different rules/regs for HH agencies?

Isabelle49 · Aug 15, 2013

I would not administer any medication that I could not identify and neither should you no matter what kind of agency you work for!

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2013

Pill Identification - WebMD: Identify Drugs by Picture, Shape, Color or Imprint - Pill Identifier with Pictures

I use this site if needed works great. Patients and those helping patients administer medications set all different kinds of systems to help them do so. Some are much better than others. There are some really awesome systems out there that you can suggest.

Here are a few examples: Med-E-Lert Automatic Pill Dispenser, Pill Dispenser with Alarm, 28 Day Pill Dispenser, Medication Pill Dispenser, Electronic Pill Dispenser, Med-E-Lert Pill Dispenser

There are also apps that patients can use and services that you pay a monthly fee and they send texts and remind patient and or caregivers to administer the medication.

turningred15 · Aug 16, 2013

You need to check the pill planner against the medication bottles and medication list and make sure it was done correctly. Sometimes this can be a lengthy process - good luck and welcome to home health!

taggart84 · Aug 30, 2013

In Ohio here. My agency uses home type pill boxes. We call them med planners and fill them once a week. The nurse can then admin meds everyday, makes life easier for the daily nurse. If I'm not the typical nurse and its not my pt, I make a habit of checking with pill bottles before I admin.

NoWomanNoCry · Sep 2, 2013

First I want to make it clear that my home health days I was not a nurse I was only a aid with that said I do feel like I can offer insight to Texas HHC or at least my two cent :)

I worked HH for 2 different company's in texas at the same time. I have patients 7 days a week. All I did was work and I got to know my patients very well. Company number 1 was a joke...all they cared about was the money! I went to a clients home and on her porch was a zip lock bag of pot. Needless to say after a few weeks of seeing things going on in the home I came to the conclusion without a doubt she was selling drugs and pills as well as stolen merchandise out of her home. Now I may get flamed for this part but there was no reason this client needed to be on the home health services. She didn't have the nursing part of the services where a nurse came out weekly all she had was the aid services which is basically a glorified maid. She was 100% able to do housework and things for herself. I remember the company giving me this woman's info saying she really has no reasons to be on HH But she knew how to work it to get it. But they were getting money and were happy. Then one day her unemployed son (in his 40s lived there but wasn't suppose to because she told company she had no one to help her. Who was the one bringing in the drugs/stolen items) anyways he cut his hand on glass and my patient (his mom) had told be before her son had Hep C and when he cut his hand she was wanting me to clean it up and bandage it. I said I needed gloves she said not to worry about it there was none but I needed to help him. I refused and she started going crazy (I think she was on something) and ran me out of her home with a metal crutch (when I think about it now I laugh but I was scared back when it happened lol)

I called my company crying and told them when happened. They told me to come right in and write a incident report. I went in told them what happened explained how her son had a cut that was not even stitch worthy but she was verbally forcing me to clean it ungloved ...told them about the other things I witnessed. They were on my side and said they would find me new patient.

Then few days go by I find out they kept this woman on their list and was trying to find other people to be her aid. I was shocked because after everything they cared more about the money then their staff.

Ok now fast forward to me moving up north where I'm at now. My mom calls to tell me she is getting HH and her company she was placed with was my one of my former companies (the one crazy crutch lady) I told my mom she needed to get a new company she didn't listen. So she gets placed with a woman that is coming out every day for a few hours (let's call her Jane) so Jane and mom are getting along well and I'm thinking maybe this will work. Then one night mom calls and she is upset I asked her why and Janes husband keeps calling mom yelling at my mom looking for Jane at all hours of the night...evidently this had been going on for days and my mom never told me and I asked her what Jane said when she told her and Jane said she would tell her husband to stop calling...well then few nights pass and janes husband is beating on moms door. Yelling saying let me talk to my wife. The next day when Jane shows up I call and confront Jane about this (keep in mind my mom has already called company but they never got back to her so my only option was to confront her myself) well Jane comes clean and tells me on phone that she is cheating on her husband and when she is with her new man she is telling her husband she was working for my mom.

So that was the end of her she had to go...on top of the husband thing she kept bringing her 2 kids to work at moms house and my mom likes kids but gets nervous around smaller ones which is what she had. So instead of them firing this woman they placed her with another person who was actually my moms neighbor lol. The neighbor got rid of her about a month later but I'm sure the company still kept her!

So I know this post got really long but moral of this whole thing is make sure you like the company your with and make sure they are professional. The other company I worked for was very good and it showed because I never had a issues with them. They didn't put up with clients like the crutch lady as well as crappy staff. So of you get with a HH company and you feel it's not up to par RUN! I plan on going to school for lpn and if love to do HH for awhile because I did love getting to know my patents on a personal level. But honestly I'm not sure i could do it again because of all the drama before.

Good luck!