What about the home care situation? Do we need to keep checking two identifiers each time we give a medication? NPSG.01.01.01

The goal is to ensure accurate identification of care recipients. In the home care setting, this is much easier and less prone to error than in other settings. Certainly, at the first encounter, the requirement for two identifiers is appropriate in a literal sense. Thereafter, and in any situation of continuing one-on-one care where the nurse "knows" the individual, one of the identifiers can be direct facial recognition. In the home, the correct address (an acceptable identifier when used in conjunction with another person-specific identifier) is also confirmed. However, on all initial visits for home care whether temporary or changing providers, two identifiers should occur.