Patient Education

You have the right to:

• refuse delivery of any and all equipment.
• receive a clear explanation about your condition and have Home Care Specialists staff communicate in a language that is understandable to you.
• prompt delivery and to be fully informed on the use, and care of all Home Care Specialists in your home.
• expect that all information will be kept in strictest confidence and have your personal privacy respected
• expect all equipment to be clean and in good repair.
• have your property respected during visits
• have any questions answered promptly, correctly and courteously.
• have personal, cultural, and ethnic preferences considered.
• to participate in planning how service will be provided to you, and to be informed of all options if the need to transfer care arises.
• know that if he/she is found unresponsive, Home Care Specialists ‘s policy is for staff to call 911 for emergency medical intervention.
• to expect a resolution to any problem or complaint and express dissatisfaction and suggest changes without coercion, discrimination, reprisal, or unreasonable interruption in service.

You have the responsibility to:

• give accurate and complete health information concerning your past use of equipment and any change in address, doctor, insurance carrier, prescription
• assist in developing and maintaining a safe environment
• follow instruction in care and use of all equipment and request further information concerning anything you do not understand
• treat Home Care Specialists associates with respect, courtesy, and consideration
• to order supplies on a timely basis to accommodate reasonable delivery.
• to have someone at home when delivery is scheduled.
• to pay all invoices that are due; not covered by insurance.

Accept the consequences of any refusal or choice of noncompliance, including changes in reimbursement eligibility

Falls happen at home for many reasons. There are several things that are known to add to your risk for falling. These include: Poor vision or hearing, History of falls, Use of mobility aids, such as a cane, Poor nutrition, Certain medications, Age over 65 years old, Conditions of the home, such as slippery floors, loose rugs, cords on floor. Our goal is to help you prevent falls at home! Here are some things that you can do that will help lower your risk for falls at home.

Clear Hallways and Stairs: Remove clutter, especially from hallways and stairwells, Use handrails while taking the stairs, Place non-skid treads or bright reflective tape to mark the edge of the stairs.

Floors: Remove scatter/throw rugs, Place non-skid treads or double-sided tape under area rugs, Keep floors free from clutter, Wipe up spills immediately, Make sure floors are not slippery.

Lighting: Replace dim, burned out or glaring lights with bright, soft white light bulbs, Use a night light, Make sure lights are easy to turn on and off, Keep a flashlight available

In the Bathroom: Use a raised toilet seat and safety frame for ease in getting up and down from toilet, Set water temperature at 120 degrees or less (prevent burns and falls trying to avoid burns), Consider a hand-held shower head, shower chair and handrails in the tub. Place non-skid adhesive strips in the tub. Use liquid soap or soap on a rope to prevent dropping soap.

Other: Store items used often at waist level, Select furniture with armrests for support in getting up and down, Keep phone within easy reach

• Bed rails are intended to prevent an individual from inadvertently rolling out of bed, provide assistance to a patient when repositioning and to provide a sense of security. NEVER use bed rails for restraint purposes where “restraint” means preventing or hindering the patient within the bed from exiting the bed as they wish. Use of rails as a means of restraint significantly increases a patient’s risk of entrapment.
• Bed rails are intended to be used as a pair in a bed system. When in use, both side rails must be in the up position, except when the patient is entering or exiting the bed. Use with one side rail up and one side rail down could create an increased risk of entrapment.
• Bed rails and/or their mountings should not be used if they are bent or otherwise deformed. Bent or deformed bed rails and/or bed rail mountings increase gaps and increase the risk of entrapment. DO NOT place pressure upon bed rails while moving the bed. Although bed rails are not rated to any specific patient weight limitation, the bed rails or their mountings may become deformed or broken if excessive side pressure is exerted on the bed rails.
• Mattress overlays or active therapeutic support surfaces (TSS), which support the patient on an air mattress or specialized foam layer, may present an increased risk of entrapment for some patients. The benefit of TSS product use must be weighed against the potential increased risk of entrapment. This risk judgment must be performed by a medical professional.

Bed Rail Entrapment is a known risk in the use of bed’s equipped with bed rails. Every patient is unique. Only the patient’s medical care provider is familiar with the patient’s unique medical condition and needs. Only the patient’s medical care provider and/or the dealer from whom you obtained this equipment, upon proper assessment of the patient’s medical condition and needs, can evaluate whether this equipment is appropriate for use by any particular patient and assist the patient, the patient’s family and/or the patient’s primary day-to-day caregiver in assessing the Risk of Entrapment. Proper patient assessment, equipment selection, frequent patient monitoring, and compliance with instructions, warnings and this Bed Rail Entrapment Risk Notification Guide is essential to reduce the risk of entrapment. Accessories have been developed in the industry to reduce the openings in existing bed systems that could cause entrapment. Any modification through the use of accessories must be used in conjunction with proper patient assessment prior to intervention. For a full discussion on this topic, see the Hospital Bed Safety Workgroup’s “A Guide for Modifying Bed Systems and Using Accessories to Reduce Risk of Entrapment” found at http://www.fda.gov. Conditions such as restlessness, mental deterioration and dementia or seizure disorders (uncontrolled body movement), sleeping problems, and incontinence can significantly impact a patient's risk of entrapment. Pediatric patients or patients with small body size may also have an increased risk of entrapment.

How to Stop the Spread of Germs: Take care to cover your mouth and nose and clean your hands often

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing: Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

To keep you healthy, follow these guidelines

• The single most important practice in preventing infection is frequent hand washing.
• Using a liquid antibacterial soap, lots of friction for about 15 seconds, rinsing thoroughly and drying hands with paper towels is recommended.

Wash hands

• before and after patient contact
• removal of gloves
• Use a ‘hand sanitizer’ (alcohol gel) frequently.
• Wash hands or use a hand sanitizer especially after touching body fluids (that is, respiratory secretions, stool, urine, vomitus) and potentially contaminated surfaces and materials.

Visitors in Your Home:

You may consider asking friends and relatives who have colds, flu or infectious disease to postpone their visit until they are feeling better.