Advice on working as a personal care provider for Pt. w/ A.L.S.?
Asked by Pinky Pinkerton
I am considering taking a position working 12-hours a week (4-10 p.m.) for a woman who has A.L.S. (Lou Gerhig's). Today was my first day of training for 3-hours. I am to return on Sunday and Monday for more training. This woman's care involves bed ban, moving her, giving her meds and liquid meals through her feeding tube, care of her breathing tube, and machines and a lot of other specific care. I am not an aide, never mind a nurse! This is a woman living in a private residence (son's home) and I am concerned about the legal side of all of this. I think there are reasons companies that provide medical care are licenced and bonded and insured. I need advice from readers to help me decided if accepting this job could be dangerous for me to do. I am a single mother raising my son by myself. This part-time job would help me enormously but if I could be sued I don't want to consider it. Do any of you have experience or knowledge you could share with me?

Best Answer:
These are things that many family members learn how to do. If you receive specific training you should be able to learn how to do most of these tasks. However, what you need to be careful of is that you do not try to change or alter any of the care without first consulting the family and medical professional. The family needs to understand that you are not a trained professional and you are there to do the job as they and/or the medical professionals dictate. Therefore, I would get something in writing stating that you should not be expected to be able to recognize changes in medical status that would normally be observable by a trained medical professional (including many conditions that can be lifethreatening). In otherwords, you are only responsible for what they teach you.