Ways To Assess Whether Your Home Health Client Is Being Honest About His Or Her Health

Trust between any healthcare provider and his or her client is vitally important, and this includes the relationship between a home health aide and the client. While you might not think that someone receiving home care has an incentive to be dishonest, this isn't necessarily the case. For example, an elderly person may feel that his or her adult children will send him or her to a nursing home if his or her health begins to slip. This could compel the person to put on a brave face and act as though everything is fine. As a home health aide, there are several ways that you can assess whether your client is being honest.

Ask The Same Questions

A simple way to evaluate the honesty of your client is to ask him or her the same questions, both throughout your visit and on subsequent visits. If the client is stretching the truth a little, he or she may forget what he or she said the last time you asked the question — and this can make it easier for you to identify something that isn't the truth. For example, if you ask how the person's dizziness has felt of late, he of she may say two different things at different times.

Compare Notes With The Family

Sometimes, the client's family will hear different things that you hear. It's worthwhile to constantly be checking in with the family to learn what the client is reporting to them, and them compare this information with what the client is reporting to you. For example, a client may want his or her family to believe that his or her health is perfect, but may explain to you that he or she is noticing a bit of forgetfulness. By consulting the family, you can compare notes to ideally get to the bottom of the matter.

Drop In Unannounced

Generally, you'll see your client around a set schedule. However, it can sometimes be worthwhile to drop in unannounced as a way to assess your client's true health picture. In fact, the family may even ask you to do so, given that you're a health expert. For clients who put on an act when their home health aide is around, doing so may not be easy if you drop in unannounced, and this could reveal that the client's health isn't perhaps as good as he or she is making it out to be.

For more information, contact companies like Baywood Home Care.