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Hi it’s Patrik Hutzel from www.intensivecareathome.com.au where we provide tailor made solutions for long-term ventilated Adults& Children with Tracheostomy by improving their Quality of life and where we also provide tailor made solutions to hospitals and Intensive Care Units to save money and resources, whilst providing Quality Care!

In last week’s BLOG I shared

“HOW TO SAVE $ 2,000 PER BED DAY IN INTENSIVE CARE!”

You can check out last week’s blog here.

In this week’s blog I want to share

”5 CONFRONTING QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK WHEN LONG-TERM VENTILATED ADULTS& CHILDREN WITH TRACHEOSTOMIES ARE IN INTENSIVE CARE!”

Looking after and caring for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies is often challenging and difficult.

The contrast in quality of life between being at home or in Intensive Care when dealing with and looking after long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies is pretty stark.

The reality and the fact of the matter is that most long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies in Intensive Care and their families experience no quality of life!

The fact of the matter and the reality is also that Intensive Care Units in Australia keep long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies in Intensive Care for way longer than necessary.

Studies in Germany have shown that the quality of life for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies improves drastically in a home care environment, when care and support is being provided by 24 hour care with Critical Care trained nursing staff!

www.intensivecareathome.com.au/evidence-based

Most Intensive Care Units in Australia are still 15-20 years behind compared to many European countries when it comes to discharging long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies back to their own home and into the community!

It’s therefore that I believe it’s time to look at

5 CONFRONTING QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK WHEN LONG-TERM VENTILATED ADULTS& CHILDREN WITH TRACHEOSTOMIES ARE IN INTENSIVE CARE!

Let’s get right into it

 

1. Quality of life at home is improving dramatically compared to a long-term stay in Intensive Care

Again, the quality of life for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies is improving quickly in a home care environment, compared to a long-term stay in Intensive Care. Studies and research being conducted in Germany have verified this. And it’s no surprise. Why else would this practice be successful if it hadn’t been around for the last 15-20 years in Germany?

It’s time to wake up for Australian Intensive Care Units to change practice and consider INTENSIVE HOME CARE for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies instead of unnecessarily occupying expensive, scarce, precious and “in-demand” Intensive Care beds.

 

2. $5,000 for an Intensive Care bed is a massive cost burden for health funding agencies such as departments of health and/or private health funds and the alternative is by far more cost effective!

$5,000 per bed day in Intensive Care is a lot of money, as far as I’m concerned. Why continue to spend this money for weeks or months on end if the same can be done in a much more Patient and family friendly environment that is home for $ 2,000 per bed day less?

It looks like departments of health and private health funds have an endless stream of money to spend to fund care and treatment for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies in Intensive Care and the money for a more holistic care model in a home care environment is not there, even though it’s way more economical and Patient and family friendly.

3. Freeing up expensive, scarce, precious and “in-demand” Intensive Care beds

Everybody who has worked in Intensive Care for any length of time knows that Intensive Care beds are expensive, precious, scarce and “in-demand”! ICU beds don’t stay empty for very long. We also know that it’s often long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies who “block beds” in Intensive Care.

Therefore Intensive Home Care services help to free up expensive, scarce, precious and “in-demand” Intensive Care beds!

 

4. Families who have a long-term ventilated Family member with tracheostomy in Intensive Care are putting their lives on hold and spend day and night in Intensive Care, instead of being at home

Intensive Home Care for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies is not only more Patient friendly, it’s also by far more family friendly.

Instead of spending day and night in Intensive Care in order to be with their long-term ventilated loved one, Intensive Home Care takes the pressure of families as well!

Families can go on about living their lives as well. They can go back to look after their children, spouses, parents or whoever else might be important in their lives.

They can also go back to produce an income, instead of taking unpaid time of work. Again, everybody wins.

 

5. There is no real advocacy for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies while they are in Intensive Care. Real advocacy starts with doing what is best for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies, but also what is best for hospitals and Intensive Care Units!

 

Real advocacy for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies starts with doing what is best for this group of people. In hospitals and in Intensive Care Units, they have no voice, no peace of mind, no control, no power and no influence.

INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME takes a very different approach. Instead of being “Mr Smith in bed 14 in ICU”, we look at “Mr Smith” very differently. We want to know about “Mr Smith” and we want to provide him with the best possible quality of life. We want to know about “Mr Smith’s” strengths and not about his weaknesses. We want to help him to live a better life outside of a limiting and inhibiting Intensive Care environment!

What are your thoughts?

Why do you think Australian Intensive Care Units are 15-20 years behind when it comes to innovation that saves hundreds of thousands if not Millions of dollars $$$ of tax payers money and improves the quality of life for long-term ventilated adults& children with tracheostomies?

Leave your comments on the blog here.

We are also currently hiring enthusiastic and experienced Intensive Care nurses with Critical Care certificate for a ventilated Melbourne Clients in Melbourne.

We now also have opportunities in Sydney for ICU nurses!

We would also like to hear from you if you have a minimum of 2 years Paediatric ICU experience, as we have opportunities here as well!

For more information check out our Career section here www.intensivecareathome.com.au/careers or contact Patrik on 041 094 2230 or simply hit reply to this email.

You can also contact me on 041 094 2230 if you want to know more about how we can help you, your Intensive Care Unit and your Patients and Families.

Thank you for tuning into this week’s blog.

This is Patrik Hutzel from www.intensivecareathome.com.au  and I’ll see you again in another update next week.