Case study

Your turn to decide

You will find a copy of the CHARLIE-P matrix below, alternatively you can download a copy of the CHARLIP-P matrix (.pdf, 2 pages). Use this to mark the following case study. Your score will be entered into question 1 of the quiz in the next section.

	Descriptor	Rare	Unlikely	Possible	Likely	Almost certain
	Score	1	2	4	8	10
C	Care and support needs	No care or support needs	In receipt of care and support package that meets the level of need	Support in place but not deemed adequate	No support in place but concerns for health and welfare	No support in place but significant concerns for health and welfare
C	Cooking	No concerns	Meal/Drink preparation completed by others	Client completes own drink and meal preparation - health may impact on kitchen safety	Client completes own drink and meal preparation - concerns identified by client / others	Actual fire incident (prior to Safe and Well visit) in last 12 months
H	Hoarding	1-2 CIR	3 CIR	4-5 CIR	6-7 CIR	8+ CIR
A	Alcohol use	Alcohol – not used AND Drug Use – no concerns	Alcohol - used but no concerns AND Drug Use – no concerns	Alcohol – used but no concerns AND Drug Use – minimal concerns	Alcohol – a one-off issue identified re: safety, binge drinking, or dependency OR Drug Use - significant concerns	Alcohol – significant, ongoing issues identified re: safety, binge drinking or dependency
R	Reduced mobility	Fully Independent	Uses mobility equipment, no additional support is needed	Uses mobility equipment but lacks awareness of safety or limitations	Mobility equipment and support from another person needed	Cannot transfer or mobilise – needs hoist or cared for in bed
L	Lives alone	Lives with others (one family)	Lives alone but fully independent OR Lives in HMO	Lives alone with daily support	Lives alone with occasional visitors or social contact	Lives alone – no visitors or social contact
I	Inappropriate smoking	Non-smoker	Smoker, only smokes outdoors “smoke-free home”	Smoker - smokes in the home, but is aware of fire safety	Smoker, unsafe smoking practices	Actual fire incident (prior to Safe and Well visit) in last 12 months - includes historic burn marks OR Unsafe smoking plus a dangerous environment
E	Elderly	Under 40	41-50	51-64	65-79	80+
E	Electrical	No concerns	Risks identified - resolved during visit	Risks identified – support needed to resolve but sound awareness of electrical safety	Risks identified - ongoing support needed due to poor awareness of electrical safety	Risks identified – client unable / unwilling to resolve
P	Previous signs of fire	No sign of fire - would respond to an alarm	No signs of fire – would not respond to an alarm Automated detection in place	No signs of fire – would not respond to an alarm No automated detection	Actual fire incident in the last 12 months – would respond to an alarm	Actual fire incident within the last 12 months - would not respond to alarm

Case study - Betty

Betty is a 71-year-old lady who lives alone in her own home, where she has lived for the last forty-five years. You receive a referral to visit her at home. When you arrive, you notice a burnt saucepan in the garden, and Betty explains she left a pan to boil dry when cooking last week.

Betty took a little while to answer the door and you notice that she seems out-of-breath and unsteady. A walking stick is leaning against the door frame, but Betty uses her furniture to steady herself when walking instead. Betty participates in the visit but is repetitive during conversation and unsure of the day or year. When asked about falls, Betty thought she may have had two falls over the last six months.

The property well-maintained and has central heating. Smoke alarms are in place but Betty had not tested them for some time. When you test them, one alarm is not working but Betty can hear the working alarm without prompting. You notice some old block adaptors plugged in behind the television and in the kitchen beside the kettle. You estimate the Clutter Rating is between 1-2.

Betty is supported by her niece who visits every week to take her shopping and for lunch. A care package is in place once a day to support with personal care activities, medication prompting and some cleaning. Betty also attends a coffee morning at her church every Thursday. Betty enjoys the occasional cigarette but always smokes by the kitchen door – there is no evidence that she smokes indoors. Betty occasionally has a small glass of red wine.