The Importance of Supervision
Supervision: What It Is and Why It’s Important
Supervision describes the ways caregivers help protect clients from injury or other harm. Supervision is an active process. It involves watching, listening, interacting, monitoring, and preventing problems.
Supervision describes the ways caregivers help protect clients from injury or other harm. Supervision is an active process. It involves watching, listening, interacting, monitoring, and preventing problems.
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Supervision involves:
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An "elopement" occurs when a patient leaves the premises without the necessary supervision to do so. Elopement is dangerous! |
You can see that supervision is much more than watching. It involves all your skills as a caregiver.Supervision is your responsibility and commitment to the families who have trusted you with a member of their family. It is also your responsibility and commitment to the clients who rely on you for protection, and support.
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Injuries, and even death, from elopement may be the result of exposure to extreme temperatures, falls, dehydration, drowning, or being struck by a motor vehicles. Injuries can also occur because the patient does not receive their medication. |
In most circumstances, you should use direct and active supervision. This means you should be able to see and hear the clients at all times. This includes indoors, outdoors, and even while the client is sleeping. A caregiver should not be on one level of a residence while client is on another floor or in another room. For clients who are able to toilet independently and who request privacy in the restroom, it is appropriate to supervise by remaining in hearing distance for short periods of time. You must be able to quickly intervene if help is needed. Got to use the restroom yourself?... inform the client, make sure the client understands not to leave the area, and make it snappy!
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It is important that you take your role as a caregiver very seriously. Distractions can be deadly. You should never be so engrossed in an activity that you are not watching the client. Clients with special health care needs, clients with disabilities, or clients with behavioral needs may require a heightened level of supervision.
Maintaining Accountability
Believe it or not, clients can move very quickly. It is not uncommon for clients to attach themselves to another group or slip out an open door, or hide during a transition. If you are unable to locate your client, CONTACT THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.
Clients will always need more supervision outdoors. Do not leave any client unattended outdoors ever for a brief period of time. If you must leave, contact the office right away. Beware of blind spots (tunnels, corners, enclosed structures, etc.). Identify “hot spots” where you might have a hard time seeing a client. You should stand strategically so you can supervise all areas. It is nearly impossible to supervise effectively if you have headphones on, are fixated on a TV show, on your cell phone, engrossed in a conversation, or just off doing your own thing.
Supervising clients effectively is one of the most important activities you perform as a caregiver! It only takes a quick moment for something to happen that could result in a very negative outcome for you and your client.
Maintaining Accountability
Believe it or not, clients can move very quickly. It is not uncommon for clients to attach themselves to another group or slip out an open door, or hide during a transition. If you are unable to locate your client, CONTACT THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.
Clients will always need more supervision outdoors. Do not leave any client unattended outdoors ever for a brief period of time. If you must leave, contact the office right away. Beware of blind spots (tunnels, corners, enclosed structures, etc.). Identify “hot spots” where you might have a hard time seeing a client. You should stand strategically so you can supervise all areas. It is nearly impossible to supervise effectively if you have headphones on, are fixated on a TV show, on your cell phone, engrossed in a conversation, or just off doing your own thing.
Supervising clients effectively is one of the most important activities you perform as a caregiver! It only takes a quick moment for something to happen that could result in a very negative outcome for you and your client.