Emergency Management in Home Care

Ownership: Home Healthcare Effective Date: February 2017 Code: AHMRH/AHC/003

1. Purpose
1.1. To provide clear guidance on how staff should respond to emergencies whilst out of the in-patient facility
or at patient homes.
2. Scope
2.1. This policy applies to Amana Home Care staff who may be affected by emergencies while travelling
to/from or while providing patient care in the community/homes.
3. Definitions/Abbreviations
3.1. Amana Healthcare - A platform of patient facilities focusing on (but not limited to) the care of long-term
patients in non-acute settings, post-acute rehabilitative care and home/respite care.
4. Policy Statements
4.1. The safety of staff delivering care for Amana Home Care is paramount. A member of staff is not expected
to go into any situation that they feel may place them in unnecessary danger.
4.1.1. If a member of staff feels they can safely - without undue risk to themselves – support, rescue or
manage an emergency situation then they may do so.
4.2. If an emergency or “code” takes place within the facility then the member of Home Care staff shall obey
the rules, roles and training established for the facility.
4.3. Home hazards assessment is conducted prior to or at the initial provision of patient care and services in
the home to proactively identify potential hazards to health and safety.
4.4. It is the responsibility of every staff member to be aware of UAE emergency contact details:
In case of an emergency, you can call the following numbers while anywhere in the UAE:
 999 for Police.
 998 for Ambulance.
 997 for Fire Department (Civil Defence)
 996 for Coastguard.
 911 for electricity failure.
 922 for water failure.
4.5. The emergency contact details above can be found in every Patient Kardexes in the homes.

5. Procedure
5.1. Fires (Code Red):
5.1.1. Code Red in the home or community is not announced to avoid confusion with the in-patient
facility.
5.1.2. In the event of a Fire in the home, the principles of RACE still apply:
5.1.2.1. R – Rescue – If you can rescue others in danger of the fire, without causing danger to yourself
then you may do so.
5.1.2.2. A – Alarm – ring Civil Defence (dial 997) for a Fire Engine
5.1.2.3. C – Contain – Shut any doors or windows that may feed the fire. Try to ensure that smoke
cannot pass underneath the doors.
5.1.2.4. E – Extinguish – If a fire extinguisher is present you encouraged to use it, provided you cause
no danger to yourself. You may use water to extinguish any paper/wood fires – but not
electrical or chemical fires.
5.1.2.4.1. If the patient’s home has an available fire extinguisher make sure that the
appropriate type of extinguisher, the principles of PASS would apply:
P – Pull – Pull the pin or release the lock latch
A – Aim – Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire
S – Squeeze – Squeeze the handle of the fire extinguisher
S – Sweep – Sweep from side to side at the base of the flame
5.1.3. If your personal safety is in danger you are encouraged to evacuate yourself and others from the
building and move to a visible location and wait for assistance.

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 5.1.4. You must contact the SIC/team leader to notify them of the emergency at the earliest, safest
opportunity.

5.2. Bomb Threat (Code Black):

5.2.1. Code Black in the home or community is not announced to avoid confusion with the in-patient
facility.
5.2.2. If a suspicious package has been received by the employee, they should remain calm and not touch
it.
5.2.3. If a bomb threat is received the employee remains calm, attempting to keep the caller talking for
as long as possible. DO NOT HANG UP. Try to get as much information as possible relating to the
location, time and what it looks like.
5.2.4. As soon as possible, notify the SIC/Team Lead of the bomb threat, along with the Police (999).
5.2.5. If the member of staff has any reason to believe they are in imminent danger, they are encouraged
to get themselves to a safe location, along with any patient or relatives that they can assist without
placing themselves in danger. The member of staff should notify the police if any patients, relatives
and neighbours that they are aware of are still in the vicinity, or in danger.
5.2.6. The driver, when available, should assist the member of staff as long as they are not also placed in
immediate danger.

5.3. Natural Disaster/Weather Warning (Code Grey):

5.3.1. Code Grey in the home or community is not announced to avoid confusion with the in-patient
facility.
5.3.2. Natural disasters may be External (not directly affecting the organisation), or Internal (directly
affecting the organisation).
5.3.3. The Clinical Coordinators, Team Leaders and SIC monitor community warnings via radio or email
announcements from relevant government agency and advise staff of appropriate actions.
5.3.4. If a natural disaster affects a member of staff out of the facility, the safety of the member of staff
remains paramount. The member of staff may return to the facility if it is safe to do so, or, seek a
point of refuge within the community – such as a coffee shop, resident’s home or other location
where they are safe.
5.3.5. Stay inside during thunderstorms and strong winds
5.3.6. Keep away from breakable windows
5.3.7. Ensure that all doors and windows are closed
5.3.8. If the member of staff is able to safely continue fulfilling duties within the community then they
should continue visiting patients. Any visit that presents a risk due to adverse weather, or any other
disaster should be re-scheduled or postponed.
5.3.9. If a member of staff and/or a patient, family member or bystander are in immediate danger they
should contact Civil Defence 997 for assistance.

5.4. Utility Failures (Code Gold):

5.4.1. Code Gold in the home or community is not announced to avoid confusion with the in-patient
facility.
5.4.2. In the event of a utility failure (lack of water or electricity) within the patient’s home, employee
should utilize alternative power or water supply available.
5.4.3. Home Care staff should advocate for assistance from the municipality by calling 911 for Electrical
Failure and 922 for Water Failure to ascertain how long the utility failure will last for.
5.4.4. If supplies cannot be restored and the safety of patient and households may be affected,
alternative accommodation should be sought. Home Care staff should advocate for assistance from
the Home Care Office/Facility to expedite the needed supplies if patient related or if required, from
the municipality.
5.4.5. SIC/Team Lead should be advised and follow further instructions.

