Does taking BP fall in the VA's assigned caregiver's job duties?

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pronker Asked October 2020

Does taking BP fall in the VA's assigned caregiver's job duties?

The VA assigned a caregiver 3x weekly for 3 hrs. each time and I wonder if taking BP falls within her care. The plan of care is "light housekeeping, companionship, help with bathing, and helping him exercise." Would anybody else have experience with this? Thanks for any replies.

Care Plan Veterans Benefits Working Caregiver

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score 0 · Answer 1

You would have to ask the VA this question. There are some aids that do only assistance with bathing and so on. BP is usually a nursing, or nurse aid job. The plan of care doesn't include BP as you have described it. You can call the person this caregiver reports to, ask him or her for the number, after checking with the caregiver him or herself. You may be able to get this added to the present careplan. Or it may be a nurse visit for this. Do call the number you are given by your provider's caregiver. All facilities differ. Some aids would do this for you willingly. Others might not if it isn't specifically written into the careplan.

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Thanks for the advice - I'm willing to see how asking the aid to do it plays out and since she and Spouse get along splendidly, it may work out. She has gone above and beyond before. It's worth it to me to ask the VA to see if the care plan can be amended because BP taking is something I'm unwilling to do.

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score 0 · Answer 2

I just looked it up for NJ. CNAs are taught to take BP. So are HHAs.

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I was a CNA in NJ, and we were not taught how to take blood pressure during the class. The State said there weren’t enough hours for that. This was in 2006, could be different now. I was taught how to do blood pressure at my first facility.

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score 1 · Answer 3

You can get a home BP monitor and do this yourself.
If they are asking for this to be done I am sure they may even provide you with a monitor.
But anyone can take a Blood Pressure and record it. Not sure if they want you to keep a record or to report daily as part of EMR (electronic medical record)
How often do they want his BP taken?
It is best if the same person does it all the time and at the same time each day. If the Home Health Aid is there only 3 times you would take the BP the other 4 days. There might be a difference but not sure how much that would effect the tracking on it.

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Thanks for replying because it's my hope that 3x weekly with the caregiver will be adequate. I'm unwilling to take anyone's BP.

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score 0 · Answer 4

I purchased a velcro type blood pressure cuff that you wrap around the wrist, to use on my husband. It wasn't expensive at all, and most of the time when the Hospice nurses came to the house they would ask to use my cuff. It was very accurate. Now that my husband has passed, I use it on myself once and a while just to make sure my BP is good.

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Thanks for the thoughts. I'm glad your method worked.

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score 1 · Answer 5

My father got a finger "clamp" for BP readings as well as pulse ox readings. I might get one myself, but I'd probably get a new BP machine with the pump up sleeve and compare the readings, just to be on the safe side.

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