Accepting the placement of live-in carer means far more than taking care of a person. While you will normally be responsible for day-to-day running of the home and all that this entails, there are other aspects to live-in care which should be addressed.
As live-in carers we are bound by the Data Protection Act 1998. This relates to all the personal information and data about your client, that you have access to when you begin your placement.
Any live-in care training should cover this, and you should, by the time you start with your client, have a very good idea of what it covers.
The difference between what you learn on your training and what takes place in ‘real life’ is often quite confusing.
So, what is confidentiality?
There are certain things that you need to keep to yourself. These are not supposed to be bandied about with the next-door neighbour, or even passed on to people who ask about your client.
Finances
You will often have access to financial situations of your client, particularly if you have to do the shopping yourself. You may even have access to bank statements, certainly you will have a pin number so that you can pay for food.
Sharing any financial details regarding your client with another person is one of the top examples of breaking confidentiality. Even though another person may innocently ask about your client and their money, it is absolutely not your right to share this.
Medical issues
While friends may genuinely ask how your client is, you should think before you tell them about all the personal medical issues your client may have. They may not want other people to know about certain problems.
You may find that the doctor will withhold some things from you because you are not family or next-of-kin. In fact, he may do this until family assure him that he can talk to you – even though you may be the resident carer.
Personal details
Items such as daily logbooks should be kept in your room – or at least out of sight from other people who come to the house.
For example – the cleaning lady, no matter how sweet she is, should not have access to your records about your concerns for your client. Neither does the gardener need to be told the results of recent tests your client has undergone.
Even with the best intentions, people can do strange things and misinterpret things you have said or written. The last thing you want is to be misquoted and have to explain yourself to family because your notes were read.
When in doubt..
The simplest and best way to approach what you say to whom is to say as little as you can, until you are clear on who you can share things with.
Family have their own circle where you may or may not be a part of. In this circle things are discussed which they prefer not to share with others. Sometimes not all family members are included in conversations, so be aware that it may not be acceptable to share things with some of them.
Final thoughts
Until you are a hundred percent sure of who you can tell things to, it is better to keep your thoughts to yourself. Keep your records out of sight and keep your opinions to yourself until you know who is included ‘in the loop.’
Even though neighbours and friends may visit often, this does not make them privy to all the information you hold about your client. While they may be concerned, there will be some things that they do not need to know.
If you are in any doubt about who needs to know things, it is better to check with family first, than say something which gets misquoted and retold.
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