Sunlight Care CHHA Training Guide

Safety

In the home, clear pathways, no water on the floor, bathroom, and kitchen, safety, proper lighting in home, encourage use of equipment such as walker or cane if at fall risk.

Fire Safety

Rescue client first from danger, know your exits, know the address where you are; keep exits of home unblocked.

Health Safety

Is the client a DNR? What is a POLST form? What to do if the client is DNR and not on Hospice?

Oxygen Safety

No flammables near oxygen, such as cigarettes, candles, space heaters, stove, etc.; caregiver is not allowed to change the dose of oxygen.

Fall Precautions

Nearby or hands-on assist when ambulating, emergency response systems on; if client has Dementia too, keep in your view at all times as they won't remember that they fall.

Bleeding Precautions

When on certain meds, if client suffers a cut the caregiver may need to hold pressure and elevate longer than on a regular person.

Aspiration (choking) Precautions

Person may have a neurological condition affecting swallowing; must be observed at all times when eating, upright position; if receiving a tube feeding, they must be upright and be kept upright 30 minutes after eating.

Dementia

Stove, running water, keep potential poisons/knives out of reach; wander precautions, keep in your view at all times.

Food Safety

Food prep; do not defrost food on counter, washing fruits and vegetables, being careful of raw meats, poultry, checking expiration dates, removing spoiled foods from refrigerator, label leftover if able.

Body Mechanics

Legs shoulder width apart for a wide base of support, bending knees, no twisting, safe transfer skills; keep client close when transferring (if one side is 'weak' assist in moving them in the direction of their strong side).

Communication

Send, receive, feedback; not using medical terms, slang with clients; speak clearly and loudly; make sure hearing aids are in and glasses are on; if you have an accent, speak slightly slower and enunciate clearly.

HIPAA/Confidentiality

Only speak to those on the Care team (client's family, RN, agency staff) list in client folder; if in doubt, contact your nurse supervisor.

ADLs

Activities of Daily Living.

BM

Bowel Movement (poop, feces).

CHF

Congestive Heart Failure, a condition where the heart is unable to pump effectively, blood backs up instead of circulating.

COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, people have problems breathing.

CPR

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

CVA

Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke), blood supply to a part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel leaks within the brain.

DNR

Do Not Resuscitate.

F/U

Follow Up.

GERD

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, the stomach contents back up the esophagus; called reflux or heartburn.

GI

Gastrointestinal.

H20

Water.

NWB

(Non-weight-bearing) unable to support body weight on one or both legs.

OOB with ***'t

Out of Bed with Assistance.

PEG Tube

A tube that goes into the stomach which is used to feed clients when they are unable to swallow. HHA DO NOT do the tube feedings.

PWB

Partial Weight-Bearing.

ROM

Range of Motion; exercise that moves muscles to prevent contracture and atrophy, increase that circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrients to improve muscle tone.

SOB

Shortness of Breath.

STM

Short Term Memory.

TIA

Transient Ischemic Attack, mini stroke.

TPR

Temperature, Pulse, Respiration.

VS

Vital Signs; important information related to temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and pain indicators.

W/C

Wheelchair.

Prone

Lying on stomach.

Psychological Abuse

Emotionally harming the client by threatening, scaring, humiliating, isolating, insulting, or treating him or her as a child.

Quadriplegia

Loss of function of arms, trunks, and legs.

Radial Pulse

The heartbeat (the heart pumping) is felt on the wrist along the thumb.

Reportable Occurrences

(When to call your Supervisor) anything that endangers clients should be reported immediately such as: falls, chest pain, severe headaches, difficulty breathing, abnormal pulse, respiration, or blood pressure, change in mental status, sudden weakness or loss of mobility, high fever, loss of consciousness, bleeding change in client's condition, bruise, abrasion, or other signs of possible abuse.

Respirations

Breathing; inspiration (taking in oxygen) and expiration (removing carbon dioxide).

Rollator

Rolling walker.

Scope of Practice

Defines the tasks a HHA are allowed to do and how to do them correctly.

Standard Precautions

Treating body fluids, non-intact skin and mucous membranes (linings of the mouth, nose, eyes, rectum or genitals) as if they were infected with an infectious disease. We wash hands and wear gloves.

Subjective Information

An opinion, it cannot be observed.

Sundowning

When a person becomes restless and agitated in the late afternoon, evening or night.

