Survey and Hazard Analysis Case Study
Read the case and complete the Assessment Tool. Answer the questions at the bottom of the this page.
Joseph is a 30-year-old home care worker who has just received a referral to care for a 50-year-old patient. Joseph has been told he will be responsible for helping the patient with toileting, dressing, mobility and personal hygiene. The patient weighs 250 lbs. The patient has been diagnosed with diabetes and left hemiparesis (paralysis of the left side) due to a stroke he suffered three weeks ago.
On his way to the patient’s house, Joseph is nervous as he had never been in this neighborhood before and a friend told him there are two rival gangs in this area. He notices the following: There are many abandoned buildings with broken windows. There are people walking around aimlessly, some seem to be drinking alcohol, other people are driving around with music blaring.
Joseph is glad to finally arrive at his patient’s home. He rings the bell a few times and waits five minutes. Although the building seems decent from the outside, there is a lot of activity with people coming in and out. Joseph’s gut feeling is to leave but he is worried he will be reprimanded by his supervisor. Finally, someone introduces himself as the patient’s brother and lets him in. While walking to the third floor where the patient lives, he smells what he thinks is marijuana, but is not absolutely sure. He also notices that: There is no elevator. The stairs are very slippery, dirty, and smell of urine. There is no lighting on the stairway. On the second floor, there are people standing under the stairs.
At the patient’s apartment, Joseph is surprised by two big German Shepard dogs. The apartment is very hot, as it is the middle of summer. All the windows are open and there are a couple of fans. The patient does not have a phone, but can use his brother’s cell phone whenever his brother is home. He can hear water running in the bathroom. He also notices a couple of syringes with exposed needles lying on the patient’s nightstand.
Questions
- What information should Joseph report to his supervisor?
- What is Joseph expected to do about continuing to provide care?
- What changes should be made prior to the next visit?
