Home Care Services

Skilled nursing services

Skilled nursing services are provided by a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN) under the direction of a registered nurse.

Services include:

Evaluating your needs
Performing skilled nursing procedures
Education on your condition and illness
Self-care techniques
Prevention strategies
Collaborating with your doctor and other health care team members

Home infusion therapy program

Team members of the home infusion therapy program include registered nurses, clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who specialize in intravenous (IV) infusions, injectable and enteral therapies in the home. Team members work closely with your doctor to coordinate safe and effective delivery of your therapy.

In addition, a registered dietitian may work with you and your IV nurse and infusion pharmacists to address any nutritional issues that may impact your care.

Infusion therapy skilled nursing services

These services are performed by registered nurses who are specially trained in intravenous (IV) infusions, such as IV antibiotics, IV hydration or total parenteral nutrition (TPN). This team of nurses also works with patients who require enteral (tube) feedings.

In most cases, the nurses will teach you or a caregiver how to administer the infusion or the enteral feeding, including the use of your supplies and equipment so that you will be able to safely administer the medication or feeding at home.

Pharmacy services

These services are provided by clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Services provided include:

Mixing and dispensing of prescribed IV medications
Provision of IV supplies and infusion equipment
Coordination of deliveries to your home
Education on drug therapy
Monitoring of lab results
Collaborating with your doctor on recommended adjustments to your treatment plan

Physical therapy

Physical therapy services include an evaluation and skilled treatment of strength, range of motion, balance, walking and home safety. Services are provided by a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant under the direction of a physical therapist.

They will design a home exercise program to improve your strength and endurance and help you safely return to your highest level of function. Falls prevention is important in keeping you safe in your home. A Falls risk assessment is completed and a program will be designed to decrease your risk of falling.

Occupational therapy

Services are provided by an occupational therapist. We address daily activities that often are more difficult (and possibly unsafe) due to a progressive illness or following a hospitalization or surgery. These include:

Bathing
Grooming
Dressing
Preparing meals
Laundry
Housekeeping

The occupational therapist will help you look at alternative methods and modifications to help keep you as independent as possible.

Speech therapy

We offer evaluations and develop treatment plans to help improve speech and language communication. For those with swallowing problems, we may suggest adjustments in food, food consistency and how you take medication.

Social work services

Services focus on identifying social, economic, environmental and emotional factors that can interfere with patient/family adjustments to illness and treatment. An initial assessment of the patient/family will be conducted and the social worker will develop a plan to meet your needs.

The social worker can provide:

Crisis intervention
Education
Discharge planning
Assistance with finding and accessing financial education and planning
Short-term counseling related to patient/family/caregiver stress or conflict that is impacting your recovery
Planning and coordination of personal care, homemaking, home-delivered meals and transportation
Options for assisted living and nursing home care
Assistance with health care directive (living will) planning
Help to decrease social isolation and loneliness

Wound care

Wound care services are performed by registered nurses who have specialized training in the care of wounds, ostomies and continence. Our wound care nurses work closely with your doctor and other home care staff to evaluate and coordinate a safe and effective plan for care. In addition, these nurses have extensive knowledge in medical supplies and products related to wounds, ostomies and continence care. They can help to identify the most appropriate products for you.

Palliative care

Members of this interdisciplinary team provide compassionate care to meet the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients with an advanced illness. By providing services and support to you and your family, our goal is to allow you to maintain the highest quality of life possible.

Palliative care may be combined with therapies aimed at reducing or stabilizing an illness or may be the total focus of care. A RN case manager, knowledgeable in pain management and symptom control, will perform a comprehensive assessment to determine your needs. The RN will also work closely with you, your doctor and other disciplinary team members to develop a plan for your care.

Perinatal program

Our perinatal nurses specialize in:

Caring for expectant mothers with high risk pregnancies
Providing post-partum services in the home after the delivery of your newborn

Services (which must be ordered by your doctor) include:

Uterine and non-stress testing for high-risk pregnancies
High-risk assessments for expectant mothers with pregnancy induced hypertension and diabetic management
Laboratory testing
Post-partum assessment
Newborn assessment
Education on post-partum care and care of your newborn
Education on breastfeeding by a lactation specialist
Synagis® injections for premature infants
Management of hyperbilirubinemia

Nutritional therapy services

A registered dietitian will work with you to provide an assessment and education based on your special nutrition needs. These needs may include: diabetes, cardiac, congestive heart failure, digestive disorders, wound healing, weight loss, malnutrition, tube feeding and total parenteral nutrition.

Diabetes education is provided by a certified diabetes educator (CDE). Nutrition assessments, education for tube feeding and total parenteral nutrition are provided by a certified nutrition support dietitian (CNSD).

Home health aides

Our home health aides provide hands-on personal care, which may include bathing, assistance with walking or transfering, simple dressing changes and skin care. Services provided by a home health aide are under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed therapist.

Health Alert (personal emergency response service)

Health Alert is an in-home emergency response system that allows customers to live independently in their home with direct access to emergency assistance. Access is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the push of a button. For more information, call 651-232-3560.