Safety
SARA Companion Home Care Services is committed to maintaining a safe work environment for its employees and its patients. Therefore, employees are expected to abide by the safety rules listed below:
Patient Care
In a client’s home, you are not a guest. You are there to provide services for the client. The following
behaviors are strongly discouraged and may be dealt with in a disciplinary manner:
~ HIPAA violations – discussing other clients or Protected Health Information (PHI) concerning clients with your client or other people or employees
~ Discussing any office matters with the client
~ Borrowing money or accepting gifts
~ Fighting or creating a disturbance
~ Idleness or loafing during work hours
~ Reporting for duty under the influence of intoxicants
~ Eating or drinking the client’s food or beverages without permission from the client of family
~ Smoking
~ Giving your phone number to your client
~ Offering medical advice
~ Making or receiving phone calls (excluding the office)
~ Use of a cell phone unless in an emergency
Our Commitment to Affirming Care
At SARA Companions Home Care Services, we believe every client deserves to age with dignity, regardless of who they love or how they identify. Many of our LGBTQIA+ and HIV+ clients have faced a lifetime of discrimination. As their direct care providers, your role is to ensure their home remains a sanctuary of respect and safety.
Your Responsibilities:
- ~ Respect Identity: Always use the resident’s chosen name and pronouns (e.g., they/them, she/her,
he/him), even if they differ from their legal identification.
- ~ Protect Privacy: A client’s sexual orientation, gender transition history, and HIV status are strictly confidential. Sharing this information with unauthorized individuals—including other family members or staff without a clinical “need to know”—is a violation of NYS law and agency policy.
- ~ Avoid Assumptions: Do not assume a client’s gender or the nature of their relationships. Use inclusive language like “partner” or “loved one” instead of “husband” or “wife” until the client clarifies.
A complete policy on Standards of Conduct/Ethical Behavior is located in the office for your reference. See Appendix A found in this handbook.
Universal Precautions
Universal Precautions is an approach to infection control to treat all human blood and certain human body fluids as if they were known to be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens.
Bloodborne Pathogen Standard requires:
- ~ Employees to observe Universal Precautions to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
- ~ Under circumstances in which differentiation between body fluid types is difficult or impossible, all body fluids shall be considered potentially infectious materials.
- ~ Treat all blood and other potentially infectious materials with appropriate precautions such as:
- ~~~ Using gloves, masks, and gowns if blood exposure is anticipated
The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;
Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human being (living or dead); and
HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.
For compliance with OSHA Standards, the use of either Universal Precautions or Standard Precautions are acceptable.
The CDC recommends Standard Precautions for the care of all patients, regardless of their diagnosis or presumed infection status.
- ~ Standard Precautions apply to 1) blood; 2) all body fluids, secretions, and excretions, except sweat, regardless of whether or not they contain visible blood; 3) non-intact skin; and 4) mucous membranes. Standard Precautions are designed to reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms from both recognized and unrecognized sources of infection in hospitals.
- ~ Standard Precautions include the use of: hand washing, appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns, masks, whenever touching or exposure to patients’ body fluids is anticipated.
- ~ Transmission-Based Precautions (i.e., Airborne Precautions, Droplet Precautions, and Contact Precautions) are recommended to provide additional precautions beyond Standard Precautions to interrupt transmission of pathogens in hospitals.
- ~ Transmission-Based Precautions can be used for patients with known or suspected to be infected or colonized with epidemiologically important pathogens that can be transmitted by airborne or droplet transmission or by contact with dry skin or contaminated surfaces. These precautions should be used in addition to standard precautions.
- ~~~ Airborne Precautions used for infections spread in small particles in the air such as chicken pox.
- ~~~ Droplet Precautions used for infections spread in large droplets by coughing, talking, or sneezing such as influenza.
- ~~~ Contact Precautions used for infections spread by skin-to-skin contact or contact with other surfaces such as herpes simplex virus.
Airborne Precautions, Droplet Precautions, and Contact Precautions may be combined for diseases that have multiple routes of transmission. When used either singularly or in combination, they are to be used in addition to Standard Precautions.
Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Gloves, as well as any other necessary protective equipment (i.e. face mask, gown), are supplied by SARA Companion Home Care Services. Gloves must fit securely so that it does not slip off during use.
Disposable gloves will be removed and discarded after contact with each person, fluid item, surface, if torn or punctured, or when their ability to function as a barrier is compromised. Gloves may not be washed or disinfected for reuse. Caregiver will be required to pick up PPE at Valley Stream office. Gloves are to be changed:
- ~ between tasks and procedures on the same client
- ~ after changing or cleaning an incontinent client
- ~ after removing an old dressing
- ~ and when the integrity of the glove is in doubt; hands must be washed immediately, or as soon as feasible, after removal of gloves or any other personal protective equipment.
Client Transportation
SARA Companion Home Care Services, at its own discretion, may offer the option to patients for the caregivers to transport patients in the patient’s vehicle ONLY. SARA Companion Home Care Services must receive written authorization from the patient or responsible party in order for this to take place. Caregivers can only drive a patient in the patient’s vehicle only when prior permission has been received from your supervisor. On assignments where caregivers are asked by the patients/family members or responsible parties to transport the patients, the caregivers must call the office to verify if they are allowed to use transportation for the patient. Caregivers must possess a valid driver’s license to provide this service.
Emergency Planning
SARA Companion Home Care Services has established a plan and an alternate business location which will allow for continuation of services in the event of a workplace emergency affecting our organization or the community.
SARA Companion Home Care Services will prioritize client care needs by established emergency disaster code assignments on the patient care plan. Care of clients will be reviewed and prioritized so that essential care needs are provided. All services not provided will resume as soon as possible without risk to clients or staff.
SARA Companion Home Care Services will provide for orientation and education of all personnel regarding participation in the emergency management plan. Education will be provided during orientation and at least annually thereafter. In general, preparing for an emergency includes preparing an emergency kit, making a plan, and staying informed regarding the emergency situation. Directions for preparing emergency kits include the following:
- ~ Pack food which is non-perishable and water for each person and pet
- ~ Pack infant formula if needed
- ~ Pack changes of clothing for three days
- ~ Bring blankets
- ~ Bring a First Aid Kit
- ~ Bring flashlights and a battery-operated radio and extra batteries
- ~ Bring small tools
- ~ Bring copies of important documents
- ~ Bring a list of medical conditions and prescriptions and supplies for up to three days