![]() ![]() ![]() However, a dirty home does not just happen in old age. Self-neglect behaviours, such as neglect of the home, lack of personal hygiene or refusing help, were found to result in feelings among nurses of confusion and ambiguity regarding the nurses’ role. Empirical studies among nurses describe a dirty home mainly as a symptom of self-neglect in elderly people. If patients do not want to, or are not able to, tidy up or clean their houses, home-care nurses should decide what the right thing is to do for the health and wellbeing of these patients, as well as for their family, the neighbourhood and the health of the nurses themselves.Īlthough entering an extremely dirty home is considered a problem by many nurses, scientific research into the tasks of nurses in these situations is scarce. Personal care refers to assistance with activities that are part of everyday life, such as dressing, feeding and washing.ĭirty home conditions can make it difficult or even impossible to provide nursing or personal care. Nursing care can be of a technical, supportive, rehabilitative or preventive nature. In the Netherlands, as in many other European countries, home-care nurses provide nursing care and personal care in people’s homes. This article describes the problems nurses experience in the care for patients with a dirty home and the possible solutions to these problems. Home-care nurses therefore play a critical role in identifying possible risks and underlying causes and organizing further support and care for patients with dirty homes. Home-care nurses are often the first health-care professional to enter the home, for example after a patient’s discharge from hospital or after a general practitioner’s referral. Most health-care professionals do not visit their patients in their own home environment, but receive them in the professional’s practice. Examples of safety risks are the risk of falling and fire. Health risks include the risks of infection, food poisoning and respiratory problems due to an excess of mould or bacteria. Interventions should not only focus on patients, but address the nurses, the organization, and the collaboration between organizations in the community.Īlthough there is no clear definition of a dirty home, a dirty home entails health and safety risks for the residents and their neighbourhood. ![]() An integrated person-centred care approach is often necessary and home-care nurses need extra support to provide such care. ConclusionsĬare for patients with a dirty home is complex. Seven possible solutions were found: (1) strengthening collaboration between organizations in the community (2) involving others sooner (3) case management (4) person-centred care (5) taking more time (6) providing home-care nurses with tools and support services and (7) strengthening the competencies of nurses. Ten subthemes emerged that were clustered into three main themes: ‘dilemmas arise in choosing the right nursing care’ ‘cooperation and an integrated approach are often necessary, but lacking’ ‘home-care nurses have insufficient competencies’. Subsequently, in interviews with 4 (representatives of) patients and four focus-group sessions with 16 professionals, the problems found were validated and solutions to the problems discussed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 participants and analysed according to the principles of deductive thematic analysis. Participants included patients, home-care nurses and other professionals working in the community. Twenty-three participants to investigate the problems or needs experienced, and 20 participants to investigate solutions. SettingĬommunities across the Netherlands. To examine the problems home-care nurses encounter in caring for patients living in dirty homes, and possible solutions for these problems. ![]() The perceived problems and support needs of home-care nurses in these situations are largely unknown. Home-care nurses are often the first care professionals to enter a dirty home. ![]()
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