Non medical in-home care requires a care plan that can get out dated. How does this happen? Documents become outdated when something changes. Information changes all the time including factors that contribute to personalized care. This includes a change in routine, preferences, diet, and any other detail of the care plan. When something changes, but the documentation doesn't change there is an opportunity to deliver incorrect care or make an error. These opportunities are eliminated when there is traceability and when there is a plan in place to update documentation to prevent miscommunication. Sometimes it takes a specialist in lean systems to help organize, document, and implement a strategy to "dummy proof" the process.
It is a simple lean system that is in use in manufacturing facilities around the country that ensures all information printed or posted will have the most recent revision level or most up to date information. Here is an example opportunity for these lean systems to prevent an error. A client wants to sleep in until 9:00 am every day and this is an update in their care plan that her family authorized. The physical care plan doesn't get updated for the home and the three employees working this home. One copy gets updated, but stays with one employee; the information doesn't get to all three employees on time before the next shift. In the morning a caregiver shows up, reviews the old care plan, and starts the morning routine at 7:00 am. Following this there is a dispute that leads up to the client falling. If the revised document was available, while the former document was thrown out, then the system would have prevented an entire shift worth of miscommunication about the clients care. What a stick in the mud!
There is a fine line between providing accurate and the best care and having enough miscommunication that nothing works for the day. At Champion Care all staff are six sigma certified with experience on quality systems where six sigma is used ensuring 99.99966% defect free product is produced. The logo of the licensing agency SSGI or Six Sigma Global Institute is located on our home page next to our compliance licensing agency's logo CareAcademy. This indicates our SSGI Lean Six Sigma certified staff use the best tools to ensure efficiency. Software can help caregivers have access to the latest information about their clients. Champion Care utilizes software that makes communication to anyone in the organization effortless and immediate. Changes are something coordinated by a house manager, supervisor, or agency owner. Champion Care has devoted and dedicated staff that ensure all information is communicated effectively and efficiently. That is not all; this system can provide error free service, prevents redundancies in workflow, reduces labor costs, creates a culture of efficiency and helps maintain a high quality service provider. Champion Care utilizes lean systems to ensure we provide the highest quality care.
Here are a few tips from a PCA training manual from Care Academy on documenting the client's condition:
- Draw a line through any mistake you make and initial above
- Write legibly with a pen and include complete sentences, correct grammar, and matching vocabulary
- Include the time and date of the event
- Sign your name
- Document tasks performed and the clients responses
- Note changes and any services that are refused by the client, phone calls, and oral reports
- No opinions or summarizing in your own words; just document what happened
- Always notify your supervisor when you need records updated or forms updated
- Always check title and footer for revision level and date of the document
- Always follow instructions provided to you by your supervisors
In conclusion there is a lot we all can do to ensure standardization is taking place and everyone is on the same page. The first step is always awareness that there is a standard for knowing and performing your services. Checking or asking for revision levels or simply looking at the footer of the document is something we all can do to ensure the most recent care plan is being used for the client. Finally, always call your supervisor when you have spotted an error or something that needs to be updated. To get in touch with our lean certified coordinator to coordinate your care click this link.