Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Home health care provider wants pets locked up when staff visits
#1
A home health care provider in BC has put in a rule that all pets must be shut away when one of their staff visits.
They say they are doing this to ensure staff safety.
An elderly woman who regularly receives help is very upset. She does not want to shut her two dogs away. No staff has ever had trouble with her two dogs. The new rule doesn't make sense to her. 

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news...ack-family

As some of you know I work as a support worker, mostly with seniors and some younger handicapped people. Many of them have pets. My job has dangers, but people's pets are not one of them. I have never been endangered or felt threatened by a pet. I love my clients pets and enjoy seeing them.

I can't imagine what the agency thinks it is doing. It sounds like a random rule that someone came up with so that they can say that they are doing something about worker safety. If you protect someone from something that isn't a danger, you haven't really protected them.  The people making the rules don't actually know much about the job as it is actually done. This is sad because it is going to cause distress to many elderly people who count on their pets and will be distressed by having to shut them away. That means the time they spend with a worker will be distressing to them. It could have been pleasantly supportive, but now the clients will be distressed about their pets the whole time a worker is in their home.  They will no longer look forward to the workers visit and some will refuse to accept help.
This is so unnecessary and unfair.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply
#2
I agree it should be judged on a one to one basis and only should be enforced if there's an actual problem with someones pet,seems a bit counter productive to me I wonder if they got actual feedback from the workers going into the home,my daughter does work in peoples homes for the NDIS which is the national disability scheme she loves seeing the pets never had a problem.
Reply
#3
I agree with your daughter. Pets are not a problem. I love having clients with pets.  Even when the pets are extra work for me I still enjoy them. I have even been known to take a client's dog for a walk or clean out a cat litter pan.

This is one of those random rules someone comes up with because they need to make safety suggestions. It would never occur to them to bring in actual workers and ask what about the job makes us feel unsafe.

I hope the situation is resolved in BC and I hope the idea of banning pet/worker contact does not spread. Of course I wouldn't follow a rule like that.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply
#4
One of my daughters clients has a little foxie it waits for my daughter to come in the door.
Reply
#5
Your daughter and the dog will become good friends and her clients will trust her more because she likes the dog.

It really is a stupid rule. Pets make the job better for us the same way they make life better for the client.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
Created by Zyggy's Web Design