Companion Care near San Marcos Is Not Nursing Care

Nursing Companion Care Near San MarcosThe Difference Between Nursing and Companion Care Near San Marcos Is Important

In previous, we looked at some of the risks that people should be mindful of when seeking San Marcos companion care. There is another risk that is slightly different from those, rooted in the caregiver’s understanding of exactly what services he or she is qualified to provide. As part of their training, providers of companion care near San Marcos learn not only how to do certain things, but also that they may not legally do certain other things.

Caregivers, Not Nurses

Because in-home caregivers are not medically trained nurses, they are not prepared or allowed to do some things for their clients. Nurses go to school for years to learn how to safely administer medications, monitor health, and conduct technical procedures. While in-home caregivers receive plenty of training in emergency response, safe lifting techniques, and dietary issues, they are not medical professionals.

Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs are the one area where this distinction is most prominent. Family members of seniors sometimes assume that the caregivers they hire will take care of organizing and dispensing their loved ones’ medications, but that is not legally a responsibility that caregivers can take on unless they are nurses. All a caregiver can do is remind a senior when it is time to take a medication.

Knowledge Is Key

If someone providing companion care near San Marcos is unaware of these restrictions, he or she could put a senior in grave danger by taking on tasks that are beyond his or her training. If an untrained person sets up an IV bag incorrectly, for example, or accidentally mixes up drugs while dispensing them, he could instantly put his client’s life in danger. A conscientious, thoroughly instructed non-medical caregiver will always know what his or her boundaries are and will tell the family when he or she is not allowed to perform certain tasks.

 

Tim Colling
Tim Colling

Tim Colling is the founder and President of A Servant's Heart In-Home Care, which provided in-home caregiving services in San Diego County, and also of A Servant's Heart Geriatric Care Management, which provided
professional geriatric care management services and long term care placement services in San Diego County. Tim has more than 30 years of experience in management in a variety of industries. He held a Certified Care Manager credential from the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. Tim is also a Certified Public Accountant (retired), and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from California State University at San Diego. In addition to writing blog posts here for the Servant’s Heart blog, Tim also is a regular contributor to HealthLine.com and to FamilyAffaires.com as well as blogs of other eldercare services provider companies. Finally, Tim is also the president of A Servant's Heart Web Design and Marketing, which provides home care marketing as well as website design and online marketing for those who serve the elderly and their families.

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