Map-reading program gets aides on right course
Inservice on directions reinforces staff safety
Home care aides of Olsten Health Services in East Lansing, MI, were having trouble finding their way to assignments, and this sometimes meant they would arrive late to clients’ homes or would risk becoming lost in high-crime areas.
"So we thought that if they knew how to get to their assignments before they started to drive there, they would be safer," says Lesleigh Smith Farhat, RN, recruitment staff development manager of the full-service home care agency that serves five counties in central Michigan. It’s about one hour from Detroit.
She set up a one-hour inservice on map-reading and direction-giving and taking. It was recommended for any employees who traveled to visit clients. Those who attended the inservice said they’d like to have something like that more often because it was fun, and it helped them give better directions.
"The inservice was especially for employees who were new to home care and who weren’t used to driving to a lot of different locations," says Smith Farhat.
Staff are led in the right direction
Smith Farhat says another positive result of the inservice is that the employees who work in scheduling now are more careful about the way they give directions to staff. Therefore, fewer people have reported getting lost on their way to assignments.
"I think the people who attended said they learned from it and felt they could read maps a little better," she adds.
Smith Farhat also asked the American Automobile Association (AAA) to present a course on map-reading. The motorist club agreed to do so because Smith Farhat has an AAA membership. "If people belong to travel companies or motorist clubs, they’re usually very helpful in providing information," she says.
The AAA instructor gave the staff general instructions about reading a map, using a map of Michigan. They were told what different map symbols meant, what indexes meant, and how to tell if there’s construction listed on a road.
About 20 of Olsten’s aides, therapists, and nurses attended the AAA course. "It was a very good review," Smith Farhat recalls.
The inservice on map-reading provided more in-depth information about reading local maps and giving and taking directions. "I took copies out of a local map book and showed different cities they might be traveling to," Smith Farhat says.
She asked the agency’s scheduling employees to help her make sample maps. They looked at the client list and devised a typical day in the life of the agency’s aides. Selecting four different sections of town, they asked employees to map out directions for three or four anonymous clients in each area that could be visited in one day.
Taking it to the streets
Employees attending the inservice were asked to use the maps with one person giving directions and the other taking directions. They also were given a short pre-test and post-test. (See map-reading tests, p. 78.)
"It was really quite interesting because some people knew shortcuts, and some didn’t know the way at all," Smith Farhat notes.
"Since the inservice, the employees have been more attentive to the way we give directions to people, and they are giving out better directions," she adds.
The inservice discussed the basics of map reading, including an explanation of what maps are used for. The other questions are as follows:
1. How do you read a map?
The employees were told how to use their maps to find indexes of street names. Beside the street names are letters and numbers that correspond to segments of the map. This is how they pinpoint a specific street or location.
2. How do you give directions?
"When you give directions, you must use landmarks and directions of left and right, in addition to the words north, south, east, and west," Smith-Farhat states. "You don’t use only the words north, south, east, and west."
Keeping out of harm’s way
3. How do you receive directions?
Smith-Farhat advises staff to write down the directions and ask questions if there is anything they are uncertain of. "Some people don’t have a very good memory, so if they try to memorize the directions, they’ll get lost," she says.
She also recommends the person receiving directions have a map in front of them, and "always get the correct address, house number, street name, and phone number."
4. How do you keep safe when driving to a client’s home?
Before driving to a first assignment, first drive to the destination in the daytime so you’ll know the best route to take.
Or check a map for the location before trying to find it.
Always wear a seat belt.
Don’t try to read a map while driving, and don’t write directions while driving.
If you’re lost, go to the nearest phone, or use a cell phone if you have one. "We never want anyone to put themselves in danger’s way," Smith-Farhat emphasizes.
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