Maintain knowledge of employee requirements. Even though you understand basic ethical standards, it’s important to know how your agency includes those in its policies. Read your job description and ask questions about any requirements you don’t understand.
Stay up to date with changes in agency policies, especially those that affect ethical and legal requirements. Read each new message or policy change that is posted. Attend meetings and complete annual education requirements. This might include annual training about HIPAA, the agency’s compliance plan, or identifying and reporting abuse.
Avoid any appearance of unethical behavior by keeping careful records of the care that you’ve provided, the time it took and the mileage you drove. Complete agency forms immediately after providing care or completing a trip to a patient’s home. Studies have shown that accuracy decreases as time passes between performing an activity and documenting the activity.
When you understand agency polices and standards, you will be better prepared to make good decisions about the care you provide, as well as respond properly to unexpected situations that you may face in a patient’s home.
Offer support. Many patients have a need for emotional support. They may be lonely, dealing with a difficult diagnosis or in pain. As a result, they may be weepy, overdependent on you or demanding, Keeping in mind that you want to do good, you will also need to balance requirements to allow the patient to make choices and to be fair to all patients.
You can show your support by listening carefully when patients talk with you and by showing kindness through gentle touch and paying attention to details while providing care. If a patient likes to be covered with two blankets after a bath, or to be left with the television on when you leave, he or she will feel
supported when you remember to do those things.
Remember to remain professional; while you may feel as though you’re a family member, you are not. Performing your duties in an ethical manner is easier when you maintain your separate role as a caregiver.