Why Does Caregiving Training Matter?

A good caregiver needs a wide range of skill sets to meet different challenges at work. From medication management to respect the resident’s privacy while offering personal care, caregivers have a lot of tasks on their plate. Reputed care homes provide their caregiving staff with adequate training in these areas. If you are a care home manager, here are some useful insights of caregiving training:

1. Benefits of better training:

With training, you gain empowered caregivers who are confident in their ability to provide quality care to residents. There are many benefits to be gained from better training. Some of them are:

Improved productivity and efficiency: Caregivers tend to work more efficiently and productively when they are better trained. A confident caregiver with his or her attitude will make residents feel at ease.
Caregivers become more organized: Caregivers’ to-do lists can change rapidly. An organized caregiver will be able to prioritize everyday tasks more efficiently while following the procedures of the care home. Being organized can help them work efficiently and methodically. They can complete the assigned task within the timelines without any errors.

Increased resident safety: When caregivers are properly trained, they are more likely to follow safety procedures and protocols.
Improved morale: Training and professional development make caregiving staff feel valued. This can lead to a more positive work environment and higher levels of job satisfaction.

2. Key areas for training:

Here are some of the key areas that you should consider while preparing a training program for the caregiving staff:

Communication: Caregivers often have to care for people with learning disabilities and dementia. To provide quality care to such residents, it’s important that caregivers understand the residents well and make themselves clearly understood. It’s important for them to get training on communicating clearly, diplomatically, tactfully, and with respect for the feelings of others. Besides working on their oral and written communication, they have to understand the non-verbal cues of residents that they care for.

eMar chart training: If your care home is using eMAR for medication management, it is important that the caregiving staff get proper training. To provide quality care, caregivers need access to important data at the right time and at the right place and this is where eMar chart training comes in handy. eMAR can help caregiving staff in medication administration. The staff will receive alerts and notifications before scheduled doses so that the residents don’t miss any doses. Also, the staff will not have to go through piles of papers to make reports for audits. Here’s a useful read on the benefits of eMAR.

If your care home is planning to switch to an eMAR nursing chart, book a demo today. All the training and setup can also be implemented remotely for you.

Resident hygiene: A well-trained caregiver respects the privacy of the residents and still can recognize when they need help with personal care activities such as bathing, grooming, and toileting.

People skills: A caregiver must like people in general and enjoy working with them. When caregivers are trained to build people skills, they can nurture constructive relationships with other team members and residents.

How to Select a Caregiving Training Programme: Useful Insights for Caregivers

Well-trained caregivers are better equipped to handle challenging situations that they face on the job. A well-planned training programme helps caregivers sharpen their skills and feel confident. If you are a care home supervisor, it is important to choose a caregiving training programme that is relevant to your staff’s job roles. Also, the programme should help them grow professionally. Here we share with you some useful insights on choosing a caregiving training programme.

1. Wide range of skills:

When selecting a caregiving training programme, ensure that a wide range of topics is covered. A good training programme can help caregiving staff develop communication skills, problem-solving skills and stress management skills. You can also choose programmes that help caregivers expand drug knowledge, dose calculations and generic vs brand medication. Such programmes are useful for their daily activities.

Tip: For senior caregivers, look for advanced training in targeted topics. This way you can help your caregivers become caregiver specialists. For instance, look at training programmes on infection control, dementia care, caring for people with learning disabilities or understanding common drugs.

2. A hybrid learning:

A good caregiver training programme can be a mix of both online and offline training.Everyone learns differently at a different pace. The coursework for the programme should be offered in a variety of formats so that some caregiver staff can attend live classes while those doing odd shifts can learn at their own pace whenever they have time. Look for engaging courses so that you can have better participation. You can even book a trial session to take a peek into the course material.

3. Experienced trainers:

It is not enough to simply conduct a training session, it is important to choose the trainers carefully. The trainers who lead the programme must be experienced and knowledgeable. The best training programmes are those that are curated by those who have real hands-on experience. Before choosing a training programme, check the background of the trainers.

4. Duration of the programme:

The duration of the training programme is also an important factor to be considered. Before selecting the programme, have a word with your caregiving staff and select a training programme that is aligned with your staff’s schedule.

How eMAR and healthcare training can help caregivers?

