JAN'S GROUP HOME SUPPORT

Being trusted to do an overnight is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly in homes with group home residents who are dependent on group home support staff to keep them safe.

Reasons there are overnight staff:

• Physical limitations
• Risk of self-abuse
• AWOL risk
• History of seizures
• Personal care needs
• Assistance needed in emergencies

Types of overnight shifts

• Overnight awake-must stay awake through shift to be alert to resident’s needs.
• Overnight asleep-must be available and easily woke up to meet needs of residents

When doing overnights have a bag that you use for overnights. This way each week you don’t have to repack it. If there is a place to store it at the group home, this will make an overnight even easier.

Things to have in the bag:

• Personal care items-toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, contact lens supplies, make-up, showering supplies.
• Blanket, sheets, and pillow-sleeping on a couch or bed provided you will probably want to cover it with a sheet and fresh pillowcase in case they aren’t able to be washed between uses from staff. Sleeping bags work well also.
• Clothing-nights can be cooler and some group homes have the thermostat locked. An extra sweatshirt can come in handy. Have comfortable and loose clothes for an overnight even if it’s an overnight awake. No PJ’s! You may be expected to get up quickly to care for the needs of a resident.
• Alarm clock-for overnight awakes, set an alarm clock or alarm on phone for every hour or two in the event you accidentally doze off. For overnights asleep, be sure to get up before residents in time to brush your teeth, have your coffee or whatever else you need to do.
• Snacks-you might be surprised staying up at night will increase your appetite. Caffeinated drinks can also help to stay awake until you adjust to your work schedule.
• Chargers-for phone or other electronic device you may need to us.
• Something to do-bring things to read, homework, easy craft.

As soon as the residents go to bed, fulfill all required duties. Prepare for morning routine the best you can (breakfast, showers, lunch prepared for DTA). You will then have the rest of the night to do what you want. It is usually quiet and relaxing most of the night which is the appeal of overnight shifts.

For those who need full personal care, every couple hours or so, residents will need depends checked and changed. Staying on top of this will avoid wet bedding and clothing which will create more work to change during the night. Residents sleep better when comfortable and it can reduce morning behaviors when they have proper rest.

Any cleaning that needs to be done that is noisy (vacuuming) should not be done at night because it can disturb the group home residents’ sleep.  Mopping is good to do right after they go to sleep because it will dry before they wake up and not be a slipping hazard.

Pick one “extra” cleaning task per night. It is much easier for overnight staff to do these because they don’t have the interruption of  meeting the residents needs.

Overnights aren’t for everyone, but before you decide it’s not for you, see if your house manager might let you do relief a few times to see if you might like it. Your body will adjust to overnights and they become easier the more you do them.

Medication logs (med logs) are an important part of documenting medication administration in a group home. It is also a legal document that can be used to verify medications were given correctly.

The top of a medication log should have the following:

• group home residents name
• a place to fill in the month and year
• known allergies

The next section should have a place to fill in the following information:

• group home support staff’s name & initials
• name of medication
• time medication is given
• quantity of medication
• milligrams per dose
• total milligrams that will be given
• route (oral, topical, feeding tube)
• Special instructions (take with meals, one hour before eating)

The following section should have the following for each administration of medication:

• a place to list the medication
• days of the month
• staff initials who administered medication

It is often helpful to have a separate sheet of paper for each time medications are give. Bedtime and evening medications can often be on the same sheet. Having separate colors that are uniform to the time (7a-yellow, noon blue, etc.) will reduce med errors due to the wrong medication or dose given at the wrong time.

Group Home service providers will require medication administration training before a group home support staff will be able to administer medications.

This is a sample of what a two sided med log may look like-Group Home Medication Log. Front and back should be printed on one sheet of paper to keep accurate records.

In an attempt to respect the privacy of people with disabilities, their disabilities are often hidden by the person with the disability. Friends, family, and caregivers also do the same. So often people with disabilities are met with prejudice. There is clear discrimination at times and there is also discrimination that is also covered up. Hiding a disability may protect the person against prejudice. Hiding a disability may also add to prejudice.

This happens because a person who attains a level of achievement wants to be just a person who attains a certain level of achievement, and not a disabled person who attained a level of achievement, so that person and those around him or her will keep the disability private. Then the achievements that disabled people can achieve isn’t “public” and the public see the disabled as a community that is needy. I do understand and I know not everyone who is disabled is in the mood to “represent” their disability, but it can contribute to prejudice against the disabled. Those who can represent their disability should take pride in their disability and be public with their disability.

I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if more people took pride in their disabilities. There was a time when African Americans tried to hide their color to be accepted and to avoid prejudice and discrimination. Now, there is pride in the accomplishments of the African Americans of the past and present. This month, February has even been dedicated to Black Awareness. What if disabled people publicized their disability especially when accomplishing minor and major achievements? Most people don’t even know that we have a National Disability Awareness month! (It’s in October.)

As group home staff we need to respect each of the group home residents’ rights to privacy and it should be their choice or their guardian’s choice if they want to be public with their  disability. Group home staff can support the resident in any decisions to go public with their disability. If group home support staff show embarrassment when in public when with a resident, it will be difficult for the resident to feel pride in who they are. Disability pride should start in the group home.

The inspiration for the article came from this old press release, Pride Against Prejudice: Disability  Awareness campaign on Inclusion.com

« Previous entries