Just show up for visit? Whats your take?

[Fholmeslpn]

Hello, i am new to this site and also to home health nursing. So after a few days of no visits because pts werent calling me back and fellow home health lpn and friend suggested maybe i just show up? Her reasoning being they are old maybe didnt hear the phone or couldnt get it to fast enough, most are homebound anyways, or even what if they are hurt and no one has checked on them. Whats your take i need my visits but dont want to invavde on anyone.

[amoLucia]

Were you tying multiple calls to reach them? Otherwise, I'd be concerned if there was not any contact.

Do you have a documented 'next of kin' or somebody else to call in these situations?

Maybe you showing up with the police present might just be nec.. I believe local police will do these kind of 'check up' calls if nec.

Most obvious, if you work with some agency or facility, what is their protocol for a situation like this?

[Fholmeslpn]

Well, since im so new my agency has just said consider it a loss for the day, most of these patients im suppose to case manage and be their primary nurse its kind of worrisome that i dont even know who they are.

[caliotter3]

I would go with the policy of your agency.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

My patients who I had trouble reaching when I worked in home health, I put on standing schedules. It was much easier in those cases just to say "your time is Friday at 8am" and then if something was going on on Friday one week, I would reschedule the visit at the previous week's visit.

But, if I've never seen the patient, no I wouldn't just show up. I would try multiple times to reach them and, if unsuccessful, would reach out to the referring source to see if there are alternate phone numbers.