Module 5 Assignment: Care and preparation of the deceased
The main purpose of this assignment is to enhance candidate learning - theses assignments will require you to look through some of your work based documentation, procedures and practices in order that you become more familiar with them. Completing these assignments will also help you with collection of evidence for your portfolio.
The following information may be beneficial when completing this assignment:
General guidance for completing this assignment
This assignment has been designed so that you focus your knowledge and understanding of activities within your workplace relating to the care of the deceased.
For this assignment you will also need to familiarise yourself with your business practices relating to the care of the deceased – in particular use of PPE, maintaining a safe working environment and carrying out the first offices (or laying out) procedures alongside cultural considerations.
The assignment will also require you to demonstrate that equipment is being maintained and / or prepared correctly – this will involve some form of work based evidence having to be produced (further information provided below for this task).
Like previous assignments you will be required to demonstrate that you work is a safe and effective way, you maintain clients data securely and do not breach confidentiality.
Help and guidance for task 1:
When it comes to the mortuary workplace, cleanliness and good hygiene are of utmost importance, not just for having a good reputation impression, but also for the health and safety of everyone — clients, visitors, and employees.
Fort this task you will need to explain in your own words the following reasons for good workplace cleanliness and hygiene:
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Why staff will be healthier
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Why staff will be happier and more comfortable
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How your business will have a better image
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How good workplace hygiene will help prevent the spread of disease
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How good workplace cleanliness can help reduce slips, trips, and falls
You have been given a space within your assignment to answer each of the 5 points, you may also wish consider some of the following factors for each shown below:
5 reasons for good workplace cleanliness and hygiene:
The following terms may help with your understanding:
Productivity: Employee productivity (sometimes referred to as workforce productivity) is a measurement of the efficiency of a worker or group of workers. Typically, the productivity of a given worker will be assessed relative to an average for employees doing similar work. Lower productivity usually means less efficiency and visa versa.
Happiness increases productivity because it leads to higher engagement so happy employees are also more present. They pay more attention to the needs of customers and they are more alert of the company's processes and systems.
Reporting: It is usual practice for businesses to hold an accident book. It is vital to ensure that any accidents, their cause and the subsequent injury symptoms are recorded. When verified against medical records, it provides important proof that an accident has happened.
Accidents, whether they result in injury, are warnings that there are uncontrolled hazards. We want these hazards identified and removed from the workplace. It is critical that all injuries and accidents, including near misses, be reported so that they can be investigated and the causes determined and eliminated.
Company loyalty: loyal employees contribute more to the productivity of your business. They are able to create the value required to put your business on the path to success. Many customers are always on the lookout for value and quality above all else. How employees today can be loyal:
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Do your job and do it well — that's being loyal to yourself.
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Take pride in your work.
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Never stop learning and advancing in your field.
Environment: The term work environment is used to describe the surrounding conditions in which an employee operates. The work environment can be composed of physical conditions, such as office temperature, lighting or equipment, such as personal computers. It can also be related to factors such as work processes or procedures.
A healthy workplace environment is ideal when it comes to maintaining a positive outcome in a stressful atmosphere.
Business image: In business, as in social situations, first impressions are crucial. The first impressions you give a customer or client will set the tone for your future business relationship and shows that you are professional and prepared.
Reporting disease: Reportable diseases are diseases considered to be of great public health importance. Reporting these allows for the collection of statistics that show how often the disease occurs. RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. These Regulations require employers, the self-employed and those in control of premises to report specified workplace incidents. Click here for more information on RIDDOR.
Employee sickness: While employers expect workers to miss a certain number of workdays each year, excessive absences can lead to decreased productivity and can have a major effect on company finances, morale and other factors. Staff, their skills, experience and values, are fundamental to a successful business, as is the emphasis on supporting their health and wellbeing.
Help and guidance for task 2:
The last offices, or laying out, is the procedures performed, to the body of a dead person shortly after death has been confirmed. They can vary between hospitals / businesses and between cultures.
What is the difference between first and last offices?
First Offices - The process of making a person who has died look presentable for loved ones to view. This might include cleaning and washing the body, dressing them and applying makeup.