Supine

lying on back

Transferring

moving a client from one place to another

Transmission Based Precautions

used in addition to Standard Precautions, there is known infection and we wash hands, wear gloves plus additional appropriate protective equipment such as gown, mask and goggles

Triggers

situations that lead to agitation

Tympanic Temperature

temperature checked in ear canal

Temporal Temperature

temperature checked across forehead or temple

Hospice

compassionate care for a dying client within the last six months of their lives

Hypertension

high blood pressure; if untreated, can cause injury to heart, brain, and kidneys

Incidence Reports

reports of occurrences or events such as client falls, you or a client break or damage something, a mistake in care, a client or family members make a request that is out of your scope of practice, client or family member makes sexual advance or remarks, anything that happens that makes you feel uncomfortable, threatened, or unsafe, an on-the-job injury, exposure to blood or body fluids

Incontinence

the inability to control bladder or bowels

Indwelling Catheter

a tube that remains inside the bladder and drains urine into a bag

Low Sodium Diet

low salt diet (know what foods to avoid)

Malignant Tumor

cancerous growth

Neglect

harming a person physically, mentally or emotionally by failing to provide needed care

Neuropathy

numbness, tingling and pain in the hands and legs

Objective Information

based on observations, facts, signs

Obstructed Airway

choking, unable to speak, breathe, or cough due to a blockage of the tube which air enters the lungs; universal sign is when they have their hands on their neck, resolved by Heimlich maneuver

Orthostatic Hypotension

low blood pressure when getting up

Oxygen Concentrator

changes air in the room into air with more oxygen; oxygen is flammable

Paraplegia

loss of function of lower body and legs

Palliative Care

comfort care

Perineal Care

care of the genital and anal area

Peristalsis

muscular contractions of the esophagus and intestines that push food through the GI tract

Phantom Limb Sensation

when a person feels the sense that a body part that has been amputated is still there

Physical Abuse

harm to the client's body such as slapping, bruising, pushing, shoving

Pivot

twisting on the balls of your feet

POLST Form

Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment; a form where clients can list their wishes at end of life.

Advance Directives

legal documents that allow people to choose what medical care they wish to have if they cannot make those decisions themselves

Agitation

excited, restless

Alignment

a straight line down the center of the body

Alzheimer's disease

a type of Dementia which gets worse over time; is progressive, degenerative and irreversible

Ambulate

to walk

Apathy

lack of interest in activities

Aspiration

inhalation of food, fluid, or foreign materials into the lungs

Atrophy

muscles become weak

Axillary Temperature

temperature taken in the armpits

Barriers to Communication

A blockage or wall to communication: hearing deficits, client or caregiver speaks a different language, use of slang, cliches, strong accents, using medical terminology

Base of Support

the foundation; the feet are the body's base of support, which should be shoulder width apart when moving a client

Benign Tumor

non-cancerous growth

Bony Prominence

Areas where the bones lie close to the skin such as elbows, shoulder blades, sacrum (tailbone), hips, knees, ankles, heels, toes

Care Plan

the individualized guide to care that lists the tasks the Home Health Aide must perform. Activities not listed on the care plan should not be performed

Condom Catheter

an outside-the-penis attachment which attaches to a bag and drains urine

Confidentiality

keeping private things private

Constipation

inability to eliminate bowel movement, or infrequent, difficult and painful elimination of a hard, dry stool; prevented by increased fluids and fiber (fruits and vegetables) and movement

Contracture

muscles and tendons of joints becomes stiff and rigid leading to deformity

Dangling

allow the client to sit on the side of the bed for a moment before getting up in order to regain and prevent dizziness.

Dehydration

when a person doesn't have enough fluid in their body, either from not drinking enough or if they have diarrhea or are vomiting

Diarrhea

frequent elimination of liquid or semi-liquid bowel movement, treated with a change of diet

Diabetes

occurs when the pancreas produces too little insulin or does not properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts glucose into energy for the body

Diuretics

medications that reduce fluid volume or blood pressure

Fluid Overload

occurs when the body is unable to handle the amount of fluid consumed

Hallucinations

seeing, hearing, tasting, or feeling things that are not there

Cardiovascular System

heart muscular hollow pump - that pumps the blood containing oxygen, nutrients and hormones throughout body and then returns the blood back to the heart

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

heart does not pump efficiently or effectively; often retains fluids in legs, may need compression stockings or compression wrap. As CHF gets worse, clients get shortness of breath with minimal movement. They may also need to be on daily weights or be on a low salt diet and on a fluid restricted diet.

Skin Breakdown

Pressure sores from prolonged immobility.