In preparation for the potential escalation of the Covid pandemic, I am advising that you consider adopting a homely remedies policy within your care home for your residents if you don’t already have one. This will then reduce the need for a Doctor, Advanced Nurse Practitioner or Non - Medical Prescriber to visit the home and you will be able to administer certain medications without them being prescribed. Attached is the Care home Homely remedies guide: For local adaptation to fit within individual care home medication policies and also a Homely remedies consent form and list of approved medications you can hold within the home.
I would then advise you purchased a stock of the items within the list to hold in the home and use as advised when required, these can be documented on the residents MAR charts.
NICE GUIDELINES MANAGING MEDICINES IN CARE HOMES
1.16 Care home staff giving non-prescription and over-the-counter products to residents (homely remedies)
1.16.1 Care home providers offering non-prescription medicines or other over-the-counter-products (homely remedies) for treating minor ailments should consider having a homely remedies process, which includes the following:
- the name of the medicine or product and what it is for
- which residents should not be given certain medicines or products (for example, paracetamol should not be given as a homely remedy if a resident is already receiving prescribed paracetamol)
- the dose and frequency
- the maximum daily dose
- where any administration should be recorded, such as on the medicines administration record
- how long the medicine or product should be used before referring the resident to a GP.
1.16.2 Care home staff who give non-prescription medicines or other over-the-counter products (homely remedies) to residents should be named in the homely remedies process. They should sign the process to confirm they have the skills to administer the homely remedy and acknowledge that they will be accountable for their actions.
Homely Remedies (PDF)
Homely Remedies Consent Form (Word)