I work in home health, and I would not consider discharging for this reason - I have seen many patients where there were problems: trash everywhere inside and outside the house, old food lying about, or dirty dishes in the sink week after week. As an OT I want to enable the pt to make their own decisions about how to make changes, and to help the patient affect that change. Our whole home-health-care team tries to help the patient, not judge them. I sometimes get an MSW referral to assist in providing information about resources for the patient. Sometimes (often!) the patient is not willing to change - that is their right. Even in a clean home patients can be unsafe and ignore my training in safety. I definitely think it is not just unethical to d/c for this reason, but also against everything we stand for as therapists. While the company I work for is committed to providing clinicians with a safe environment I don't consider dirt or bad smells unsafe (to me). The only reason I d/c is when the patient has met their maximum goals: or if I really, really cannot show progress (and even then I keep trying different strategies). . . . Sue
-- Sue Hossack MOT, OTR/L, ATP Occupational Therapist http://www.ot-care.com -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
