2010/07/24
Venue: In-house training room
Participants: 31
A training session was held on Saturday, July 24, 2010, in the training room at the Hattori Building. Despite the summer heat, 31 participants joined us after work. Once again, we welcomed instructor Ishii from Sanko Welfare College, who helped us reflect on and review the things we routinely do in our daily work.
The theme was “Professional Conduct and Risk Management for Home Helpers.” After a talk on professional conduct, participants worked in groups, using the “What Would You Do?” handouts to guide their discussions before presenting their findings. The many ideas shared made for a productive session.
Here is some of the feedback we received from our home helpers.
“It was excellent. I’m looking forward to the next session.”
“The training reminds me of my responsibilities as a home helper and gives me renewed confidence.”
“I learned a great deal. I realized that many things I had been doing without thinking were not correct, and it has given me a lot to reflect on.”
All of us were delighted to receive so many positive comments about the session.
Our home care service coordinators will continue learning and working hard to organize training that every helper finds worthwhile and that enables everyone to provide appropriate care smoothly and confidently.
Group Work Handout 1
What Would You Do?
1. What should you do if you are late for a visit? What if the visit looks likely to run over the allotted time?
2. After completing your work, what would you do if you were asked to mail a postcard or take out the trash on your way out?
3. How would you respond if a service user told you, “I can’t sleep at night”?
4. A helper found a large pile of newspapers and tied them up to put them out for collection, but the service user objected angrily. Why was the service user upset?
Group Work Handout 2
Risk Management: Discuss the Issues — Case 1
1. On arriving for a visit, a helper found the service user bleeding from the knee. The service user said they had just fallen in the garden. The helper examined the wound, decided it did not appear to need stitches, and disinfected and dressed it. Three days later, the family called to say that the knee had become infected and the service user needed hospital treatment, including surgery to open the affected area. According to the doctor, the infection resulted from inadequate disinfection. The family held the helper responsible for making a medical judgment and providing treatment without authorization, and sought reimbursement of medical and other expenses from the service provider. Reference material:
Group Work Handout 3
Risk Management: Discuss the Issues — Case 2
2. A helper provides household assistance to a service user with mild dementia but no significant physical limitations. The helper often shops for the service user, taking cash and, on returning, handing over the purchases and change while explaining what was bought. The helper also provides a written note of the prices. One day, the family reported that the service user had accused the helper of keeping some of the change.