Trusted Regina Home care experts!
Here they share a tip on how a Patient safety study demonstrates need for standardized home care:

The recent release of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) study, Safety at Home: Pan-Canadian Home Care, brought attention to its much-supported statement, “home care is an integral component of the ongoing restructuring of healthcare in Canada.”
The study has also raised awareness of the unique issues related to patient safety in a home setting.
The study is focused on learning more about the occurrence of adverse events as they pertain to safety issues with home care services. Since only limited data is available about safety problems experienced by patients in home care settings, the study was initiated to address this knowledge gap.
What’s an adverse event? Basically, it’s an incident that changes a patient’s health condition or status. Examples include a fall, a medication error or an acquired infection, all of which have some degree of prevention.
Everyone agrees that home care is an integral part of the restructuring of our health-care system. Equally pertinent is determining safe home care services, however this will take political will, public acceptance and health care transformation.
Released on June 26, the CPSI study is the first of its kind. The study examines the reasons why harmful incidents occur, determines the impact on families and clients, and makes suggestions for how to make home care safer. Watch the video for a clear picture of why the time is right for a safe home-care service, and a mother’s perspective on how home care service is the only way her daughter can endure the complex care needs she requires at home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yXge5NjJWA&feature=share&list=UU2uTM8f12XtW2ermaUG2sKg
More than one million individuals receive home care in Canada – that’s one in every six seniors and we know this number will increase as the population ages. The CPSI study revealed that between 100,000 and 130,000 Canadians receiving home care have experienced an adverse event, and that more than half of these events were preventable. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that the delivery of home care in Canada is safe!
In my opinion, this study illustrates the need for standardized home care – guidelines to ensure quality programs that are in-line with our public system and are fully supported and endorsed. No citizen should go without quality home-care service, and a good place to start is through the regulation of home-care providers.

The natural next step is to put the words into action – family caregivers working with all health-care providers as well as key decision makers to develop policies, resources and tools that ensure a safer home care system. This should be the goal, along with awareness, understanding and contribution. It’s everyone’s responsibility.
The CPSI has partnered with the following sponsoring organizations:
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/
• Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13733.html
• The Change Foundation www.changefoundation.ca/
• Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) www.cfhi-fcass.ca/Home.aspx
To learn more about the CPSI, visit www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca