This slides describe home visiting of clients and patients. The different objectives or Purpose of home visiting is outlined in simple terms Types and conditions for home visits include illness, assessment of the family state or palliative care for the dying family member desirable Characteristics of the home visitor is included Basic principles , ethics and scheduling of the visits is important. The Process of making a meaningful home visit in a step by step method is described. finally the benefits of a successful home visit is laid out

1. HOME
VISITING
FLORENCE F . A. OBONYO HAWA
MPH, KRN, KRM,KRCHN

2. Content
• What is home visiting?
• Purpose
• Types and conditions for home visits
• Characteristics of the home visitor
• Basic principles
• The Process

3. Home visiting
• It is a process of providing nursing care to patients at their home: to maintain their
health, reduce mortality and morbidity
• Or
visiting the family to assess the health needs, to provide preventive, promotive ,
curative or rehabilitative services at their door step.
Home visitors may be trained nurses, nutritionists, social workers or child
development specialists.
•

4. purpose of home visiting
• It allows the nurse to follow up individual /families who are at risk; to find out
why some health problem s persist despite efforts to prevent or control them eg
communicable diseases, tuberculosis, malnutrition
• The nurse becomes aware of what is going on in the catchment area
• To provide domiciliary midwifery as care for pregnant, delivery, and puerperal
mother and infant.
• To give care to the sick, to a postpartum mother and her newborn with the view
teach a responsible family member to give subsequent care.

5. Purpose of homevisiting
 To assess the living condition of the patient and his family and their health practices
in order to provide the appropriate health teachings.
 To provide basic health services for minor ailments. (i.e. injury, boils, abrasions)
 To provide counseling on family planning, immunization, nutrition.
 To give health teaching regarding the prevention and control of diseases.
 To establish a close relationship between the nurses and the public for promotion of
health.
 To make use of an inter-referral system and to promote the utilization of
community services

6. TYPES AND CONDITIONS FOR HOME VISIT
• Illness home visits (emergency, acute, and chronic diseases),
• Assessment home visits (excessive use of health services, polypharmacy and
comorbidities, immobilization, suspicious abuse or neglect, clients who are
socially isolated and they need linkage with health care institutions
• Palliative care and dying patient to prepare the family for End of Life
• Maternal and child health
•

7. Characteristics of the home visitor
• He / she should be:
• understanding;
• compassionate;
• perceptive;
• patient;
• attentive;
• humorous;
•
• available;
• flexible;
• supportive;
• knowledgeable;
• comfortable;
• nonjudgmental;
• empathic;
• reliable;
• trustworthy and helpful.

8. Basic Principles of home visits
 The home visit should have a purpose or objective.
 The purpose of the home visit should be clear.
 The home visit should be planned giving priority to the essential needs of the individual and
family.
 The home visit should have a regular flexible schedule according to the needs of the family.
 information about the patient and his family should be gathered through hospital and family
records Be ethical and maintain confidentiality
 Maintain a professional relationship .Do not become personal
•

9. Steps of home visiting
• 1.Facts findings
• 2.Data finding
• 3.Planning action with individual or family
• 4. Action and health education
• 5.Follow through
• 6. Evaluation of services

10. The process of home visiting
• Entry or initiation phase
• introduce yourself, your institution, your purpose, of a home visit, and collects
facts about an individual, family environment.
• The first interaction may be in a hospital ward or clinic

11. Pre-visit activities
• Before the actual visit, get information on location of the house and distance
from health facility. Get phone number and other contact address
• Find out the community resources, assemble supplies and prepare for first
contact with the client
• make realistic objectives and plan how you are going to achieve them

12. Activities during the visit
• Working phase
Establish a good interpersonal relationship between families and be polite,
courage, friendly. Find out the best time to teach
 Carefully listen to the family and understand the others person view.
 Health education, nursing care should be scientific. More practical than
theoretical

13. Working phase
• Use safe technical skills and scientifically proven nursing procedures.
• Involve whole family members as much as possible during nursing care.
• The nurse and family member must develop a positive interpersonal
relationship in their work to achieve present goals
• Assist the family to move forward with their goals for achieving well-being,
economic stability, and self-sufficiency.
• Evaluate your own work periodically.

14. Termination phase
• This phase occurs when the goals have been achieved or patients health has
been restored or they can function
• Patient could have changed residence or declined care
• Remember to thank to the family members and individual for good response
• Make a note of important facts about the home visit in your diary. Do not write
when in the home

15. Post visit activities
• This includes
• recording and reporting important events of home visits
• sharing the report with appropriate authorities .
• Making referrals where necessary

16. Benefits of home visits
• Family members understand the disease condition and are able to give meaningful
support to the sick or dying member
• Reduced maltreatment of children due to regular visits by the community nurse
• Families are healthier and knowledgeable. They provide a stimulating environment
for child development
• Antenatal mothers visited at home deliver their babies in the hands of skilled birth
attendants this saves life, time and money
• Families and home visitors build strong relationships that lead to lasting benefits for
the entire family