Friends,kids' friends,neighbors......

Specialties Home Health

Published

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I work for a HH agency and my territory includes the town I live in. Occasionally, I get assigned to a patient who has kids the same age as my kids..you get the picture....small town. My kid has known their kid since kindergarten and is still very friendly with their kid...who hangs out at my house even now when my son is home from college. Would you take these people as patients? I haven't been comfortable doing so, but don't know if I'm overreacting.

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i also, before we moved, worked HH in a very small community (everyone knows everyone), i did not let it stop me from being "their nurse", i am/was able to draw that professional line.....things worked out very nicely and i never had a problem, actually some of the patients liked the connection i had with their families

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

I always explain HIPPA to them and assure them that they won't be discussed with anyone except the agency staff. They always say, "that ok, I don't care who you tell that you're my nurse and why". But I still don't say anything.

I did have one family, my parents next door neighbors, say oh that's good, thank you. I parked on the opposite side of their house to keep my parents from seeing my van.

When going to retirement homes they always want to know who else in the building is currently being seen.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I'm not worried about HIPAA regs...I just find it very uncomfortable to be taking care of someone I know on a different basis. If I ever have to have a joint replacement, for example, I'd NEVER go to rehab at one of the facilities I've worked at.

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I always explain HIPPA to them and assure them that they won't be discussed with anyone except the agency staff. They always say, "that ok, I don't care who you tell that you're my nurse and why". But I still don't say anything.

I did have one family, my parents next door neighbors, say oh that's good, thank you. I parked on the opposite side of their house to keep my parents from seeing my van.

When going to retirement homes they always want to know who else in the building is currently being seen.

That does make it difficult. I know when I did home health in the towers they would ask me who else I seen in the building or if I made the trip just for them. It would make there day most of the time if I just stated it was just for them.

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