Case study 1 Mrs Halah is 58 years old and lives alone in a small unit. She has
ID: 127532 • Letter: C
Question
Case study 1
Mrs Halah is 58 years old and lives alone in a small unit. She has smoked for 35 years and has been diagnosed with advanced emphysema. She has tubes providing oxygen directly through her nostrils at all times and has an oxygen tank on a trolley if she needs to move more than a couple of metres. Mrs Halah cannot walk more than 10–12 steps without getting breathless, and has difficulty with tasks of daily living, such as washing or dressing, without assistance. She is overweight and this is contributing to her problems. However, she enjoys her sweet biscuits and understands the risk of putting on more weight.
Mrs Halah has been told she cannot attend a planned activity group in her local area because the staff running the group feel that, as she does not speak a lot of English, she will not be able to join in.
Support workers from the Commonwealth Home Support Programme assist Mrs Halah every morning to get up, washed and dressed, and to get ready for bed each night. They also prepare some of her meals. She has meals delivered five days a week and home help for cleaning, laundry and shopping. She spends most days sitting in a chair watching television.
Even though it is not written on her individualised plan, the support workers also like to help Mrs Halah out by walking her dog once a week.
The support workers keep a copy of her individualised support plan on the fridge, so that it can be easily accessed. They write into the plan each day about what they have done, as part of their reporting requirements.
A new support worker, Joy, who commences working with Mrs Halah is upset that she is allowed to continue eating sweet biscuits for morning tea, given that she is overweight. Joy feels she has a duty of care to her client, and acting in her best interests, refuses to allow her to have the biscuits, replacing them with a cut up apple every morning instead.
Mrs Halah tells Joy that life is not worth living anymore. She has been saving up some of the sleeping pills her doctor has given her and plans to take them. She asks Joy not to tell anyone about this.
Identify which of Mrs Halah’s human rights are not being respected, and explain why this goes against the legal requirements of the organisation.
What example of discrimination can you identify? Is this organisation following its legal requirements in this example?
What are Joy’s responsibilities regarding keeping the information Mrs Halah has told her about the sleeping tablets confidential, given that Mrs Halah has asked her not to tell anyone?
What policy would the organisation be likely to have about storing the individualised plan and writing daily file notes, and do you think this is being complied with?
Does mandatory reporting apply to any of the situations described in the case study? Explain your response
What do you think about Joy’s approach to her duty of care in withholding the sweet biscuits? What is the term used to describe Mrs Halah’s right to choice in this situation?
What work role boundaries have been crossed by the support workers, and what could be the consequences for working outside of their limitations?
Explanation / Answer
1. Identify which of Mrs Halah’s human rights are not being respected, and explain why this goes against the legal requirements of the organisation.
Entitlements include the right to a system of health protection that gives everyone an equal opportunity to enjoy the highest attainable level of health.
The organisations aims at providing high-quality support, at a low intensity on a short-term or ongoing basis, or higher intensity services delivered on a short-term or episodic basis, to frail, older people to maximise their independence at home and in the community for as long as they choose, thereby enhancing their wellbeing and quality of life.
2. What example of discrimination can you identify? Is this organisation following its legal requirements in this example?
By providing each and every patient with person-centred care, their quality of life will be greatly enhanced during what could otherwise be a difficult time for them.
Try to comprehend the idea of being mistreated or not suitably accommodated by someone devoted to delivering care: it’s ironic.
Eventhough the patients likes and dislikes should be considered, patients health must be the first and far most concern of the caregiver. They should have documented and strictly monitored her plan of care and diet. Only MS. Joy concerned to do so.
3. What are Joy’s responsibilities regarding keeping the information Mrs Halah has told her about the sleeping tablets confidential, given that Mrs Halah has asked her not to tell anyone?
The Confidentiality policy of the organisation is
Each grant recipient will be required to declare their ability to comply with the Legislation/Clauses in their Grant Agreement with the Australian Government. Service providers must comply with all relevant state and territory and Australian Government legislation and policies regarding:
• Collection, use and disclosure of personal information
• Service users’ rights to access their personal information.
Service providers must also impose the same privacy obligations on any subcontractors they engage to assist with the program.
But given the circumstances Joy might reveal her concerns foe the patient to her organisation officials in order to avoid future problems that could become very critical to handle.
4. What policy would the organisation be likely to have about storing the individualised plan and writing daily file notes, and do you think this is being complied with?
CHSP grant recipients will be required to operate within an accountability framework to collect information about what is being achieved at each service level (sub-activity). This will ensure that the Department is confident that:
• Quality care is delivered
• Program standards and policies are met
• Service provision meets the identified needs of service recipients
• Funds are used according to the purposes specified in the Grant Agreements.
The accountability framework meets these objectives through the following reporting processes:
• Financial reporting: Grant Recipients will be required to provide financial reports as stipulated in their Grant Agreement with the Department.
• Program reporting: CHSP grant recipients that deliver services will be required to provide information in accordance with the Data Exchange Protocols or as otherwise stipulated by Department of Health.
• Quality: CHSP grant recipients will be required to adhere to a set of quality standards, as stipulated in their Grant Agreement with the Department, which are designed to encourage providers to evaluate and continuously improve both the quality of their service delivery and the
systems/processes in place that ensure service quality, and cooperate with the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency.
Full details of reporting requirements will be listed in the Grant Agreement for each grant recipient with additional guidance in the CHSP Program Manual 2015. DoH monitors and evaluates program performance to ensure activities and grant recipients have a focus on outcomes for clients through effective and efficient use of funds and resources.
As far as Mrs. Halah is concerned except that of Ms. Joy rest of the caregivers were not bothering to monitor, plan, or document the activities, diet or health of Mrs. Halah.
5. Does mandatory reporting apply to any of the situations described in the case study? Explain your response.
Yes the patient is overweight therefore her ADL is to be monitored and reported. Also as far her diet is concerned low carb sugar free diet is to be provided and documented thoroughly.
6. What do you think about Joy’s approach to her duty of care in withholding the sweet biscuits? What is the term used to describe Mrs Halah’s right to choice in this situation?
Joys approach towards replacing the biscuits with apples are the best of choice. Because this action reduces unnecessary further weight gain in the patient. Eventhough the actions is against patients will. This move is a concern on patients health.