Client’s Rights 

The aim of good quality domiciliary care must always be to promote a way of life for clients which permit them to enjoy, to the greatest possible extent, their rights as individual human beings. The following rights are fundamental to Primary Healthcare.

Privacy

An individual’s right to privacy involves being free from intrusion or unwelcome attention.

We aim to maximise our client’s privacy in the following ways.

1.                  Support Workers will enter a client’s property and rooms within the property only with express consent.

2.                  A Client has the right not to have to interact with or be interrupted by a support worker when, for example, they are entertaining a visitor.

3.                  We respect the fact that a client’s possessions are private and always act in accordance with the principle that our support workers are guests.

4.                  Our staff respect a client’s right to make telephone calls and carry on conversations without being overheard or observed by a support worker.

5.                  We ensure that records of the service provided are sonly seen by those with a legitimate need to know the information they contain.

Dignity

We aim to maximise our Client’s dignity in the following ways.

1.                  We arrange for client’s who require assistance with bodily tasks such as dressing, bathing and toileting to be helped as far as possible by the support worker of their choice and if desired of the sex of their choice.

2.                  We ensure if asked that clients receive the necessary assistance with dressing and maintaining their clothes.

3.                  We will try to provide help for clients with make-up, manicure, hairdressing and other elements of their appearance so they can present themselves as they wish.

4.                  We aim to minimise any feelings of inadequacy, inferiority and vulnerability which client’s may have arising from disability.

5.                  We aim to create a climate in the delivery of care and to foster attitudes in those around a client which focus on capacities rather than on disabilities.

Security

In providing services to people with disabilities there is a difficult balance to be struck between helping them to experience as much independence as possible and making sure that they are not exposed to unnecessary hazards.  Taking care for the security of Clients therefore means helping to provide an environment and support structure which offers sensible protection from danger and readily available assistance when required.  This does not mean we expect a totally safe or risk-free lifestyle, taking reasonable risks can be interesting, exciting and fun as well as necessary.  We respond to our client’s need for security in the following ways.

1.                  We try to make sure that help is tactfully at hand when a client needs or wishes to engage in any activity which places them in situations of substantial risk.

2.                  We hope to help to create a physical environment which is free from unnecessary sources of danger to vulnerable people or their property.

3.                  We always carry out thorough risk assessments in relation to premises, equipment and the activities of the Client who is being helped

4.                  Our staff will advise Client’s about situation or activities in which their disability is likely to put them or their property at risk.

5.                  The staff of Primary Healthcare are well selected, trained and briefed to provide services responsibly, professionally and with compassion and never to exploit their positions to abuse a Client.

Civil Rights

We aim to help our Client’s to continue to enjoy their civil rights in the following ways.

1.                  If Client’s wish to participate in elections we will try to access the necessary information and either provide or obtain any assistance which they need to vote.

2.                  We want to help our Client’s to make use of as wide a range as possible of public services, such as libraries, education and transport.

3.                  We will encourage our Client’s to make full use of health services in all ways appropriate to their medical, nursing and therapeutic needs.

4.                  We will provide easy access for our Client’s and their friends, relatives and representatives to complain about or give feedback on our services.

5.                  If we can, we will support our Client’s in their participating as fully and diversely as they wish in the activities of their communities through voluntary work, religious observance, involvement in associations and charitable giving

Choice.

Choice consists of the opportunity to select independently from a range of options

We will respond to our Client’s right to choice in the following ways.

1.                  We avoid a pattern of service delivery which leads to compulsory timings for activities like getting up and going to bed.

2.                  We will manage and schedule our services so as to respond as far as possible to Client’s preferences as regards the staff with whom they feel most comfortable.

3.                  We respect Client’s eccentricities, personal preferences and idiosyncrasies.

4.                  We hope to cultivate an atmosphere and ethos in our service delivery which welcomes and responds to cultural diversity.

5.                  We encourage Client’s to exercise informed choice in their selection of the organisation and individuals who provide them with assistance.  Accordingly the guide from the United Kingdom Home Care Association (UKHCA) is enclosed with our promotional literature.

Fulfilment

We respond to Client’s fight to fulfilment in the following ways.

1.                  We try to help Client’s participate in as broad a range of social and cultural activities as possible.

2.                  If requested, we will assist a Client to participate in practices associated with religious or spiritual matters and to celebrate meaningful anniversaries and festivals.

3.                  W aim to respond sensitively and appropriately to the special needs and wishes of Client’s who wish to prepare for or are close to death.

4.                  We make particular efforts to understand and respond to the wish of any Client to participate in minority-interest events or activities.

5.                  We will do everything possible to help a Client who wants to achieve an unfulfilled task, wish or ambition before the end of their life