Home health and family life?

caliotter3 · Mar 7, 2012

If you don't want to do paperwork at home, then do shiftwork, where you do your nurses' note in the home and when your shift is finished, you are finished.

RN1263 · Mar 7, 2012

I have charting almost every night! and I've been doing intermittent HH visits for 4 1/2 yrs., the problem is once the higher ups know you can handle a lot, then you get a LOT or I do. It doesn't stop, unless the agency slows down for whatever reason. I want to work an actual shift when I know within a 1/2 hr or so that I WILL BE OFF WORK. I'm burnt out! The grass is not always greener is all I can say.

emilysmom,RN · Mar 7, 2012

I do intermittent HH visits for 2 years now. My company still uses paper, I am not sure if working for a company that uses computers might help with that. I write notes in each home then type my notes while watching TV every night. It can take a few hours depending on how busy and if a SOC. But I am home at night and work only a few weekends. Good luck with your decision.

vbgniner · Mar 7, 2012

Yeah, its hard to say how it will be. This is the largest home care company in the metro, they do 5-6 regular visits per day or up to 2 admissions only. I just wish I knew how long the paperwork actually took, and if its reasonable to think I can get it done between visits. I don't think I'd mind occasionally getting caught up in the evening, but not for hours! Thanks for your input!

jmn126 · Mar 8, 2012

I have done HH for 25 yrs and always have paperwork to do at home, about2 hrs each night, no getting around it, just goes with the territory of doing HH

Mom2boysRN · Mar 8, 2012

I just started my HH job 2 weeks ago, so still a newbie. I left LTC working 2-1030 because those hours, every other weekend, every other holiday were killing family life.

My HH company is small, but has been around for close to 20 years.

I generally see 5 pts per day. We have forms that we fill out at each visit. In the home I fill out pt vitals and the other info on what is basically a check list (bm, urinary symptoms, lung sounds, etc) I write my narritive note when I leave the home and go out to my car before driving to my next house if the time of day is right and I have time before I go to my next pt I will call the doc if needed.

So the normal day to day paperwork isn't too bad if you do it as you go, I may at the end of the day have a few loose ends as you said.

The (SOC) start of cares are more involved and do take awhile to finish, more for me right now because I'm new.

In the evening I map out my visits for the next day and decide on my route and figure out about what time I will be at each person's house. I call and give them a half hour window of when I will be there.

So planning and paperwork a normal night is maybe 1 hour possibly 2 if it was a crazy day.

So far my impression is HH is very family friendly, because I have dinner with my family and tuck my kids into bed each night.

pinkfluffybunny · Mar 11, 2012

There is the option of one to one pt. care.

KateRN1 · Mar 11, 2012

Really, when you get right down to it. it's kind of like asking "How long is a piece of string."

Everyone's experience is different based on many things, like agency, location of the country, paper vs computer charting, patient characteristics, background, family life, and their own personality. You will never know if home care is right for you until you try it. And even then, your experience at one agency may be horrendous but at another agnecy it may be heavenly. Or you may find out that you really don't like it at all and home care isn't for you. There's no shame in that, we all have our talents and there's no way to find out if home care is yours until you give it a go.

csherrn · Mar 11, 2012

I see 11-15 patients per day. The paperwork is demanding and time consuming. Takes up most of my afternoons evenings. I do have some flexibility, which is nice.

RN1263 · Mar 11, 2012

Csherrn,

11-15 patients???? how long are your days? Sorry but that load is ridiculous in my opinion.

cathrn64 · Mar 11, 2012

Csherrn, 11-15 patients is ridiculous! How can you give good care and do a full assessments on each pt?

To the OP, it's all in how you look at it. The Home care agencies I have worked for were computerized. Some people chart in between visits. Others save it all for later. When my kids were little, I would pick them up and spend time with them and do my paperwork when they went to bed. Now that the are older, it varies which way I use. I know I finish a lot faster, if I am not watching TV. Sometimes, I will sit in my car in a nearby parking lot and finish before I go home. (A lot of times needing to use the bathroom, is the main reason I go home before I am done!)