CNA/HHA Assisting with ADLs, Meds, etc., without a Care Plan

[CabanaDay]

My clients' (several) Care Plans were written by an RN nearly eight months ago. Each has a term of six months and expired more than a month ago. All clients have had significant changes in condition that have been acknowledged orally and those changes in care are documented in my daily activity notes.

My requests for updated care plans are ignored. By phone I am told "I'll check into that..." E-mails requesting a care plan are ignored i.e., not responded to and not acknowledged. I feel without a valid Care Plan I have no legal reason to be in the home providing hands-on care.

What should I do about this?

And also I super curious. Would this be of some benefit to someone or somehow benefit the home health agency to skimp on doing care plans?

[caliotter3]

I would continue with the emails and keep copies. I would leave it at this level, but it might not be a bad idea to start to look for a better employer. You never know what might happen in the future. You have to look out for your own interests as well as those of the client. Informing your supervisors on repeated occasions is the minimum action on your part. Should you go outside the agency, you might be bringing on repercussions that you do not need or want. Good luck.

[caliotter3]

Another thought. My case(s) never get updated care plans unless I go to the office and pick one up. The care plans have probably been updated but no one in the office bothered to mail one to the home.

[kparry]

Yes, the updated PoC are hopefully at the office in the clients home charts. Stop by the office at an appropriate time, not at 8:30 AM on Monday or 4:30 PM on Friday, and ask for a copy to place in the home. If a PoC is not available, ask when is a good time to return to pick one up.

If you don't get a copy on your first visit or the return visit, and you are seriously troubled... not just nit-picking, notify the person one step higher in the chain of command.

The very first thing you should do is look for another employer. Seriously, most of the time I'm begging my home aides to read and follow the PoC. You are asking for one and can't get one? Run as fast as you can from this agency.

[CloudySue]

Seriously, I don't know how some of these agencies stay in business. I get all anal if I don't fill out my paperwork perfectly each and every shift, yet major issues get ignored every day in so many places and nothing seems to happen. My agency is great, they mail updated paperwork out to the homes with time to spare. Stories from other agencies never cease to shock me.