As a home health professional, you most likely spend your workday driving from place to place with a car complete with paperwork and supplies. Unfortunately, it is not easy to stay organized and orderly when a vehicle is also an office. However, you can organize the clutter. Here is how to go about doing that.
10 Organization Tips For Home Health Professionals
Carry the Right Bag
It is essential to carry a simple bag for your therapy supplies. You might already be carrying the company-issue standard bag. However, chances are it is big and bulky. As a home health therapist, you know the amount of space required for your supplies. To lighten your load, consider storing supplies in the trunk of your car until you need them. It will allow you to lighten the load and be more efficient. Of course, bags on wheels are lovely too!
Pencils, Pads, and Highlighters
Now that you have an appropriate bag to carry put essential items in it. Markers and Post-it notes allow you to adjust and highlight significant information without having to search for items in a separate bag or area in your car.
Protect Your Back
When you are organizing, be sure to provide something for your back on those lengthy drives. For example, a lumbar cushion and a wedge will promote ergonomically correct positioning as you travel from one patient to another.
Place a Team List in Your Bag
It is vital that you keep a team list in your car, bag, or on your phone. It makes it simple to update the physical therapist, nurse, social worker, or home health aid of a change. A clear plastic sleeve is good and entering each contact number into your phone is even better.
Commonly Used Forms
As a home health therapist, you have common forms that you use daily. Keep blank copies of these forms in a file folder box or a 3-ring binder in your trunk. A binder serves as a hard surface to write on checklists such as discharge summaries.
Educational Reading
Patient education is a primary task of a home health physical therapist. Try to keep copies of commonly used client education handouts in a file folder or a box in your trunk.
Keep Pen and Pad in Center Console
Keep a Post-it pad within easy reach. A pen and a pad make it possible to jot down quick notes, phone numbers, or updates, making changes easy to remember.
Keep Essential Items Close
Ensure that your three most commonly used items are within easy reach without you having to bend, stoop or twist to get them. Typical items might include writing utensils and a clipboard for accessible and legible documentation.
Catalogs
Keep catalogs in your car to show clients standard products. For example, it might be activities of daily living catalogs or a durable medical provider list. This literature helps clients know what you are recommending to them and shows them different options.
A Healthy Snack
If you want to persist in being productive and focused, it is crucial that you keep a wholesome snack readily available. So keep a lunch bag with you that includes a simple, small snack that is fresh with protein and fiber.
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