The word "offices" is related to the original Latin, in which officium means "service, duty, business". Hence these are the "last duties" carried out on the body.
Aims
• To prepare the deceased for the mortuary (a funeral home or morgue), respecting their cultural beliefs.
• To comply with legislation, in particular where the death of a patient requires the involvement of a Procurator Fiscal or Coroner.
• To minimise any risk of cross-infection to relative, health care worker or persons who may need to handle the deceased.
For this task list the equipment and consumables used when carrying out the above procedures(s).
You will also need to describe how dignity is maintained during this process and factor in any cultural considerations – see culture link above for more information on cultural considerations.
For example, you may wish to consider the following:
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List the equipment: e.g. cotton wool, eyes caps, disinfectant sprays / washes, creams etc.
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External body checks carried out: e.g. Skin, injuries, decomposition related etc.
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How is dignity maintained: e.g. always maintain respect, cover certain areas of the body, remove soiled items etc.
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Cultural considerations: E.g., know their religious background, apply wishes of family etc.
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Coffin considerations: e.g. size, coffin linings, presentation etc.
Help and guidance for task 3:
Fort task 3 you are required to demonstrate that your business has adequate equipment and maintenance checks and procedures in place. You will need to produce a piece of work based evidence demonstrating this – this could be daily checks / routine maintenance logs on a single price of equipment or general checks carried out each morning (e.g. fridge temperature monitoring or cleaning).
You will need to scan a copy of this log and insert it into the assignment or as an annex. Do not include entire logs – once side of A4 paper max.
Help and guidance for task 4 and 5 (infection control)
For task 4 we are interested in knowing more about your standard infection control procedures when handling the deceased.
In particular you will need to describe what equipment is available to you (e.g. PPE, washing facilities) and where and how you handle the deceased (i.e. is there a dedicated area in your business where deceased are handled).
Finally you will also need to consider additional infection control precautions and procedures that are carried out should the deceased be a known high risk of infection – for example:
• Are there certain actions you do not carry out?
• Do you need to wear additional PPE?
• Is this high risk communicated to anyone or notified to other staff? (e.g. on whiteboard or on the deceased).
For task 5 you have been given a list of different colours of containers used for waste disposal. Choose any 3 colours and describe what they are used for – try and select waste container colours that are used locally in your business.
You will need to produce a piece of work based evidence to back this up – this could be an SOP, a policy of even a poster on your H&S notice board detailing what the different waste bags are used for.
Help and guidance for task 6:
For this task you will need to describe in a little more detail 3 tests used in the health setting to confirm that patient death has occurred (also known as brain death). The following information may help:
Confirmatory Tests for Brain Death
Brain [stem death], determined by clinical examination of the patient is a process with a time that needs to be determined. i.e. that defines a point of no return after which the patient enters a rapid irreversible course to ultimate death.
Death in essence is failure of the cardio-respiratory system that transports chemical nutrients and oxygen needed for the continued life and metabolism of cells. The sensitivity of cells to oxygen deprivation varies; brain tissue is the most sensitive and its cells will die earlier that those of other tissues.
When the cardio-respiratory system fails to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to the brain, brain cells will die earlier that those of the heart and blood vessels making brain death an earlier indicator of death than death of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
From the earliest human history, three indicators of death were known as failure of the vital systems of the body:
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Neurological
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Respiratory
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Cardiac
Without a functioning brain all bodily functions will in time disintegrate - irreversible death of the brain will in time result in the death of all other organs because the brain is the command, coordination, and communication (C–C–C) centre of the bodily functions.
The dilemma of modern medical technology is that it can ‘take over’ some of the C–C–C functions of the brain by continuing bodily functions after death of the brain.
Clinical signs of brain stem death
In cases of uncertainty, extra confirmatory tests(see below) have to be undertaken. Also normally the examination is repeated after an interval of time to confirm the initial findings.
Choose 3 from the following list to describe in more detail for your assignment:
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Reflex tests (e.g. corneal reflex, motor reflexes, and gag reflex)
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Pain response
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Imaging scans (e.g. MRI and CT scan)
Please contact: darren.makin@nhs.net if you require further assistance or advice with the collection of any of your evidence pieces.