At a time when care homes in the UK are switching to digital technologies, it is important that you provide adequate training to your caregiving staff. Proper eMAR training will help caregivers to document resident and medication information. At the same, they can learn to use different features such as setting alerts, taking notes and making monthly reports to make their everyday work more efficient. To know how eMAR charts in medication can be useful in your care home, book a demo.

Why Is It Important for Caregivers to Explain Medications to Residents?

Medications can be complicated, and residents may not always understand why they are taking them or how they work. Though GPs explain the medications, residents may forget about them. The duty of explaining the medication falls on the shoulders of caregivers. Here are some reasons why it is important for caregivers to explain medications to residents:

1. It’s important for residents to take a proactive approach:

When residents do not have adequate knowledge about their medication, there can be negative consequences:

Most residents follow the medication instructions blindly even if they are experiencing negative symptoms.
Many residents do not read the printed material on the medication. For instance, combining certain dietary supplements and medications can lead to double doses.
Residents may not know if the prescribed medication can cause side effects.
Most of the residents do not know how taking their medication can boost their health.
Many residents may not complete the course of medication if they do not see any immediate improvement in their health.

2. Gives them a sense of control

Residents should be aware of the common side effects that are associated with their medication. They have to know what to do and what not to do if they experience any side effects, including taking other medications or stopping the prescribed medication. Also, residents have to be aware of the benefits of the medications they are taking as they can make informed decisions on their well-being. If they stop taking their medications suddenly, they might experience severe reactions.

3. They are aware of the warnings:

Certain medications come with warnings that they can cause harm when taken with alcohol or some medications cause reactions that may make it unsafe for residents to drive. Explaining medication and associated warnings to residents can help them take the medication in a safe and effective manner.

Note: Caregivers must encourage residents to ask questions so that no doubt of theirs remains unresolved. When explaining the medications, encourage the residents to ask questions about the medications and express their concerns about side effects. As a caregiver, work with the residents to create an environment that makes them more willing to open up.

4. Reduces medication errors:

Another benefit of explaining medications to residents is that it reduces medication errors. Residents can also cross-check the medicine name, dose, and route before the caregiver administers the medicine. In addition to educating residents, care homes in the UK are automating many administrative tasks involved in medication administration.

Many care homes in the UK are embracing electronic MAR and other technological advancements to reduce medication errors. Electronic MAR charts ensure that caregivers have access to residents’ information on prescribed medication. With the help of eMAR charts, caregivers can double-check the resident’s information and compare the name of the medication label with electronic MAR with just a few clicks. To know more about the benefits of eMAR in a care home, check this read.

What are the Most Common Medication Errors in Nursing Homes?

Medication errors are a common problem in nursing homes in the UK. Overwork and systemic issues can and do lead to medical errors. These errors lead to serious side effects, some of which can be life-threatening and may require hospitalisation. If you are a nursing staff, it is important to be aware of the most common medication errors in nursing homes so that you can avoid them. Here we share with you the most common medication errors in nursing homes:

Wrong time: Some medications need to be administered at a certain time. When not given at the prescribed time, the medicine may not work as well as it should or can lead to side effects.
Omission errors: There is a failure in giving a medication dose before the scheduled one.
Wrong dose errors: Although the correct dosage was prescribed, the wrong dose was administered.
Improper dosing errors: A lesser or greater amount of medication can be delivered than is needed to manage the patient’s condition.
Wrong drug preparation errors: Medication may be incorrectly formulated (i.e., too little or too much diluting solution added).
Administration technique errors: Some medicines are administered orally, while some are rectally and intravenously. This error occurs when a drug is administered via an incorrect route.

Causes of medication errors:

There are many potential causes of medication errors, and it is often difficult to determine the root cause of a particular error. However, some common causes of medication errors include:

1. Distraction: A distraction occurs when the nurse’s medication is distracted from the task at hand. The nurse may accidentally administer medicine that sounds similar to the other one.

2. Lack of drug knowledge: Lack of drug knowledge is one of the most common causes of medication errors. Knowing drug names (generic and brand), their side effects, and their contraindications can help reduce some medication errors.

3. Incomplete patient information: As a nurse, it is important to always check that they have complete and accurate patient information before dispensing medication. Incomplete patient information can lead to medication errors, which can cause serious harm.

