In the senior living space, the question of home health care aides being utilized at a care facility is one that is certain to come up. There are many factors to consider when deciding how to go about interacting with this additional service for residents that it can become overwhelming.
The paramount question at hand is how best to respond to the resident’s desire for this type of outside help, and yet carefully manage the safety and actual or potential liability of the senior living community for errant third-party care, advice, direction, or behavior. And additionally, the community’s role in integrating the third-party’s information, advice, and direction into their responsibility to provide care and how much (if at all) of this they will decide to integrate. You can see the need for a thoughtful approach to these questions as you balance these operational and care issues with the responsibility and liability for how you choose to act.
One thing to ask at the end of the decision-making process: Has the Community carefully evaluated the risk benefit analysis that best supports their decisions?
There is no absolute answer to all the questions and considerations, but a best practice approach which tries to find a balance between the residents right to seek third-party care and support, while simultaneously upholding the community’s responsibilities for care and safety of all residents and staff would include the following:
Welcoming the allowance of a third-party home health care aide into your senior living community could offer residents new services that add to the richness of their health and overall wellbeing, but it doesn’t come without some difficult questions being asked and a strong plan of action being put into place. These best practices will help start and guide the conversation. Your AssuredPartners Senior Living team is here to help navigate these decisions. Contact our experienced team to talk through the best plan and course of action for your community.
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