Put your thinking caps on, drop your answers, and let’s learn from one another. Who’s ready? 👀
Question 1
A resident who normally communicates suddenly becomes confused and struggles to follow conversations .
What should a carer do?
Question 2
You finish your shift and realize you forgot to record an important observation about a resident.
What is the most appropriate action?
💡 Ready to earn? Answer the questions above and boost your care points, which will be converted to pounds at the end of the month! 💷
Question 1:
The carer must take the sudden change seriously, as it could indicate an underlying medical problem, such as an infection, delirium or stroke.
Carer must stay with the resident, reassure them calmly, reduce potential hazards and observe their symptoms. Do not leave them alone if they are unsafe.
Contact the 111 or GP promptly for an urgent assessment and medical advice. If the resident has a District Nurse involved in their care, contact the DN to report the change and request guidance. If the symptoms suggest a stroke or another life-threatening emergency, call 999 immediately rather than waiting for the 111, GP or DN.
Notify the care office or on-call manager as soon as possible, following the organisation’s reporting procedure. If the resident’s next of kin needs to be informed, follow the care plan and organisational policy. Where appropriate, contact the NOK, explain the concern factually and advise them of the action being taken. The NOK may also need to notify the doctors or the carer of any further information or instructions received.
Record the time the confusion started or was first noticed, what the resident was doing, the specific changes observed, any other symptoms, who was contacted, the advice received, the actions taken and the outcome. Record the names of the professionals or family members spoken to and the times of contact. Document any unsuccessful attempts to make contact and escalate concerns if a response is delayed.
Question 2:
The carer should contact their coordinator or the office as soon as they realise the omission. They must not ignore it or wait until the next scheduled visit if the information could affect the resident’s safety.
Carer should explain to the office what was observed, when it happened and why it is important.
Clearly identifying the actual date and time of the observation and the date and time the record is being added. Never backdate, falsify or guess information.
Escalate if necessary, if the missing observation concerns a deterioration in the resident’s health, a medication issue, an injury, a safeguarding concern or another immediate risk, ensure it is reported promptly to the appropriate senior or medical professional.
The office or responsible senior should ensure the information is passed to the next carer, GP, District Nurse or NOK where appropriate.
Record who was informed, when they were informed, what information was shared, the advice or instructions received and any follow-up required.
Posts in the Careloop community are the views of individual members. They are not professional care advice or medical advice. If you have a specific concern about someone's care, please speak to a qualified professional or your local authority. Posting rules