Instructions

Read the scenario out loud and use the guiding questions to facilitate a discussion about intoxication in client homes.

After this huddle, staff should be able to:

• Recognize when someone is intoxicated.
• Exercise their right to refuse unsafe work when necessary.
• Report and objectively document intoxication.

Scenario

You are in a client’s home and hear a family member shuffling around in the kitchen, being loud and obnoxious, and slamming cabinet doors and dishware. They come into the room where you are providing care to your client, and you can smell alcohol on them from a distance. They are pacing the room–muttering, slurring and appearing unsteady on their feet. They are getting in your way and begin yelling at you to do your tasks differently than you would typically.

Guiding questions

• What is intoxication, and how can you identify it?
• What risks does intoxication pose to your safety?
• How would you respond in this scenario?

Notes to Huddle Leader

Staff should recognize clients' or their family members' intoxication as a safety risk and know that they have the right to refuse unsafe working conditions. If posed with a situation like this, care workers should make sure the person in care is safe, leave the building, report to their supervisor, and document the situation as objectively as possible.