When checking for patient information, always look for the following:

The patient’s full name
The patient’s date of birth
The patient’s current address
The name and strength of the medication prescribed
The name and address of the prescribing healthcare professional

4. . Systemic problems: Medication errors are a serious problem. They can occur at any stage of the medication use process, from prescribing and dispensing to administration and monitoring. Systemic problems, such as poor communication and coordination among nursing staff can often be the underlying cause of medication errors. These problems can be at times difficult to identify and solve. However, it is important to address them, as they can significantly impact patient safety.

From paper MAR charts in nursing homes to electronic MAR charts MAR – make the change today

A lot of medication errors can be attributed to illegible notes, missed signatures, ambiguous abbreviations and confusing verbal instructions, and poor communication. By giving digital access to all the important information, Electronic MAR charts help reduce medication errors in nursing homes. Nursing staff and supervisors can access electronic MAR charts without being physically together.
Book a demo to know how electronic MAR charts can help your nursing homes.

Important Insights on Medication Errors

In the UK, over 237 million medication errors occur each year. This staggering number reveals the importance of understanding and preventing medication errors. Knowing about medication errors can reduce the complications of errors and increase patient safety. As a care home supervisor, identifying factors contributing to medication errors can help prevent their occurrence or recurrence. Here are some important insights on medication errors:

Insight 1: Medication errors are preventable

Often it is assumed that medication errors cannot be prevented. However, medication errors can be reduced or prevented by identifying mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, and giving medications. For instance, a medication error can occur because a caregiver prepared the medicine inaccurately. Proper pharmaceutical formulation training can help caregivers prepare the medicine accurately and safely.

Insight 2: Common causes of medication errors

A medication error is referred to inappropriate medication use while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional or patient. Medication errors can cause harm to patients. In some cases, the side effects could be minor. However, in serious cases, they may lead to hospitalisation and can prove to be fatal. Understanding the common causes of medication errors can help you address problems at your healthcare facility. Medication errors occur due to :

Incorrect diagnosis
Prescribing errors
Dose miscalculations
Drug names that sound alike
Confusing abbreviations
Incorrect drug administration
Poor drug distribution practices
Allergic reactions

Insight: 3 Importance of medication reconciliation

The residents are often at high risk for medication errors when they go to care homes or nursing homes from hospitals. Any missing information during the transition can result in medical errors. Therefore, to reconcile all the medical documents, a person should be designated. This person must closely work with family members of the resident, pharmacists, carers, and other health care practitioners are involved.

Note: At the time of medication reconciliation, the name and strength of all medications should be recorded. This means this should include prescription medications, herbs, vitamins, nutritional supplements, over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, and anything received intravenously. Any medications that the resident is allergic to or that have caused problems in the past should be recorded.

Insight: 4 Importance of medication management

As mentioned above, illegible handwritten prescriptions, insufficient or missing information about co-prescribed medications, allergic sensitivities, and incorrect drugs or doses are some of the common causes of medication errors. By switching to digital medical records, you can reduce medication errors at your facility.

Electronic MAR is one of the common EMR systems used by care homes and nursing homes in the UK. With all-important resident information available at fingertips, it can be ensured the right medicine with the right dose is administered through the right route to the right resident at the right time.

To know how we can help your facility, book a demo.

FAQs and their Answers on Time Management: Useful Insights for Nursing Staff

Nursing is a demanding job. From taking care of patients to carrying out internal administrative tasks, nurses have their plates full. By effectively managing time, nursing staff can achieve improved efficiency and make room for professional development. If you are nursing staff, here are some frequently asked questions on time management and their answers that you might find helpful:

Question: 1 How can nurses prioritise tasks?

There are a few different ways that you can prioritise tasks as nursing staff.

The first way is to start with the most urgent tasks and work your way down to the less urgent tasks. This is often referred to as triage.
Another way to prioritise tasks is to start with the easiest tasks and then move on to the more difficult tasks. This can be helpful if you have a lot of tasks that need to be completed and you want to make sure that all of the tasks are completed in a timely manner.
Lastly, you can prioritise tasks based on the importance of the task. This is often determined by the patient’s condition or the severity of their illness.

Question: 2 How can nurses reduce distractions at work?

As nurses, you are expected to remain attentive when performing activities that require concentration to avoid distractions and errors. Distractions and interruptions in nursing homes can compromise the patient’s safety. For instance, to avoid distractions while doing medication rounds, wear a ‘do not disturb’ vest or urge your supervisor to free you from other responsibilities such as answering call bells.

