Within any care environment it is fundamentally important that care homes have Care Home Policies And Procedures in place to make sure they are prepared to respond to events and also have policies in place to deal with more complex incidents or general issues. Policies And Procedures are essential and required by law to ensure that care home has a set of fundamental principles that it can follow and make available to anyone inquiring about the home.
Examples Of Care Home Policies And Procedures
- Visitor and Family Policy- Care homes should by default have a policy in place in order to be prepared for visitors and residents family members to visit residents in the care home. It is important therefore for there to be clear guidelines in place as to when visits can take place , how long for and what areas of the care home visitors can access. Furthermore in order to maintain security and safety of residents checks may need to be done to confirm visitors identity
- Data Protection- This is another key policy that may be put in place to ensure that patients and staff’s data is protected and only accessed by those who have specific prior authorisation to do so. Data protection is an extremely important issue as it covered by government legislation any form of data breach can have serious repercussions
- Health And Safety- Health And Safety Guidelines are a legal requirement and without these any care home risks getting shut down. The reason Health and Safety Guidelines are in place to is to prevent death or injury and ensure optimum health and safety for those within the care home
How To Keep Staff Up To Date With Care Home Policies And Procedures
Within the Care environment it is very important that all staff have a role to play and fully understand the Policies and Procedures that they need to abide by when working in the care home. In order to keep staff up to date with the Policies and Procedures that are in place monthly or two weekly staff training can greatly benefit employees. By doing this and incorporating it into team based activities the management of care homes can keep staff engaged and motivated whilst simultaneously adhering to guidelines.
Making People Aware Of Policies And Procedures
In order for Policies and Procedures to be followed it is key that the Policies and Procedures are appropriately displayed/advertised. This can be done by publishing them on the Care Home’s website or alternatively by sending a copy of the Policies to those who make enquiries online. Physical copies of Policies and Procedures should be available on demand from staff within the Care Home as well via a physical copy.
General Observations
Overall it can be concluded that Policies and Procedures for Care Homes play an integral role in any Care Home. Sound knowledge of these can make a big difference. People who visit Care Homes with a detailed policy and procedure list protecting staff and residents is more likely to appeal to those looking to move their loved ones into care.
