Home Visit

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After completion of the centre based assessment the home base assessor is sent the assessment details.

The home assessor then:

  • contacts the patient
  • obtains consent from the patient to come to their home, perform an assessment and prescribe their program
  • makes an appointment for a home assessment – inform the patient to allow approximately 1.5 – 2.0 hours for the assessment
  • explains the program

Before the physiotherapist attends the patients home the following needs to be addressed:

  • the physiotherapist must have a mobile phone and a car
  • ascertain language skills and cognitive ability
  • does the patient have a dog or other animals that may be an issue during the assessment

Security – The security of the home assessor must be strictly monitored by the following options:

  • attend with a colleague
  • send a colleague an SMS message which includes the patients’ address and time of arrival
  • message again at the completion of the visit once they have left the premises
  • provide the therapist with a duress alarm
  • the completion of the “Health Workers Safety” check list at the centre based assessment

Before the home visit:

  • ask the patient if they have any exercise equipment or if they attend a gym or pool
  • calculate the exercise prescription for the patient based on the exercise capacity walking test
  • ascertain the possible appointment times for the 7 week phone calls

Equipment required for home visit:

  • Car
  • Small shopping trolley for equipment
  • Mobile phone (ideally with camera)
  • Measuring wheel
  • Range of dumbbells – eg 2 x 0.5kg, 2 x 1.0kg, 2x 2.0kg
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Alcohol wipes and hand wash
  • Floor pedals
  • Placebo inhalers (MDI, Accuhaler, Turbuhaler etc) and spacers
  • Stethoscope
  • Airway clearance information, including forced expiration technique tubes
  • Borg Scale laminated forms
  • Navigation device – eg Melways, GPS
  • Tissues

Paperwork for the home visit:

  • Patient consent form
  • Home visit check list
  • Home diary
  • Physiotherapist Home Visit form
  • Borg Scale

Home visit:

Before entering the home, SMS a colleague if alone.

Confirm consent on arrival.

A Checklist is filled in during the visit

Explain the purpose of the home diary and confirm that the patient knows how to fill in each section (full explanation below).

Confirm the weekly appointment time for calls from the physiotherapist. Explain that this is a medical appointment. If the patient is not able to keep the appointment they need to email, SMS or phone the person(s) listed on their home diary to re-schedule their phone call session.

Confirm that patient knows who to contact if they have any issues that need to be answered before their weekly call from the physiotherapist.

After the home visit:

Email the following to the hospital / community centre based physiotherapist:

  • Copy of the check list
  • Photographs of the filled in diary pages
  • Other relevant notes from the visit

 

 

 

 

 

 

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