The Care Home Handbook

I would recommend each home purchase a copy. Ian Turner, Chair, Registered Nursing Home Association, UK

Identifies a gap in the sector and offers a practical means of addressing the need. Des Kelly, OBE, Executive Director, National Care Forum, UK

The Care Home Handbook has one aim: to improve the care and wellbeing of residents in care homes. It provides an extensive overview of current knowledge for all nurses and healthcare assistants working in care homes, enabling these organisations to meet the essential standards of care required of them.

This invaluable, unique and jargon–free resource helps healthcare professionals deliver skilful care, prevent poor practice, and build their knowledge and confidence when working with older people. It includes material on the resident s journey, values and standards, core nursing skills, common clinical conditions, medicines management, infection control and risk.

Grounded in everyday practice, The Care Home Handbook promotes professional and person–centred care that is safe, high quality and compassionate.

Forewords

Preface

List of Contributors

Review Panel

List of Abbreviations

Section A: The Resident s Journey

1 Admissions and Discharges

2 Life in a Care Home

Section B: Values, Standards, Ethics and Probity

3 Respect and Dignity

4 Rights and Legal Considerations

Section C: Core Nursing and Personal Care Skills

5 Feeding and Nutrition, Hygiene, and Promotion of Continence

Section D: Common Clinical Conditions

6 Mobility and Falls

7 Vision, Hearing and Foot Care

8 Major Medical Problems

9 Medical Emergencies

Section E: Mental Health Problems

10 Dementia, Delirium and Depression

Section F: Medicines Management

11 The Management of Medications

Section G: Infection Prevention and Control

12 Infection Prevention

13 Managing Specific Infections

Section H: Procedures and Observations

14 Specialised Procedures

15 Clinical Measurement and Observations

Section I: The End of Life

16 Dying and Death

Section J: Contacting Other Professionals

17 Referrals and Template Letters to Colleagues

Section K: What if

18 Dealing with Challenging Problems

Appendix 1: Rating Scales

Appendix 2: When to Request Urgent Medical Help

Index