Organizational safety is more than just having the right PPE available at visible locations. PPE stands for personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment includes protective clothing, helmets, gloves, face shields, googles, facemasks, respirators and other equipment used to protect the wearer from injury or spread of infection or illness. PPE is used to block bacteria from entering your system through the skin, mouth, nose, or eyes. This includes bacteria that spread through droplets and other methods of travel. Having PPE prepared in visible areas of your home is ideal. There are many other things we can do to keep our home safe.
Preventing clutter can be lifesaving in times of emergency and urgency. Imagine having piled up boxes and clothes around the area where the medication is stored without labels. Imagine piles of clothes from the laundry room laying on the floor in the hallway that leads to the kitchen. What could go wrong here? Medication error and tripping hazards can be deadly for seniors. This is why organizational support from a caregiver or hiring a house manager is important and a requirement for a safe and happy life.
Elements of visual factory like visual aids and color coding help to create a safe and clean atmosphere for everyone inside the home. Visual ques for routines and schedules are very helpful in maintaining the safest home for the client and caregivers. Labeling all containers is something crucial for ensuring everyone's safety. Clear plastic bottles that are unlabeled could easily be mistaken for either bleach or water and sprayed in an inappropriate location causing a visit to the emergency room with yelling and a rash.
So what notes or visual aids and logs should I include in my kitchen or lobby areas? There are several pieces of information that all caregivers and visitors need to know. A medication schedule, time specific routine, and a restroom schedule. Hazards or warnings about triggers and unsafe conditions the client can produce or that are present in the home make great visual aids. For example everyone knows that Sue gets upset and yells about not being at the toilet at 2:00pm, so ensure its up on the routine schedule to prevent Sue from getting upset. Another example of a great visual aid is turning off the heater at 3:00pm because it gets too hot for the client. There is alot more that we can do for our clients safety and comfort using visual aids and organizational aids. Labels from a label maker can aid in individual specific training by identifying unique items or locations in your home.
In conclusion, always use visual aids, signs, posters, pill containers, and label all cleaning agents. Also ensure your home is clean and neat to prevent bacteria, disease, falls, and poor hygiene. Remain stocked up on items that are essential in a stock room or somewhere safe. If possible utilize cameras and motion sensors to help manage, supervise, and maintain the premise. Finally use logs. Logs for items and logs for activities. Activities like restroom usage, visitors, food eaten, and refusal of food or medication all need to be logged to maintain great organization. Non medical caregivers at Champion Care are expected to help with organizational efforts around the home including cleaning, maintaining organizational efforts, and going to the store to pick up items for your safety. Read our other articles for more great tips and to remain aware of the best organizational tools for your home and life.
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