks to Miss Rose; including safety, health and uncharacteristic behavior you have identified in the scenario.
2)identify the workplace policies and procedures you must consider when ensuring you and Miss Rose are not at risk of risk of harm or injury, and how would you report these risks?
- Health risks from the bad smell in the home, which could indicate poor hygiene or unmanaged medical issues.
- Safety risks from the heavy boxes in the hallway, which could cause a fall or prevent Miss Rose from accessing the bathroom.
- Health risks from Miss Rose’s unclear communication and uncharacteristic behavior, which could indicate a medical issue or cognitive decline.
- Safety risks from the element on the stove being left on, which could cause a fire.
- Safety risks from the puddle of water in the kitchen, which could cause slips and falls.
- Health and safety policies and procedures that outline protocols for identifying and reporting potential risks, such as the heavy boxes and the stove element left on.
- Infection control policies and procedures that address the bad smell in the home and any other hygiene concerns.
- Communication policies and procedures that outline how to communicate with clients who speak languages other than English or who have communication difficulties.
- Reporting procedures for incidents, hazards, and accidents that occur in the workplace, such as the slip in the kitchen.