New to Home Health

Specialties Home Health

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Specializes in LTC, Ortho, Clinic.

Hello I start at a home health agency on 11/17 and I had a question for the home health workers...when I interviewed they told me that I would work with a LPN, myself (RN), an a aide. We wont be in the house at the same time mostly, from what I understood. Have anybody else had groups like this and how did it work?? Who did the wound care and things of that sort, what where the RN duties?? Just curious.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Is this intermittent care? Or more private duty? If it's intermittent the RN's are the ones to do Medicare paperwork as LPN's cannot. So RN's must do the initial evaluation, recertifications, post hospital visits, and discharges.

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Specializes in LTC, Ortho, Clinic.

It is intermittent. What are the LPNs responsible for??

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Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.
Hello I start at a home health agency on 11/17 and I had a question for the home health workers...when I interviewed they told me that I would work with a LPN, myself (RN), an a aide. We wont be in the house at the same time mostly, from what I understood. Have anybody else had groups like this and how did it work?? Who did the wound care and things of that sort, what where the RN duties?? Just curious.

I have one patient who also has an RN and a HHA. The RN does her duty when she's on (verifying orders, giving meds, assessment, charting, monitoring, bathing, GT feeding, etc. ). When I'm on duty I do the same things. HHA pretty much do non nursing skills like (meds, assessment, iv fluids, etc). RNs actually aren't much different from LPNs except for a dollar more than we get.

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For visits, the LPN does whatever is required for the visit, except those activities only the RN can do. It is similar to both RNs and LPNs providing the same care for an extended care case. If you are designated as the case manager, then you will take on that role, otherwise, you and the LPN pretty much do the same things for the scheduled visits.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Yes as PP said. At regular visits RNs and LPNs pretty much do the same thing. Medicare regulations say that only the RNs can do the OASIS paperwork (which is done at the visit types I listed above). OASIS stuff is unlike much you've probably seen. Just go with the flow and remember: if you're between two choices on your OASIS go with the WORSE choice. And also remember: SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY in choosing your answers lol

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Specializes in LTC, Ortho, Clinic.

Thank you all for the insight. I am excited and scared at the same time from what I have seen on the forum. LOL. Wish me luck.

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