Welcome to Shaping Success, a series where we introduce and explain the importance of a work-related topic that helps promote success at Circle of Care.
In this edition, we’re going to cover the topic of Time Theft.
Logging Visits without Care
Note that the names have been changed in this story.
PSW Frances was scheduled to visit and care for her client Marcus on two different days. On both days, Frances went to Marcus’s home, but no one answered the door.
Even though she didn’t see Marcus or provide any care to him, Frances logged in and out of the visit in the PSW mobile app. She marked all the care tasks as done.
The same thing happened again the next week. Frances went to Marcus’s home, but he still wasn’t there. No care was provided. However, Frances again recorded the visit in the app and marked the care plan as complete.
Later, Marcus’s son Paul called the office. Paul explained that Marcus had been admitted to the hospital several weeks earlier and had not been at home during any of these visits.
What Went Wrong
- Frances logged her visits as completed, but she hadn’t seen Marcus, and she didn’t provide any service to him. This is time theft!
- Frances failed to confirm Marcus’s safety, and she did not report the Not Seen Not Found (NSNF) visit to the office.
- Frances documented Marcus’s Care Plan as completed, when she had not provided any service to him.
Expectations for our PSWs
- You must always check that the client is home at the time of your scheduled visit. Do not assume the visit is cancelled. If the client is not there, this could mean something is wrong.
- You must call the office right away if you do not see the client (Not Seen Not Found). The office will tell you what to do next.
- You must never record care that you did not provide. Only document what you actually did during the visit.
- You may only log in after you have confirmed the client is present. Log out of a visit after you have provided care. Do not clock in or out if the client is not at home.
- If you are unsure what to do, contact the office for help. It is always better to ask questions.