lvn reporting to a case manager?

[pear8]

Hi all!

i am an LVN in HH and i want to know what do i report to the case manager or when do i ever communicate with them? do i just ask them for advice on a clients care or treatment? how often do i report to them? do i have to report to them on a regular basis like every week?/ what does the case manager do? do u only communicate with them when the case is opened? are they like mentors? i am new to HH : )

[caliotter3]

Theoretically, you don't ever have to talk to them unless they come to the home for a supervisory visit while you are there. You communicate problems to them. Or important information that you feel it is necessary that they are aware of but does not really "fit" the shift nurses note. I send in communication notes (done on a communication note form) to the nursing supervisor when I deem necessary. They never bother to respond unless they want to discuss the issue. As long as I have sent in the communication note, I have done my job.

[KateRN1]

While what Caliotter says may apply to private duty home care, it does not apply to Medicare home care. As a case manager, I want to be communicating at the very least weekly with the LPN who is seeing my patients. Our RN Case Managers are expected to write interdisciplinary weekly update reports, which means that they have to have communication from each member of the team. If the patient is stable, it can be as simple as: vital signs stable, following plan of treatment, the subject(s) taught at the last visit(s), progressing or not, etc. If there's a problem, then the RN needs to know about it, what you've done about, and what needs to be followed up on.

The RN is required to do the initial assessment and formulate the plan of care, then performs superivosry visits at intervals specified by the state and Medicare. The LPN can take phone modification orders from the physician, but these should also be reported to the RN. The RN coordinates all disciplines within the case, including PT, OT, and Speech, and those therapists should also be communicating directly with the RN. The RN supervises the home health aide and LPN, the other therapists supervise their discipline assistants, such as PTAs and COTAs. The RN also "trouble shoots" the case when there is an issue, like patients who refuse care or who want more care than is indicated, or those who are non-compliant. The RN also performs the recertification or discharge visit assessment every 60 days, which also includes the summary of the care received over the last 60-day period.

Hope that helps.

[caliotter3]

In extended care we don't normally even have case conferences, nor do we see the clinical supervisor unless s/he happens to visit while we are on shift. I am currently blessed at present to not even know the name of the current clinical supervisor. I think we may be on the second one since the one I knew left in December. As a matter of professional courtesy, one would have expected a note from the agency introducing the new supervisor. I look forward to having little contact from somebody whose name could be different from one week to the next.

[berube]

we report to each other on a daily basis, RN to RN, if someone else sees your patient they follow up with a report to the case manager even if all is status quo....

[CFitzRN, ADN]

For our PDN cases, the nurse writes nurse's notes every shift, which are then brought into our DOPS (Director of Professional Services) with their time sheets weekly. She then transcribes them into the pt chart.