Question: 3 How can nurses manage time effectively?

Delegate work: A very important part of optimising time management is to ask for help and rely on the help of colleagues. Delegating administrative tasks or routine procedures to junior nurses or new nursing staff can help you focus on more important tasks at hand.
Create a work routine: This can help you maximise time efficiency. Creating a consistent routine eliminates unnecessary planning and turning essential tasks into habits.
Arrive early to plan for the day: Showing up a bit early for your shift can be a time investment that pays off all day. Make sure you have all your essential supplies ready before clocking in.
Leave some room for the unexpected: Unlike people in other professions, you may have complete control over their day. In your daily routine, make sure you are prepared for medical emergencies and other unexpected tasks that may come up during the day’s work.

Question: 4 How can eMAR help nurses save time?

A lot of time in nursing homes is spent on medication administration and MAR chart documentation. If your nursing home uses electronic MAR charts, make sure you receive the MAR training. eMAR is an Electronic Medication Administration software that reduces the time spent on documentation. It automates medication and sends alerts so that no dose is missed. It effectively manages the collection and reporting of data and makes it easy to prepare monthly and quarterly reports for audits.

Tips for Nurses to Cope with Pre and Post-Shift Anxiety

Nurses are the backbone of the medical profession. While nursing is a rewarding career, stressful working conditions can cause anxiety levels to increase among nurses. These feelings of anxiety often escalate

before and after shifts. If you are a new nurse or an experienced one, here are a few tips that can help reduce anxiety levels before and after the shift:

1. Prepare the day before

One of the best things you can do to cope with pre and post-shift anxiety is to prepare the day before. This means getting everything ready that you need for your shift, including your uniform scrubs, equipment, and tools that you need to fulfil everyday duties and responsibilities. Also, create a to-do list with the highest priority tasks featured on the top. The tasks could be filling in electronic MAR charts or preparing monthly audit reports using the eMAR chart. This will help you to feel more organised and in control, and will make it less likely that you’ll forget something important.

2. Get adequate sleep

Another helpful tip is to make sure that you get enough rest before your shift. This means going to bed at a reasonable time and getting up early enough to have a healthy meal before you leave for work. Here are a few tips to help you get adequate sleep:

Create an environment conducive to restful sleep. This becomes all the more important if you are doing night shifts. Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet. Seek cooperation from family members so that your sleep is uninterrupted.
Establish a sleep routine. Though going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can be difficult because of the changing shift timings, you can get a restful sleep by establishing a sleep routine. A bedtime routine is a set of activities you perform in the same order. Whether you are doing the night shift or day shift, sticking to a sleep routine can help the body sleep better.
While drinking caffeinated beverages can help you get through a long shift, too much caffeine can adversely affect sleep quality.
Get some exercise. This can help you to fall asleep and stay asleep.

3. Get to work early

If you’re feeling anxious before or after your shift, one of the best things you can do is get to work early. Arriving early allows you to settle in and get organised before your shift begins.

4. Make your commute time fun

After a long day at work, commuting home can be tiring. However, you can make the commute time fun by listening to uplifting music. You can also use this time to catch up with family or friends over the phone.

5. Practice breathing exercises meditation, or during your scheduled breaks

If you’re feeling anxious during your shift, use your scheduled breaks to relax yourself. Try practising relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. There are several apps that offer guided meditation; you can use them to slow down your racing mind and be in the moment for a few minutes.

6. Seek help from seniors

If work-related issues are causing stress, it’s important that you speak to your supervisor. He or she can offer advice on dealing with specific work-related situations and provide the support you need.

Why Might Seniors Need Care?

Being a caregiver in a healthcare facility means taking care of another person— caring for their physical health and emotional well-being with compassion, respect and dignity. The amount of care a resident needs depends on his/her ability to perform routine daily tasks independently. Some people may just require extra help with daily activities such as personal care, shopping, meal preparation and other household tasks. Whereas others may need more help due to changes in cognitive function or mobility issues. Here we discuss some of the common reasons why seniors depend on assistance in their living situations:

Memory loss: Many seniors experience short-term memory loss. However, the severe memory loss that is associated with dementia may make it unsafe for the senior to live alone anymore. The disorder affects a person’s ability to remember and think properly. As the disorder progresses, the person can’t perform even the most basic tasks such as bathing, eating and using the bathroom. There are many long-term care facilities such as residences designed to care for residents suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other memory loss. For caregivers and care home managers providing dementia care, here’s a useful read on streamlining medication administration .

