Celebrating Home Healthcare Month

Nov 27

The Transition to Home Healthcare Leaves Healthcare Workers Vulnerable

With constantly adapting needs from patients, healthcare has transformed significantly over the years. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, more people seemed to be demanding change towards privatization and in-home care. In fact, Stericycle’s 2022 Healthcare Workplace Safety Trend Report found that many agree at-home healthcare is a growing trend and one that offers patients diversifying services conveniently in the comfort of their homes. The individual reasons for this preference vary, but it may be factors like availability of resources or because those patients are limited or restricted in access or mobility. However, those that exclusively live at home still need support and rely on these medical services.

Healthcare Workers Need To Take Safety Seriously

Unfortunately for in-house healthcare staff members, there aren’t as clear protocols or procedures as those defined in public hospitals and other healthcare facilities. This is all the more concerning considering that baby boomers make up the second largest age group in the United States, after millennials, and this population requires more healthcare options closer to or inside their homes.

With the significant demand becoming very apparent, healthcare workers must take necessary action to protect themselves, as they put their lives on the line every day.

Statistics have shown that healthcare and social service workers are five times more likely to suffer a workplace violence injury than workers overall. There is also more risk with home visitation in situations that involve distress. Additional challenges include isolation, environmental hazards or contaminant exposure, and violence and aggression from both senior patients and family members.

To offer a clinical setting for this community and keep workers equally safe and productive, mobile healthcare providers need reliable communications platforms. This allows staff the additional safety to remain connected on the go. A strong network and GPS technology can alert authorities with location information and provide emergency response. Panic wristbands are also commonly used to navigate these high-risk circumstances. It is a good idea to integrate regardless of the frequency of emotionally-charged incidents for ongoing monitoring, tracking employee’s travel logs, and to allow outreach teams to check-in regularly.

For security, an added advantage of this technology is that it efficiently allows secure access to case files on mobile apps to enhance the delivery of services. Traditional PPE is used by all nurses, aides, and professionals in hospice work, but with new and increased threats in this area, IoT technology can be leveraged for immediate assistance. It presents a unique offering of ergonomic solutions to assist in safety assessments and checklists, as well as preventing strain or injury. The information collected in these applications is also used to track behaviour and later investigate reports, as it is crucial to learn from past incidents to guide procedure in the future.

How we can honour those in the industry this November

A national observance celebrated annually in the month of November is Home Healthcare Month. Due to all the obstacles workers in this field face, it is important to honour the commitment of those in the industry.

This can be done in many ways. Recognizing their incredible work can be facilitated through recommending in-home healthcare providers and advocating for those that depend on this care. Additionally, spreading awareness of the available technology and alternative service options is a fundamental way to support these individuals. Another simple idea is to shout out and give thanks or interact with their profiles on social media. Lastly, donating to the companies that make this happen is a great way to show appreciation for the staff.

Any contribution or act of alliance is helpful, so that in-home healthcare providers don’t feel like they have to face hostility and danger alone.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

With a new way of serving the community, in-home healthcare offers many benefits and adds a sense of peace for many clients. Still, there is less control over this work environment than in public hospitals and it creates a special kind of vulnerability for workers that comes with unfamiliar environments. It is vital to protect these heroes by promoting positive outcomes through technology, as the type Level Up Safety Technology delivers. They deserve the utmost respect always for being workers who make such a remarkable difference for an essential service.

For More Information check-out these resources: