16 PHRM3101/PHRM3102 Aged Care Observational Placement

Purpose

The purpose of the Aged Care activity is to provide.

• Insight into the medicine management challenges within residential aged care facilities
• Opportunity to talk with residents.
• Opportunity to shadow a healthcare professional from an allied health or medical background (only if they a represent during your placement).
• Help staff when requested and appropriate.

Learning outcomes

• Describe the medicine management processes at the aged care facility.
• Identify the challenges staff of the facility encounter in the medicines management process.
• Discuss potential roles and opportunities for pharmacists in the residential aged care context.
• Discuss the roles of visiting healthcare professionals to the facility (if opportunity to shadow arises).

Placement Structure

This is a two-day placement, where you will either be on your own or in a small group at the aged care facility site.

Medicines management

During the two days, we want you to observe the medicines administration rounds for residents and ask questions about the medication management process at the aged care facility. Some things for you to consider that might help you are listed below; note this is not an exhaustive list.

• Who is the pharmacy that supplies medicines to the nursing home?
• How are medicines obtained when a new medicine is started?
  • Also consider what happens if they run out of a prescription for a regular medication, what does the pharmacy/aged care facility/doctor have to do?
  • What happens if a resident’s medication is changed??
• What IT system does the aged care facility used and what functions does it provide around the medicines supply and administration, if any?
  • Is it linked to the pharmacy supplier or general practice?
• How are medicines administered and their administration recorded.
  •  Are electronic medication charts used or paper charts?
• Who can administer and prepare injectable medicines vs oral medicines.
• What happens to medicines that have been stopped or for a resident who has passed away?
• Are there residents who self-medicate? If so, could you talk with one or two of these residents about their experiences with medications.

You might discuss with the staff that you are covering urinary tract infections this semester at University and ask them if they have any policies around antibiotic use for UTIs or in general across the facility and if they could tell you how UTIs effect residents, e.g. behavioural, cognition).

Meeting residents

Ask staff to facilitate you engaging in conversation with some of the residents and discuss with them their experiences with their medicines in the residential aged care facility.

Shadowing healthcare professionals

If you have opportunity to shadow a different member of the healthcare team, who are either on site or during external visits to deliver patient care, ask them questions about their roles and responsibilities when they visit the facility.  Some examples to help you are listed below; note this is not an exhaustive list.

• How would you describe the role you play in caring for the residents?
• What do you consider the biggest challenges in enacting your role?
• How and when do you collaborate with others in the care team?
• How do you talk to residents who have cognitive dysfunction?
• What do you do if a resident is agitated?

Helping staff

You may be asked by staff to help them with a resident. If appropriate (e.g. helping to make a bed or move a patient to make them comfortable) then please participate and be helpful. We do not expect you to be involved in showering or dressing residents

Participate in activities that the residents are doing.

Assessment

Following the Aged Care Interprofessional Placement Experience, you will attend and participate in a class debriefing session, where you can discuss their individual experiences in an interactive classroom setting.

A template to complete the assessment activity for this experience will be available in your ePortfolio with instructions on the PHRM3101/PHRM3102 Blackboard site.

Part One: You describe the medication management processes that occurred at their placement site, providing relevant examples where possible (300-words).

Part Two: You will complete a 600-word reflection on your experience, considering questions such as:

• • What surprised you about the residential aged care facility in the context of medicines management?
  • Consider what you have observed about roles, communication, collaboration, and medicines management during your placement. What might be the potential role(s) for pharmacists in the aged care setting? What does this mean for you as a developing pharmacist?

To Know

• These placements are sourced by the School of Pharmacy and students will be allocated to the sites based on their term address.
• Students will usually attend placements in pairs.
• There are strict compliance requirements to protect the safety of vulnerable residents. Be sure to read and action all communication from the HMBS Placement Ready Team.
• Students who are not compliant will forfeit their placements and jeopardise their ability to successfully complete the course.
• Students must not attend their placement if unwell. Communicate your absence to your preceptor asap and follow absence procedure outlined in Your Responsibilities During Placement.