Illness: Seniors suffering from serious illnesses such as cancer, liver failure, stroke, kidney failure and heart attack may need help in performing activities of daily living because of their complex health needs. In assisted living facilities, the caregiving team ensures that the environment is as homelike as possible. The facility management must be flexible when it comes to offering personalised care to meet the individual needs of each older adult. The caregiving team at assisted living facilities often are involved in planning social activities for the residents to keep the older adults socially and physically engaged.

Falls: Older people are particularly at risk for falls because of loss of balance and poor vision. Falls are the most common cause of accidental death among elderly people. Falls also negatively affect an older person’s emotional well-being – as they can result in disability, chronic pain, loss of independence, reduced quality of life, fear, loss of confidence and restriction of activities. Combined with the existing health problems, a fall or injury from falls can lead to older adults moving from their homes to healthcare settings.

Depression and anxiety: Depression in elderly people can occur from different reasons such as loss of spouse, financial instability and loss of social connections. In many cases, depression can also be a result of medical conditions. Older adults who exhibit signs of depression such as poor hygiene, insomnia or excessive sleeping fall in a high-risk category for institutionalisation because they are less likely to take care of their personal hygiene, nutritional and medical needs. All these factors increase their vulnerability to illnesses. Also, older adults suffering from depression and anxiety have almost no social connections and are usually withdrawn – so they have weak support systems.

Regardless of living arrangement or a senior’s health condition, the goal of healthcare facilities should be to assist older adults

in reaching a state of optimal health. In all the healthcare settings mentioned above, the caregiving team has to ensure that the senior receives the right medication with the right dose at the right time and through the right route. Electronic MAR sheets play an important role in improving medication management and medication administration in residential care homes and supported living environments where compliance and security are important. Mose care homes have shifted to electronic or digital medical records – hence the team needs to have a proper understanding of the common EMR system as well.

FAQs and Answers on Different Forms of Medication

Administering medication safely is an important part of a caregiver. Before administering medicines, caregivers must understand the reasons the patient is given a particular medication and how and when to administer it. They must also be aware of any special dietary advice as well as any possible side effects of the prescribed medications. For instance, pain medications have sedative effects. Medications for blood pressure can cause seniors to become dizzy if they stand up quickly, leading to a fall.

Medications come in a wide variety of different forms and caregivers must be aware of all the forms and the right way to administer them. The common forms of medications include :

tablets
capsules
powders
syrups
lozenges
sprays
eye drops/ear drops
creams, gels, ointments
patches
pessaries
suppositories
liquids for injection or catheter administration.

Medication can also be administered by different methods and routes, such as orally or it can be applied topically to the skin, eyes, ears, by injection, or through a catheter inserted through the skin. Before medication administration, caregivers must always check MAR charts to confirm these details. If you want to know more on MAR chart medication and eMAR chart medication, here’s a useful read.

Here we discuss the common forms of medication and methods of administration:

Question 1: What should caregivers know about administering oral medication?

Answer: Administering oral medications is the most common method of administration. If the resident has to swallow the pill, you must offer water with the pill. If the resident has problems swallowing pills, do not crush pills to make them easier to swallow without consulting a doctor. When administering oral medications, stay with the resident to ensure that the medication has been swallowed. Also, there are some oral medications that have to be placed in the mouth but not swallowed.

Question 2: What should caregivers know about administering inhaled medication?

Answer: Residents are prescribed inhaled medications for respiratory conditions. The medications are administered via an inhaler or nebuliser. Caregivers must be aware of different types of inhalers – they should also know the correct way of using the type prescribed for the resident.

Question 3: What should caregivers know about administering topical skin medication?

Answer: Before administering topical medication, caregivers must ensure that the residents are comfortable and their privacy is adequately protected. The caregivers must wash and dry their hands and wear disposable gloves. They need to wash, rinse and dry the affected area. For sprays and lotions, shake the bottle and then apply as instructed by the doctor or according to the

instructions on the MAR sheets or electronic mar charts. Once the medication administration is over, they need to remove the disposable gloves, and wash and dry their hands.

Question 4: What should caregivers know about administering injected medication?

