The WA Coroner has released a report addressing inquest findings about the care of a consumer in home care. It highlights the need for roles and responsibilities of care givers to be clearly documented.

The Coroner’s report recommended:

• That, if reasonably practicable, organisations providing home-care generate a document describing the roles and responsibilities of each person involved in a patient’s care, including where applicable the patient’s family or friends, and provide a copy of such a document to those persons at the outset of that care and from time to time as is reasonably necessary.

• That, home-care providers assess their patients’ needs on an on-going basis and, where a home-care provider considers that the care it is able to provide to a patient under a home-care package cannot meet the patient’s needs, the home-care provider meet with the patient and the patients’ next of kin where appropriate to so inform the patient and to discuss the patient’s further care.

Read more:

Industry alert: Coroner’s recommendations for home care

Coroner’s Report (.pdf)