When your home becomes a workplace!!

Tips for managing supports in the home

The introduction of the NDIS also brings employees into the home environment.Carers are already at risk of carer burnout and now we manage staff, their job responsibilities, rosters, service agreements….the list can go on and on. I want to share some processes we put in place that helped us to manage staff in the home.Some days our life is hectic and I simply don’t have time to have a 10 minute conversation with the support worker rostered on for the day. I just want to wash my hair, have a shower or put new clothes on for the day.  I would even get my hopes up of a nice warm shower.  The worker would arrive and my son would lock them out of the house because he didn’t like them ????There goes the warm shower….

Or the worker flatly refused to take the cat sailing or in their car! Yes our cat has been sailing, enjoys the McDonalds drive thru (loves a bit of a quarter pounder meal) and enjoys feeding the seagulls at the beach. He’s a strange cat but we love him dearly!!

So first things first….the worker and client need to be a good fit. You can either use apps or a hard copy folder for your notes. I use a hard copy folder, I have two children on the NDIS with varying conditions so I have two hard copy folders labelled:

Support Worker Manual

Child’s name

Tip 1: Create a Client Profile

A client profile – this is a profile of the client including age, sex, likes and dislikes and a blurb about the client and family eg pets in the home, school or work that the client attends. This profile can be used for independent support workers or an agency looking for workers that could fit your families needs.

Tip 2: Weekly Routine

This is a basic weekly schedule, for example

Monday

8am shower, get dressed and breakfast.

10am leave to work/school/day program

12pm pick up and take to lunch

2pm Physio/speech

3pm home and check carers daily task list

Please note this is an example and can continue for a 24 hour period depending on your situation.

Tip 3: Carers Daily Tasks

The daily tasks is a generic list of things to do if time permits outside the weekly routine. For example I have 3 recipes that can be cooked and frozen for meals ahead. I have dot points such as wash soiled clothing or towels, clean soiled shower, wash and dry bedsheets and re-make the bed. This ensures support workers know their role and have something to do if the day is quiet.

If you need more supports with managing staff your support coordinator can help. If you don’t have a support coordinator there is support through carers gateway.

https://www.carergateway.gov.au/looking-after-yourself