5 Rights of Private Care

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

Patient safety advocates use a set of five standards to determine the appropriateness of medication administration. “The 5 Rights of Medication Administration” dictate that the right patient receives the right drug at the right dose via the right route at the right time. These simple goals are incredibly powerful.  Hospitals and practices that systematically commit to achieving them can dramatically improve the quality of their care.

Private health care should have a similar set of standards, by which high quality can be defined. One should expect the same level of expertise from a private healthcare provider as he or she would receive in a top hospital. These 5 Rights of Private Care should be the standard by which private healthcare agencies are measured:

·     Right provider – Beyond professional credentials, a private nurse should be respectful of a client’s home, individualism, and lifestyle preferences. Unlike a hospital or clinic employee, a private nurse is welcomed into a client’s home.  Many clients prefer that a private nurse dress in casual attire, in order to be less conspicuous to neighbors and guests. A nurse should also be conscious of rules of the home, such as taking shoes off when entering, folding towels after using them, or hanging a coat in the appropriate location.

·     Right training – A private care provider should have the appropriate training and credentials for the needed level of care. Some non-nursing agencies have been known to allow health aides to dispense medications in order to retain a client. In the state of Massachusetts, only Registered Nurses are qualified to dispense medications. Though a seemingly simple act, pharmaceuticals are powerful chemicals, and should not be dispensed by unskilled providers.

·     Right skills – Healthcare is a broad industry, encompassing many different services and competencies, each of which demands a different set of skills. A nurse whose experience is limited to a dialysis center may not be able to adequately care for a surgical patient. Even within the surgical realm, specialized knowledge is needed to care for someone who has had cardiac surgery—or a hip replacement—or a face lift.

·     Right patient – There are many agencies in the private care industry that will provide services for anyone willing to pay for them. Not everyone who requests services, however, needs 24 hour nursing care. A good private care agency will discuss your needs and concerns with you, your family, and your medical team, and offer the appropriate services. You should be confident that your caregiver has the skills required to perform those services, and that their qualifications are not inappropriately excessive (and expensive).

·     Right time – Many people do not anticipate the need for a private nurse until one is needed. A private care agency should be responsive to your needs—whenever and wherever they may occur. It should welcome opportunities to provide high-quality, comprehensive care—even if it means an extra visit to the hospital before you are discharged, or travelling with you to doctors’ appointments.

HotelRecovery commits to the 5 Rights of Private Care, and seeks specialized training and certification for its providers in all areas of its service. We have begun by sending our nurses to training at The Boston Center for Ambulatory Surgery, one of the city’s premier surgical centers. In the coming weeks, our providers will gain competencies in oncologic nursing and geriatric psychiatric care.

As Boston’s first and finest Physician-Directed Private Healthcare Personnel agency, HotelRecovery will provide the best care possible to every client, every time. Click on the 5 Rights of Private Care icon above to speak with a nurse or doctor for free.