The world is becoming a tough place to live in. Every day people have to gear up to face new health challenges. With new and unique diseases making the rounds, the demand for health care is skyrocketing and with that, the job of caregivers is becoming tougher and tougher.
Individuals do not guarantee their personal safety in personal spaces where they work. Yet, they show up every day to do what they do best. On hospice & home care nurses’ caregivers day, there is no other better way to celebrate their undying endeavors than to provide them with the safety they deserve.
Our article is a tribute to hospice and home care nurses for their selfless work for mankind. We will talk about the potential safety threats they dodge every day and the best ways to empower them by providing them with the ultimate safety they deserve.
National Caregiver’s Day
What caregivers do is nothing short of heroic. They play an important role in ensuring that people in need receive the care and support they require. Hospice and caregivers are the pivots in healthcare, yet somehow they are underpaid, and their efforts go unrecognized. An estimated 53 million caregivers in the U.S. cared for an adult or child without getting paid.
In February 2015, the idea of National Caregivers Day was established to grandly celebrate their relentless job nature and contribution towards society. The first National Caregivers Day was celebrated in February 2016. On this day, let’s join hands to let these heroes without capes know what their efforts mean to the world.
Silent Beaccon’s way of honoring them is by providing hospice and caregivers with personal safety devices, such as medical alert systems, which can help ensure that they can quickly reach for help in case of an emergency.
Safety Risks For Home Care
Home healthcare is employed in a joint effort to prevent long-term hospital stays, especially in situations where it’s not physically and financially doable. Yet, in the process, their own personal safety is not ensured. Here are some of the safety challenges they face every day while being there for the world:
Working At Wee Hours
Working at wee hours to look after their home patients is long associated with home caregivers. Caregivers work without security escorts during their night shifts. As much as they are available for your loved being, they put themselves at high safety risks.
Long Distance Commute
Hospice or home care nurses cover long distances to go from one home to another. Long commutes can take a toll on mental and physical well-being. Taking various buses or any other public transport to reach their destinations can put them at risk of road accidents.
Unfamiliar Neighborhood
The chance of being mugged, robbed, or even shot while traveling in a shady neighborhood is a real safety concern for homecare workers. This is an unavoidable part of their job, but they stay safe from such unfortunate incidents with personal safety devices.
Aggressive Patients
Keeping current demographics in mind, 9+ million Americans will likely suffer from dementia by 2030. Home caregivers face aggression from such patients that can be threatening to them. Not only dementia patients but homes with guns or illegal drugs are a safety threat to hospice well-being.
Highly Transmissible Disease
Home care nurses are also subjected to highly transmissible diseases, blood-borne pathogens, needle stick hazards, unhygienic environments, or the dangers of the presence of hostile animals.
Recommended Safety Practises For Home Care Nurses
Here are a few pointers for bringing the safety game up for home care nurses during work.
Safety Onboarding Training
Home caregivers should be trained and educated on safety measures, including proper lifting techniques, infection control, and emergency procedures. Home caregivers should be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves and masks, to protect themselves from exposure to infectious diseases.
Safe Working Environment
The home should be evaluated for potential hazards and necessary precautions should be taken to ensure a safe working environment, such as installing handrails, removing tripping hazards, and providing proper lighting.
Increased Support
Home caregivers should receive support from their employers. This includes regular access to resources and training opportunities along with appropriate compensation for their work.
Effective communication and teamwork are critical for ensuring the safety of home caregivers. The care team should encourage caregivers to voice their concerns and collaborate to resolve any issues.
Effective Communication and Teamwork
Effective communication and teamwork are critical for ensuring the safety of home caregivers. The care team should encourage caregivers to voice their concerns and collaborate to resolve any issues.
Silent Beacon Empowering Home Caregivers
Silent Beacon offers a wearable personal safety device with features like no other. The safety device pivots around a panic button for an immediate call for help in any emergency.
Home caregivers can make it a part of their everyday uniform for their personal safety. The device connects to their phones via Bluetooth, and with just a press of a button, they can reach out to their desired contacts to let them know they need help.
It automatically sends push notifications, calls, and alerts to all emergency contacts, including 911. It also shares the real-time location of the person wearing it, so the loved ones know their location at all times and, more importantly, emergency help knows where to reach them.
Silent Beacon is most affordable for the healthcare community, especially those who are under waged like home caregivers.
Home Healthcare Safety Tips
Ensuring home healthcare safety is crucial for both patients and caregivers. Here are some specific measures to consider:
Regular Health Check-Ups
Caregivers should undergo regular health check-ups to ensure they are fit to perform their duties and to avoid spreading illnesses.
Proper Equipment Usage
Training in the proper use of medical equipment is essential to prevent injuries and ensure that patients receive the correct care.
Personal Safety Plans
Caregivers should have a personal safety plan that includes steps to take in an emergency, contact numbers for immediate assistance, and safe routes to travel.
Mental Health Support
Providing mental health support for caregivers is essential, as the stress and emotional toll of their job can affect their well-being.
Final Thoughts
Home caregivers and hospice play a crucial role in providing essential care to those in need, whether it’s the elderly, individuals with disabilities, or people recovering from illnesses.
All concerned people should make the safety of those individuals a top priority.This ensures the well-being of the ones that give us the ultimate care. On national caregiver’s day, pledge to do your part to recognize and celebrate their efforts.
Silent Beacon’s panic button provides the ultimate safety device to empower home caregivers. Engineers have designed the technology in the smartest way to enable people to access the right help with just a button. The panic button is a small wearable safety device that will not let you down when you need emergency help the most.
