Safety in the Community Being Safe While Bringing Care Home

Overview Giving care in a consumer’s home can be unpredictable. Your safety, along with the safety of the consumer, is of the utmost importance. Some general guidelines to help you stay safe: Leave purse and any valuables behind, lock in trunk if possible. Have confidence when walking to and entering a place. Always carry a cell phone Keep your guard up

Potential Hazards Visiting consumers in strange neighborhoods and remote locations No alarms and often no backup system Visits after dark or in the early morning Being aware of Universal Precautions for Violence doesn’t mean violence should be expected, but it doesn’t have to escalate if you are prepared When you are prepared for anything, you can recognize when you’re in danger and take immediate action to protect yourself. Strange neighborhoods or remote locations – good idea to scout out the area ahead of time to familiarize your self with the area No alarms and no back-up system – because you are alone in a consumers home there is no one to come at a moments notice to your aide. Try to keep visit to daylight hours when possible

Preparation is Key To protect yourself, be prepared before you visit a consumer. A good predictor of violence is a history of violence Find out if there is a history of violence, mental illness, or drug and alcohol abuse Carry a fully charged cell-phone, and if possible a hand held alarm, noise devise or pepper spray All information will be given to you by your supervisor so you will be prepared prior to your visit.

Preparation is Key If a situation is extremely dangerous, remove yourself if possible and call supervisor for instructions. Map out directions and a safe way to leave quickly if you need to Have a full gas tank and correct air pressure in tires Wear loose comfortable clothing and shoes Know the neighborhood you are visiting: Are gangs in the neighborhood, what gang is it and what are their colors, don’t wear gang related colors Is there a history of violence in the neighborhood

Dealing with Difficult Consumers or Family Members Assault Cycle: Triggering event: experiencing some type of loss or a threat prior to your arrival or while you are there Escalation phase: the person may have these signs Flushed or twitching face or shallow breathing Angry posture or pacing Demands attention or acts upset Gets loud or seems drunk or drugged Uses the index finger to point Eyes darting around quickly

Dealing with Difficult Consumers or Family Members Attack or Assault Phase: The person becomes violent Recovery Phase: Frustration or anger seems to disappear and the person starts to relax and calm down, but could still become violent Post Crisis Phase: The person gets quiet and may feel sorry for what they have done

Prevent and Diffuse Potentially Violent Situations Keep your back to the exit Listen to what they are saying and don’t interrupt Move and speak slowly Don’t get too close or touch the person Break eye contact Speak softly Avoid interpreted aggressive behavior Tell them you want to help figure out what to do, but don’t make promises Be aware of your body language Don’t cross arms or put hands in pockets Don’t be defensive, be respectful Don’t take risks Trust your instincts

Protect Yourself Calm down and leave immediately Follow your agency policies on what to do next Call for help if necessary Report any incidents immediately per our worker’s comp policy, get medical treatment if you have been injured and use the employee assistance program if needed. Remember, injuries may not be apparent for several hours

Reporting and Recordkeeping Good record keeping: Helps your agency determine the severity of the problem Prevents future problems Helps to identify training needs Some reasons why cases of violence go unreported: Workers don’t want to fill out paperwork Some workers assume violence “goes with the territory” Workers believe it will reflect badly on their job performance

Reporting and Recordkeeping If you don’t report a problem your co-workers could be injured too If you were physically assaulted all records should include: Who was attacked or assaulted The type of attack and how you were injured The person who was violent or aggressive A description of where it happened Lost work time that resulted

Reporting and Recordkeeping Your agency is required to report and record abuse, verbal attacks or aggressive behavior – even if it did not result in injury – including: Pushing or shouting Sexual harassment or threats Cursing Stalking All information about a past violent episode should be recorded on the consumer’s chart

Conclusion Know potential hazards Be prepared Know the Assault cycle and what to look for Protect yourself Follow recordkeeping guidelines