By: Thomas H.
The JCAH Difference: The Importance of The Plan of Care
JCAH differs from other home care providers in several important ways. For one, we have our own team of nurses who play an essential role in making sure our clients receive the best care possible.
One of their responsibilities is creating a Plan of Care (POC) for each client. You might think of the POC as the map that our caregivers follow every time they work with a client. The Plan of Care helps ensure that our caregivers consistently deliver care that meets each client’s unique needs. Here is an overview of the POC and how it helps us deliver award-winning home care.
What is The Plan of Care?
The Plan of Care is a document that summarizes a client’s health conditions and outlines the services they will receive to help them live independently in their home. The Plan of Care is a living document. It can be updated as needed so that we continue to provide the care the client needs.
Creating the Plan of Care
The first step in creating the Plan of Care is a conversation between a new client and one of our Community Engagement Specialists (CES). The CES asks some general questions about the client’s health, their home, their need for home care services, and their support network of family and friends. The CES shares this information with our nursing team who provide the initial approval to move forward with our client intake process.
Next, the CES visits the client at home. The CES will confirm the accuracy of the information already collected and take a detailed health history. This history covers all aspects of the client’s health status, including past and current medical conditions and injuries, ongoing treatment, prescription medications, and more.
Our nursing team reviews this detailed information and uses it to draft a working Plan of Care. The Plan of Care is then finalized following a visit to the client. The Plan of Care becomes part of the client’s record, which is stored in the system we use to coordinate care with other professionals who play a role in the client’s healthcare, for example, insurance providers.
A Living Document
JCAH caregivers follow the client’s Plan of Care closely. Our Client Care Managers check in with caregivers regularly to review the Plan of Care and make sure it still meets the client’s needs. Sometimes, a caregiver will report a change in the client’s health status. This change could be due to a new diagnosis or a medical emergency like a fall. Changes in the client’s health status may require us to adjust the Plan of Care or create a new one. Our nursing team will get in touch with the client to discuss any change in health status and review the client’s needs. If the client’s needs have changed, we will update the Plan of Care accordingly. If the client’s needs have changed so much that they require care beyond what we can provide, our nursing team will make an appropriate recommendation or referral.
Creating a unique Plan of Care for every client is just one of the steps we take to deliver industry-leading care. For more information about our services for seniors and adults with disabilities, contact us today at https://www.jevshumanservices.org/jevs-care-at-home-form/
Posted in Blog JEVS Care at Home