Management of risk and protection of vulnerable individuals in health and social care.
FOUNDATION DEGREE IN HEALTH AND SOCIALCARE
PRINCIPALS OF CARE
Management of risk and protection of vulnerable individuals in health and social care.
INTRODUCTION
This report is about the potential risk to an elderly person living alone, and the implementation of a risk assessment using a legal framework. Also those risks are assessed using the organisational policies and guidelines available to all care agencies to help protect and minimise risks which may be encountered by a vulnerable client group. The report also highlights the need for multi-disciplinary care agencies to uphold the importance of and implement principles of good care practice when considering the management of risks exposed to an individual and their differing needs within our society.
THE DILEMMA
Mrs B is an elderly lady who has been living alone within her own home. She has no relatives and has been adamant that she can care for herself. It is known that Mrs B has refused help in the past by various care services due to lack of trust and sees their involvement as an intrusion on her private life. Mrs B however. Unfortunately fell down her stairs and was admitted to hospital with a fractured femur, during a routine admission assessment of her care plan, it was observed and documented that Mrs B was considerably underweight and her clothing and general hygiene was unkempt. It was clear from this assessment that Mrs B had been seriously neglecting her own needs and this in itself is a risk of covert self abuse, and consequently could have resulted in her death. During her long stay in hospital Mrs B stated that she wished to return home and continue to care for herself.
MANAGEMENT OF RISK CONDERING PRINCIPALS OF CARE
Mrs B clearly needs a risk assessment with her care plan. A named nurse would be allocated to Mrs B on her arrival to the ward. (The role of the nurse is to consider the risks to. The client, other service users, the wider community, implicit in codes of practice (e.g. ukcc 1922,a b, Maxine Holt 2002) Her needs would be addressed by informed discussion with Mrs B and with her consent and active contribution of the assessment to establish her care plan. It is important that all interactions with Mrs B by hospital staff adhere to the principals of good care practice. Ensuring that Mrs B’s individual rights to confidentiality, choice, dignity, respect, autonomy, cultural, and equity are considered when any plans, programmes of her care plan are implemented. Firstly it should be made clear to Mrs B that she has the right to refuse, and that she understands that her care and discharge plan is implemented in confidence as described within the organisational confidentiality policy. On admission to hospital Mrs B would be observed and an assessment of her needs would be documented ensuring all people connected to her care plan adhere to a continuity of care which is best suited to Mrs B. All nurses allocated to her care plan should deliver the care plan in an informed way, ensuring that all documentation is documented appropriately under the organisational guidelines and with reference to the Data Protection Act 1998. The named nurse assigned to Mrs B would involve various agencies to come and assess the needs of Mrs B with her consent. Any contact or involvement with Mrs B should be with the knowledge and presence off the person allocated to Mrs B. A multi disciplinary team would contribute and work together to ensure Mrs B’s choice to return home is paramount with regard to her rehabilitation and discharge plan. The care plan will be guided by the organisationals specific procedures and guidelines which will be held within the work area , protocols need to be adhered to i.e. alerting concerns to a senior person, also documenting and reporting any concerns or changes, with regards to her health or circumstances. Also allocation of services as required investigating any concerns and the coordination of information, deciding in an informed way how to proceed, and monitoring the client’s case whilst gathering information. This individual balancing act that multi-disciplinary teams encounter when considering the resources to manage the risks is a risky business in its self and leaves agencies uncertain of the intervention and how best to manage and seek to minimise the risks exposed to this client group.