Answer: s. There are several different ways to inject medication, the common ways are subcutaneously ( Just below the surface of the skin) and intramuscularly ( within the muscle). The other ways are intradermal and intravenous. When administering injected medication, sterile technique must be used. Also, the caregiver must select the right site and right technique.

Question 5: What are some important steps that caregivers must follow before medication administration?

Answer: The caregiver must always:

Check MAR chart or electronic MAR chart and confirm the medication name, dose, route, time and other important details
Confirm the resident’s identity
Check the expiry date of medication
Check whether the medication is in good condition and not contaminated

5 Useful Insights on Time Management for New Caregivers

Providing person-centred care in a busy environment can at first seem overwhelming. You have to assume dual roles at the same time – a care provider and an organisational employee. While performing the dual role, you have to follow the care facility’s goals of efficiency and cost control whilst providing timely, thoughtful, safe and efficient care. Everyone gets only 24 hours every day, and how you make better use of time than others can help you provide better care and achieve personal and professional goals. If you are a new caregiver, you will find this read useful. Here we discuss some useful insights on the effective use of time management skills to help new caregivers stay prepared and organised to manage priorities the right way.

Insight 1: Goal setting:

Good time management involves goal setting and developing a plan to reach the goals. At the start of the day, review a resident’s goals of care for the day and the goals you have for the day such as completing medication documentation, attending electronic MAR charts training, or preparing medications for administration. Set goals that are reasonable and achievable. Also, it’s important that you give yourself time to meet the goals. If you have set a few long-term goals, divide them into multiple short-term goals. As you complete the short-term goals, you get a frequent sense of goal achievement.

Insight 2: Setting priorities:

Once you know your goals, you can set your priorities. A particular strategy that can help you prioritise your tasks is following the Covey Matrix – where you can distribute your tasks under 4 categories namely – urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important and not urgent and not important. For instance, updating MAR chart after a medication round should be placed under urgent and important whereas checking social media or chatting with friends should be placed under not urgent and not important.

Insight 3: Complete an activity before starting a new one:

As a caregiver, you are responsible to provide care to a group of residents, moving back and forth between residents as their requirements and needs change. To be able to stay focused and complete the given task on time, try to finish an activity that you started with one resident before moving on to the next.

Insight 4: Prevent interruptions:

Everyone needs time to talk or socialise with colleagues. However, do not let interruptions prevent you from completing important patient care activities such as medication administration, updating electronic MAR charts or attending training sessions. Use time during lunch breaks or team meetings to interact with colleagues. During work, let your voicemail pick up the calls. You can ask your colleagues to email you instead of disturbing you while you are on the medication rounds, helping residents with their meals or doing something important. Also, keep tabs on your personal time-wasting habits.

Insight 5: Assess your day:

At the end of each day, think and reflect about how effectively you used your time. If you are facing challenges, discuss them with your supervisor and ask them to help you improve your time management skills – so that you can spend your time on the things that matter to you and your organisation.

Medication Errors: Check this List of FAQs and Their Answers

Medication errors can be caused by many factors, such as illegible handwriting in prescriptions, the design of medication labels, and dose miscalculations. The process of administering medications involves many steps and different members of the health care team. In a care home, caregiving staff play an essential role in preparing and administering medications, they need to be vigilant in preventing errors. Over here we discuss a list of FAQs on medication administration and medication errors and their answers:

Question 1: What are some important steps to follow before medication administration to reduce medication errors?

Answer: Before preparing the medications, here are some important steps that a caregiver must follow:

Always perform hand hygiene
Always obtain the exact name and spelling for each medication you administer
Many medications come in several forms, such as tablets, capsules, elixir and aqueous solution. When administering a medication, be certain to use the proper form
Prepare medications in a clean and uncluttered area
Inform your supervisor that you will be administering medicines – this is to ensure that you are not interrupted
Prepare medications for one patient at one time
Compare the name of medication label with MAR or electronic MAR
Double check drug dose
Check expiration date on all medications and return outdated medication to pharmacy
Do not interpret illegible handwriting. When in doubt, clarify with the health care provider
Question unusually large or small doses
Before administering medication, use at least two resident identifiers (e.g., resident name, birthday or medical record number)
For certain medications, perform necessary preadministration assessment
Allow the resident to ask questions related to the medications

Question 2: What should be done after medication administration?