5.5. Medical Emergencies (Code Blue):

5.5.1. Code Blue in the home or community is not announced to avoid confusion with the in-patient
facility.

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 5.5.2. No homecare staff should work in patient home on their own if they do not have a valid BLS
certificate.
5.5.3. If a person in the home (patient, family member, or caregiver) becomes unresponsive, immediately
call 999 (put on speaker phone) and explain the situation.
5.5.4. If another person is present, instruct him/her to call 999 (put on speaker phone) and explain the
situation.
5.5.5. Follow the CPR protocol if the person becomes breathless and/or pulseless.

5.6. Violent or Threatening Situations (Code White – including crisis management, discontinuation of
services):
5.6.1. Code White in the home or community is not announced to avoid confusion with the in-patient
facility.
5.6.2. The member of staff should only attempt to assist others if it does not place themselves in danger.
5.6.3. During an incident where someone acts in an aggressive manner, is overtly violent, the member of
staff acts in a calm, non-threatening manner. This includes patient crisis episodes, for example
depression, self-harming, attempted or threatened suicide.
5.6.4. Staff seeks immediate help from other family member or caregiver.
5.6.5. Apply de-escalation techniques. Once situation is under control, call the SIC.
5.6.6. If de-escalation didn’t work, staff immediately calls the SIC. When the member of staff rings the
SIC, they will use a pre-determined “safety phrase” that appears harmless or ordinary to an outsider
if it is not safe to draw attention to themselves. The SIC is responsible to contact the driver (if driver
is waiting outside of the home) or the Police as deemed necessary and to escalate the situation to
the Team Lead/Clinical Coordinator.
5.6.7. If the SIC has any reason to believe that an injury or injuries to others have occurred they should
also ask for an ambulance/paramedics.
5.6.8. If the staff feels that they or any person in the home is in imminent danger, activate panic button
by pressing the power button of their smartphone 5 consecutive times; this will alert 999 and all the
pre-listed emergency contacts including SIC.
5.6.9. The member of staff should evacuate into a visible and public location where possible and attempt
to summon help as quickly as they can.
5.6.10. When the police arrives the member of staff should assist them to identify anyone else affected by
the incident.
5.6.11. If any incident of violence occurs, it is at the discretion of the Director of Clinical Operations if
homecare services are to be immediately discontinued, or if alternative arrangements can be made
to service delivery to mitigate against the risk of further violence.

5.7. Missing Person (Code Yellow):

5.7.1. Code Yellow in the home or community is not announced to avoid confusion with the in-patient
facility.
5.7.2. If a patient is suddenly missing during the provision of homecare service, staff informs the family
member/caregiver and SIC/Team Lead immediately.
5.7.3. Family and staff conducts an immediate search of the local area. SIC/Team Lead may send
additional staff including driver to assist in the search.
5.7.4. If patient is not found after 15 minutes, the Police should be called to manage the process of
searching.

5.8. Chemical/Hazardous Substance Spill (Code Brown):

5.8.1. Read the material safety data sheet (MSDS) of the hazardous material or chemical. If MSDS is not
available in the home, check the Amana MSDS file on Policy Manager or contact the SIC for
assistance.
5.8.2. Request for spill kit from family. If not available, all Amana cars have spill kits that can be used.
5.8.3. Note that chemical spill pack is not for use on blood spills (use disinfectant and natural-purpose
neutral detergent). Check that disinfectants available are suitable for use on carpets and other soft
furnishings as they may cause damage/discolouration.
5.8.4. Always wear relevant PPE per MSDS before the clean-up procedure.

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 5.8.5. Prepare disposable bag to ensure easy access when disposing of spillage.
5.8.6. Use the pad to absorb the spillage, placing on the spill and “dabbing” the area, not “scrubbing”
5.8.7. The spread of dusts or vapours can be prevented by closing the door and increasing the
ventilation.
5.8.8. The spread of a liquid spill can be controlled by making a barrier around the edges of the spill using
absorbent materials such as spill wipes.
5.8.9. If flammable liquids are spilled, remove all potential sources of ignition in a vicinity.
5.8.10. Dispose pad when the spill has been absorbed. Use wipes to clear any residue.
5.8.11. Place all used materials and PPE, gloves last, into a plastic disposal bag. Secure the bag and its
contents for disposal.
5.8.12. Wash your hands after the procedure.

5.9. Incident Reporting & Investigation:

5.9.1. An incident report form/ safety event form is completed by the member of staff identifying the
Code.
5.10. Training
5.10.1. All training requirements are to be monitored by Education Coordinator and Health & Safety
Officer. This includes:
5.10.1.1. Staff Education Matrix monitored, maintained and updated.
5.10.1.2. Scheduling of training & distribution of certificates as required.
6. References
None
7. Appendix
7.1. Appendix 1 – Disaster Planning Assessment

8. Related Documents
8.1. Utility System Management Plan
8.2. Fire Safety
8.3. Emergency Management Plan
8.4. Hazardous Materials Management
8.5. Waste Management Plan
8.6. Lone Worker
8.7. Code Blue
9. Performance Measures
None
10. History
Date Revised Version # Revised by Amendments
Feb 2018 2 Liam Oliver Development of new policy to reflect specific needs and requirements of HHC
Feb 2019 3 Barbara Owens No Changes (Only index date was modified)
Added updated UAE emergency numbers and code colors; specific processes for each
Feb 2020 4 Fidel Taguinod
emergency revised. Title changed to “Emergency Management in Home Care”

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