It is quite possible that non-complicated Tracheostomy and PEG care can be provided by families. When it comes to managing “care at home”, families go through an initial struggle in coping with the required interventions and or treatments.
The most common invasive clinical intervention that families have to deal with include PEG feeding (infusion of nutritional feeds through an artificial opening into the stomach, as the patient has lost the ability to swallow due to some neurological change), and Tracheostomy management (an artificial airway into the trachea that reduces the effort in breathing and clearing of the secretions (most commonly related to similar neurological conditions that affect the swallowing mechanism). Usually PEG and Tracheostomy in the Elder with Chronic Illness coincide. Both PEG sites and Tracheostomy are Stomas (an artificial opening).
It is quite possible that non-complicated Tracheostomy and PEG care can be provided by families. The competency can be reasonably achieved by a family member or appointed carer, having a willingness to learn. Family receiving training in hospitals often fall short of the required time and repetitions to achieve a level of competency. “I want to practice this in the house, not in the hospital”, say family appointed carers. “We don’t have all these equipment in the home. What will I do if I don’t have these supplies?”
“I have seen families ushered out of the hospital within 48 hours of a PEG insertion and asking the family to seek a home nursing service to manage.” Many families do not have the funds for weeks of Home Nursing. Its not the family that need the hands on training, it is their long standing reliable home helper. The home helper, carer, domestic staff, PDN, drivers all are part of the extended family here in the UAE.
Family/Carer TRAINING for PEG and Tracheostomy can be provided in your home by a Home nursing team. It is more than just managing the actions surrounding the Stoma, it is understanding the proper positioning, the flow rates, blockages, equipment failure, accidental pull out of the tubes and how to manage the common challenges. Hospitals discharge training is not sufficient as families are dealing with other anxieties and distractions.
Patient Safety begins with Safe Environment for knowledge transfer.
Enayati Home Healthcare has made significant investments in patient simulation training models that can be transported into the patient homes to provide Family/Carer training.
LEADERS IN HOME NURSING, Enayati Home Healthcare is committed to ensure the development of its staff and the ongoing competency skill upgrades needed to keep up with best practice standards. Enayati Home Nursing are committed to delivering safe patient care. Enayati nurses are ranked as one of the top nursing teams in the country through the adoption of Canadian Best Practice Guidelines.