Answer: You must immediately record all the important information pertaining to medication administration, including the resident’s name, drug administered, dose, route and date and time administered on MAR chart or electronic MAR. Also, add your initials or signature. If the resident develops any adverse reactions, you must record the allergic reaction and inform the resident’s health care provider.

Question 3: What should be done when medication error is discovered?

Answer: When you discover an error, report it as per the care home’s policy. Once the error is reported, reflect on the context or situation that may have caused the error. Also, discuss with your supervisor and reflect on how the error could have been prevented.

Question 4: What should be done when a resident refuses medication?

Answer: You can take a different approach to convince the resident. However, you must not force the residents to take the medication. Also, ask the resident the reasons behind the refusal. You must record the refusal and the reasons. Also, the health care provider must be notified that the resident is refusing to take the prescribed medications.

Question 5: What should a medication order include?

Answer: Before administering medication, you must thoroughly check the medication order. It should include:

Resident’s full name
Date and time when the order was written
Medication name
Dosage
Administration route
Time of medication administration
Frequency of medication administration
Signature of health care provider

Question 6: How can an eMAR chart prevent medication errors?

Answer: With eMAR, you can rest assured that the correct medicine with the correct dose is administered through the correct route to the correct resident at the correct time. Also, all the important data is always securely backed-up, Your supervisors can overview the activities related to medication administration in real time.

From mar chart training to communication training: useful insights on training caregiving staff

A caregiver needs a wide range of skill sets to meet different challenges he/she will come across in a day. From medication administration documentation and organisation skills to communication skills – here we discuss some important skills that caregivers must master to provide quality care to the residents. As a care home manager, you must ensure that your staff receives regular training to nurture these important skills.

Medication administration documentation: Medication administration is an important responsibility. Caregivers who prepare and administer medications are responsible for their own actions. Caregivers must know the “Rights” of medication administration to reduce medication errors. Another important aspect of medication administration is medication documentation which needs to be done after the medication is administered. Here’s a useful read on MAR sheets and medication administration. As more care homes in the UK are shifting from MAR charts or sheets to eMAR, here we briefly discuss some of the benefits of using eMAR. Each entry into eMAR is automatically date and time stamped – it makes documentation and tracking of patient care easy. Also, it provides easy access to important data. Caregivers can quickly find the information about a patient without searching through paper-based records.

If your care home facility is planning to use eMAR, train your staff on how to use the software. You can book an eMAR demonstration with us. Should you decide to book a demo, we can implement eMAR training and set up remotely for you. If your care home facility still uses MAR charts, it’s important that you provide MAR chart training to your new staff.

Communication skills: Communication skills include written, verbal and non-verbal methods. A caregiver must communicate clearly, tactfully and with respect for the feelings of others. For new caregivers, you can arrange training sessions on effective communication. Over here we discuss some important forms of communication that caregivers must master:

Verbal communication: Verbal communication involves sharing messages using words. There are different types of verbal communication – one type of verbal communication is formal and structured; whereas another is informal and flexible. Caregivers must master both formal and informal verbal communication skills.

Non-verbal communication: Non-verbal communication involves sharing messages without using words. It refers, among other things, to a person’s tone, clothes, body posture, facial expressions and hand movements.

Here are some strategies that caregivers must follow when communicating with seniors:

Listen to the resident before you attempt to impart information
Be patient
Speak at a normal rate
If the resident is unable to hear you, do not shout. Move closer and speak in a normal tone
Notice carefully the body movements and facial expressions of the resident to understand them
If the resident gets confused while speaking, give him/her time to recollect thoughts
If the resident is having trouble understanding your question, rephrase it.

Written communication: Caregiving staff have to write various types of letters and emails such as order supplies, replies to various types of inquiries and written instructions for patients. Care home managers can schedule training sessions to help the staff master the needed skills to write effective letters and emails.

Here are some basic tips to help caregiving staff write accurately and effectively:

Use proper terminologies
Follow the style and format determined by the caregiving facility
Establish a professional tone of voice
Use simple language and short sentences
One sentence should convey one idea

Organisation skills: The caregiver must be given training on prioritising tasks and how to work efficiently and methodically. They should know to complete given tasks within the timelines without compromising on the quality. When caregivers are organised, they are less likely to suffer from caregiver stress – as they plan the day to balance work and rest times. Also, they must know when a task needs to delegated to a team member who has the expertise and the time to complete the task