Vents and Feeding Tubes

Are MOST home care cases for nurses,

patients with feeding tubes, vents and or trach's ?

it seems that is what I am finding out.....

That's about it, including kiddies with cerebral palsy that have one or all of these.

[systoly]

Yes, most of them. The few I had without vents or trachs were MVA victims suffering from quadriplegia and, or head trauma and required cpap or bipap.

[chenoaspirit, ASN, RN]

I dont have ANY patients with trachs or vents. I do have feeding tubes though. I wouldnt want a patient on a vent, I dont know enough about them.

This is probably a private duty v. intermittent home health issue. In intermittent HH, in which you see several pts each day, it is unusual to see a lot of vents. Trachs and feeding tubes are less common than in private duty, but not unheard of. In intermittent HH, we do a lot of wound care, IV abx, and more acute care.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

This is probably a private duty v. intermittent home health issue. In intermittent HH, in which you see several pts each day, it is unusual to see a lot of vents. Trachs and feeding tubes are less common than in private duty, but not unheard of. In intermittent HH, we do a lot of wound care, IV abx, and more acute care.

I agree with the above. Hh has IV abx, occasional peg tubes and feedings, bust mostly wound care, and a lot of ortho surgery aftercare.

What exactly is intermittent home health care?

[tewdles, RN]

Certified Home Health Care...Episodic. Ordered for a period of time. Care is not continuous but by visit. There are goals for care that are expected to be achieved in 60-120 days. The anticipation is that the person is going to improve. There are certainly persons who are chronically ill with vents, trachs, tubes, etc in CHC, but the bread and butter of the industry is the post op patient who needs in-home PT and the supervision of a nurse for wound healing...etc.