There are many different hazards that can happen in any health and social care setting and it isn’t always avoidable. In this assignment I am going to be explaining the potential hazards in a residential care home. In a residential care home slippery floors, leaving equipment in corridors, a clear fire exit, residents taking the incorrect medication, adequate lighting and swinging doors are all potential hazards. Slippery floors is a hazard in any health and social care setting but especially in a care home with the elderly because if a young adult breaks their foot it just effects them for a short period of time but if an elderly person had the exact same injury it could be a lot more serious. It is important for a professional to make sure the corridors are safe for residents to walk through without being in danger but if they have recently mopped the floor it will take a while to dry so it is vital to put a wet sign on the floor so they know to be aware and careful whilst walking.
Blocking doors can interfere with people escaping a fire zone to safety. Putting things in the way of certain doors closing can interfere with fire containment and in doing such can put more people in harms way. These are all rules that people do not understand and therefore argue with if it is not explained to them or not enforced properly. There are also rules for people to have TB tests done frequently. This ensures that new employees in a healthcare facility do not bring in the disease to pass on to the patients that are more susceptible to it.
Falls prevention Falls are extremely common amongst the elderly; therefore healthcare professionals working in a hospital or a care setting take falls in older people very seriously. When an older person falls, it can have a major impact on their health, this is why it is important to do as much as possible to prevent a fall from occurring. A fall, however little it is can affect an individual’s confidence as they have a fear of falling again, this can impact on their physical, intellectual, emotional and social wellbeing. Exercise such as strength and balance training can help to improve an elderly persons strength and balance and at the same time it reduces the risk of having a fall. Inpatients that have a serious fall will have neurological
Understanding potential hazards in Health and Social Care Electricity Supply - All electrical equipment hold a risk of a potentially dangerous electrical shock, it can be caused by contact with live parts and could result in burns or even death in bad cases, so it’s important to ensure that your computer is fully tested and maintained. Exposure to arching may lead to an injury and faulty electrical equipment or installations has a high risk of fires. Unsuitable electrical apparatus’ can cause explosions. Raw Sewage - Exposure to raw sewage or its products may result in a number of health risks and illnesses. Gastroenteritis; can cause stomach cramps and pains, diarrhoea, and vomiting.
Thus, it is essential that the technician inputs the mathematical formula correctly because too much radiation can cause the patient to get sick, depending on how long or the amount of gamma radiation is exposure to the patient. Some types of radiation are not harmful, such as the radiation used to kill cancer cells in the anatomy of a patient; this type of radiation to project bones would be bad if the formula is not
Physical life quality factors Physical safety and hygiene Physical safety ensures that the patients in the nursing home are safe and cared for so they will not get hurt. Good hygiene makes sure that the patients will have a reduced risk of having an infection. This is very important physical life quality factor within a nursing home as some disabled patients or unable may get injured easily rather than the able patients. The nurses must make sure that some of them are looking after the disabled patients at all times. The nurses may make sure that no patients have split any coffee in the lounge as the disabled patients may slip over and hurt themselves if the liquid is not mopped up.
Potential hazards in health and social Hazard: Anything that can cause harm, e.g. chemicals, electricity, moving and handling service users. Risk: The chance, high or low, that somebody will be harmed by the hazard. It is important that risks to those being cared for, and to their care workers, are sensibly and proportionately managed in ways that respect their rights, freedoms and dignity. Care homes differ from other workplaces because they are not only places of work but are also homes for their residents.
| The COSHH regulation has influence health and social care settings because they now ensure that risk assessments are carried out so that hazardous substances are noticed quicker to minimise the risk of people becoming wounded. Another influence that COSHH has had on health and social care environments is to have a better quality of staff training. Furthermore health surveillance has been influence in health and social care settings to ensure people’s health is protected. Lastly plans have been put into place so that if accidents do occur then they can be dealt with quickly and effectively. | The COSSH regulation promotes the safety of individuals with in a health and social care setting through abiding to the regulations.
In the health and social care settings, difficulties may arise when trying to implement ant-discriminatory practices. These issues may lie with staff or with patients who think they might be being discriminated against. In these situations it is the company or the managers responsibility to promote anti-discriminatory practise with the staff and patients. It is also important to act professionally and quickly against discriminatory actions that happen within the company. It is important that when implementing anti-discriminatory practise because there are different factors that could affect different people.
Many in our care have also got weakened immune systems and as a consequence are more susceptible to infection from the outset. We want to give the patients in our care the best treatment and quality of care possible and this would not be possible without infection control. Were we to neglect patient control their quality of life and indeed health would deteriorate, they would get sick and suffer and in extreme cases would die. This runs totally contrary to the attitudes, duties and commitments we hold so dear as healthcare workers. In this assignment I will introduce, explain and discuss one of the most topical worldwide infections in the workplace – mainly hospitals and other places of healthcare environment; MRSA.