PURPOSE
To ensure that privacy, a fundamental right of our society, is not denied any of home care persons served and that they have a sense of control over their environment: To assure confidentiality and privacy of information concerning the persons served in the home and community environments.
POLICY
It is the policy of Island Home Health Care to promote tolerance and respect for each client’s personal needs and circumstances.
• We recognize and respect each person’s right to privacy, dignity and confidentiality at all times.
• We shall at all times promote tolerance and respect for each person’s individual needs and circumstances.
• We require all employees to comply with our Standard of Conduct and will monitor their workplace behavior’s to ensure that people served are treated with dignity and respect.
DEFINITION
PRIVACY - refers to, “freedom from intrusion and embarrassment and relates to all Information and practice that is personal or sensitive in nature to an individual. Privacy is a key principle, which underpins human dignity, and remains a basic human right and the reasonable expectation of every person.”
DIGNITY- “is concerned with how people feel, think and behave in relation to the worth or value of themselves and others. To treat someone with dignity is to treat them as being of worth, in a way that is respectful of them as valued individuals, being of equal value and worth irrespective of differences such as age, race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, social background, health or marital status, disability, religion or political conviction.
RESPECT - , “is positive regard shown to a person as a human being as an individual, by others, and demonstrated as courtesy, good communication, taking time and equal access.”
PROCEDURE
1. The personal property of the persons served is their own and the staffs are not free to use it unless invited (permitted/allowed) to do so.
2. Privacy must be given to each person served when undertaking personal activities e.g. bathing, toileting and dressing.
3. Persons served are to be allowed privacy when speaking with visitors and during phone conversations. Mail is not to be opened or read by staff unless the persons served requests or requires assistance.
4. All information relating to persons served is to be treated confidentially.
5. Persons served are to be well groomed and dressed appropriately for the time of day and privacy and dignity maintained.
6. Persons served have the right to choose not to be cared for by a particular staff member. Where this decision creates a risk to the safety and wellbeing of the patient, a family meeting will be called and a solution found.
7. Assessment and medical procedures should always be undertaken in private and never in an area in view of others visitors.
8. Staff must always knock and wait to be invited into persons served room (unless an emergency situation exists). Staff is not to discuss the health and wellbeing of other person served in front of others or where they may be overheard.
9. Staff should be respectful of personal and company property and buildings.
10. Staff \ must always address a patient by their preferred name and never use terms such as ‘darling’, “love”, ‘sweetie’, ‘buddy’’ etc. Speaking to persons served in this manner is considered disrespectful and is in conflict with the cultural custom of Abu Dhabi.
11. Staff should ensure that items such as medical equipment, health information posters, and trolleys, linen skips etc. are all placed or kept discreetly and not as features in main living and dining areas.
12. Persons served medical history, progress notes and other confidential documents identifying persons served and/or medical concerns are to be stored secured at all time in the designated “Nurses Station” area and locked if not supervised.
13. Personal identifiable information should only be transported when absolutely necessary and in accordance with the Record Keeping Procedure.
14. Computer screens must be angled away from the sight of others or protected with screens. All computers are to be password protected and auto-locked when left unattended.
15. USB’s and other forms of mobile digital storage must be encrypted and are to be locked away securely when not in use.