Nursing Home Visit

A home visit is a family-nurse contact that lets you assess the home and family situation, deliver nursing care, and carry out health-related activities on site. Go in with a plan built around the client's needs and the outcomes you want.

Purposes

1. Care for the sick, the postpartum mother, and her newborn, and teach a responsible family member to take over the ongoing care.
2. Assess the patient's and family's living conditions and health practices so your teaching fits their situation.
3. Teach prevention and control of disease.
4. Build a working relationship between the health agency and the public to promote health.
5. Use the inter-referral system and promote use of community services.

Principles

Every home visit follows these principles:

1. The visit must have a clear purpose or objective.
2. Plan using all available information about the patient and family, including the family record.
3. Give priority to the essential needs of the individual and family.
4. Involve the individual and family in planning and delivering care.
5. Keep the plan flexible.

Guidelines

Set the frequency of home visits against these factors:

1. The physical, psychological, and educational needs of the individual and family.
2. The family's acceptance of the services, their interest, and their willingness to cooperate.
3. Agency policy and the emphasis given to specific health programs.
4. Other health agencies and the number of personnel already involved with the family.
5. Evaluation of past services and how the family uses the nursing services offered.
6. The family's ability to recognize its own needs, its knowledge of available resources, and its ability to use them.

Steps

1. Greet the patient and introduce yourself.
2. State the purpose of the visit.
3. Observe the patient and determine the health needs.
4. Set the bag in a convenient place and perform the bag technique.
5. Deliver the nursing care needed and give health teaching.
6. Record all important data, observations, and care rendered.
7. Set the appointment for a return visit.