Unit 4 Lesson 5 Inmates with Medical Needs PDF

Unit 4 Mentally Ill Inmates and Inmates With Disabilities Lesson 5 Inmates With Medical Needs Lesson Goal You will be able to monitor inmates with chronic or communicable diseases. Think About This The nature of a correctional facility as a closed environment contributes to and increases the...

Unit 4 Mentally Ill Inmates and Inmates With Disabilities Lesson 5 Inmates With Medical Needs Lesson Goal You will be able to monitor inmates with chronic or communicable diseases. Think About This The nature of a correctional facility as a closed environment contributes to and increases the likelihood that inmates will “share” communicable diseases. This can influence the health of staff, visitors, and the overall well-being of the people associated with a facility. Although chronic disease is not transferable to others, the inmate population reflects that part of a community’s population with limited access to health care and little experience with a healthy lifestyle. When supervising inmates, your role is to balance the medical needs of individual inmates with the overall welfare and safety of the facility you work in. Chronic and Communicable Diseases Like senior citizens outside the facility, older inmates are more susceptible to chronic medical condi- tions, including dementia, impaired mobility, and loss of hearing and vision. In prisons, these ailments require more staff, more officer training, and special housing. Medical experts say inmates typically experience the effects of age sooner than people outside prison do. This can happen because of a substance use disorder, inadequate preventive and primary care before incarceration, and stress linked to the isolation of prison life. ✅ CO745.1. Know the chronic and communicable diseases an inmate can bring into and acquire in a correctional facility Physical health, mental health, and substance misuse problems often are more apparent in jails and prisons than in the community. Most inmates have not had regular access to any form of health care before incarceration and suffer from preexisting conditions, such as alcohol and drug addic- tion, mental health issues, and chronic diseases. Chronic disease is a long-lasting medical condition in which medicine can control the symptoms but not cure the disease. Common inmate chronic diseases or conditions include: arthritis diabetes high blood pressure asthma heart disease stroke recovery cancer Chapter 7 Supervising Special Populations / 225 Communicable disease spreads through direct contact with an infected person or indirectly through such means as a biting insect or drinking glasses. You will learn more about communicable diseases in the First Aid portion of your training. Communicable disease control policies must protect inmates from infection while not interfering with the rights of the infected prisoners. Facilities should have comprehensive policies for control of certain communicable diseases found in the corrections setting, including: hepatitis tuberculosis HIV/AIDS novel influenza MRSA A virus (H1N1) sexually transmitted diseases Prevention ✅ CO745.2. Know how to prevent the spread of communicable diseases within a correctional facility Encourage all inmates within the facility to cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue. Throw all tissues in the trash after use. Maintain good hand hygiene by washing with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth without cleaning your hands. The facility should have appropriate hand cleansing readily available, including intake areas where inmates are booked and processed, visitor entries and exits, visitation rooms, common areas, and staff-restricted areas, in addition to lavatories and food preparation and dining areas. The means for hand cleansing are running water, soap, and hand-drying machines or paper towels and waste- baskets; alternatively, except in lavatories and food preparation areas, alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Keep all common areas within the facility routinely clean. and immediately, when visibly soiled, clean with the cleaning agents normally used in these areas. Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with water and soap. Cups and utensils should not be shared until after washing. Always apply PPE whenever you anticipate or suspect the presence of body fluids. Monitoring ✅ CO745.3. Know how to respond to and monitor an inmate with an emergency or non- emergency medical need An inmate might self-declare a medical emergency or request non-emergency care. You need to recognize changes in an inmate’s physical manner or behavior that show a need for medical, dental, or mental health intervention. In some facilities, medical passes are available to bring to your attention that an inmate has a medical issue. Make sure that the pass is valid, and follow the 226 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (CO): Volume 1 procedures outlined in the pass. If an inmate declares an emergency medical need, apply officer safety, obtain backup, and respond immediately. Complaints of respiratory distress, chest pain, new onset of change in mental status, and abnormal function of a specific body area, such as the inability to speak, should receive immediate attention and evaluation. Based on the evaluation of the problem, medical staff will make a referral or will treat an inmate within the scope of their practice. Some inmates may require additional meals, snacks, and supplements, or increased observation to prevent unintentional self-injury during seizures or dizzy spells. Take reasonable steps to make sure that all health care encounters, including medical and mental health interviews, examinations, and procedures respect an inmate’s privacy. Terminally Ill Most facilities define inmates as terminally ill if they are known to have a fatal disease and have less than six months to live. Some facilities release terminally ill inmates and provide end-of-life services, such as prison-based hospice programs. Some terminally ill inmates are able to remain within the general population while others may need a more protected housing arrangement. ✅ CO745.4. Know how to monitor a terminally ill inmate within a correctional facility These inmates tend to cycle in and out of infirmaries and hospitals. Because terminally ill inmates may experience increased anger and depression, they are at increased risk of suicide. Increasing security checks and involving clergy, mental health professionals, and others who can offer support- ive counseling is essential. Administration may permit the family, clergy, or another authorized visitor of a terminally ill inmate to visit an inmate under close, isolated supervision. Chemical Restraint Agents or EIDs Identify any changes in an inmate’s medical condition, documented by health care staff, which may affect the use of chemical restraint agents or EIDs. ✅ CO745.5. Know the different medical conditions that the use of chemical restraint agents or EIDs may aggravate The use of chemical restraint agents may aggravate the following medical conditions: asthma chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung disease) emphysema (shortness of breath) chronic bronchitis tuberculosis congestive heart failure Chapter 7 Supervising Special Populations / 227  dysrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) angina pectoris (severe chest pain) cardiac myopathy (heart muscle disease) pacemaker pregnancy unstable hypertension (high blood pressure) multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy (genetic disorders that weaken muscles) epilepsy The use of an EID may aggravate the following medical conditions: seizure disorder multiple sclerosis muscular dystrophy pacemaker pregnancy 228 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (CO): Volume 1