Keep Your Eyes And Ears Open 3466

Keep Your Eyes And Ears Open

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Welcome to day 1 of the Embracing Caregivers Challenge! 

Pay close attention to your patient’s support person(s). As a nurse, your job is to tend to your patient. But the success of your care depends on the quality of ongoing care after discharge.  

That means it’s never too early to try to identify the patient’s caregiver. As soon as the patient is admitted, observe their interactions with loved ones. Look and listen for the person who: 
 
  • Lives in the closest proximity to the patient  
  • Seems to be more knowledgeable about the patient and his/her condition  
  • Seems to have more capacity for care or care coordination 
  • Visits the loved one often and asks about medical status and medications 
  • Offers to help the loved one  
  • Discusses prior and future medical appointments, physical therapy, or medications 
  • Asks you questions about the patient’s current and ongoing care 

The faces of caregivers are different for each person. Sometimes it’s a spouse. Other times it’s a mother, father, daughter, son, sibling, or friend. Sometimes it’s a person who never visits the hospital, but is mentioned by the patient. Sometimes it’s several people. Take notice of any person who is acting in the role of a support person, even if they don’t call themselves a caregiver.

Let us know what you have noticed about your patient caregivers in the challenge updates section here, our private Facebook group, or on Twitter, or Instagram

Find this helpful? Use the social media links on the left side of your page to share it with a nurse and invite them to join Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation

If you aren't already, you can get our tips to your phone as well? Text healthynurse to 52886 or signup at hnhn.org/challenges..

Join us on day 2.

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Blog Challenge Tips 10/14/2019 7:59am CDT

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