INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME for long-term ventilated Adults & Children with Tracheostomy
INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME Pty Ltd nursing and medical services for long-term mechanically ventilated Adults & Children with Tracheostomy as a genuine alternative to a long- term stay in Intensive Care and as an extension to Hospital Intensive Care services in a Client’s Home, surrounded by their loved ones.
INTENSIVE LIVING AND VITAL VENTILATION
A severe accident or other significant health issues that require a long-term stay in Intensive Care can significantly change the life of a human being and their Family.
Most of the time, Families and their critically ill loved one requiring a long-term stay in Intensive Care are totally out of their comfort zone, especially since this new reality means that the Client and their Family are dependent on other people. They are more often than not challenged with this new situation and they are at a loss in how to deal and cope with this new situation. Especially since this new situation means that they are dependent on high- end specialised care and Intensive care nursing.
Furthermore, as soon as someone hears “Intensive Care” many people associate those words with cold and sterile Hospital Intensive Care Units and they are apprehensive when they think about all the technology and equipment that’s being used in Intensive Care.
If a Family goes through the experience of having a loved one critically ill and dependent on life saving equipment and technology such as a Ventilator and a Tracheostomy, Families often think that there are few perceived options and alternatives but
- To stay in Intensive Care for long periods of time or even indefinitely
- To stay there to approach their end-of-life and die
With these perceived options in mind, Families very rarely think that Intensive Home Care is an option as well and many long-term ventilated Adults& Children with Tracheostomy can live at home, with the right support structure of an Intensive Home Care service, that can provide Intensive Home Care nursing up to 24/7- 365 days a year.
Medical and technological developments and advancements in recent years and decades, as well as a shift from acute Hospital care to Home Care make a transition from high acuity areas such as Intensive Care to a Home environment possible.
Because of these developments as well as the increased and improved abilities of Home Care service providers like INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME, more and more chronic, acutely unwell and disabled people are able to be looked after in their own home.
The result is an improved Quality of Life and/or Quality of-end-of-life and a high level of independence- INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME is helping and supporting you with your Quality of Life and/or Quality of-end-of-life and your independence!
INTENSIVE LIVING AND VITAL VENTILATION
WITH INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME
We are not only a passionate health service, we are also there to accompany you to all your other activities and Family commitments
INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME Pty Ltd is an Australian incorporated company, operating in all states on the east coast and we have been specialising on Intensive Home Care services for long-term ventilated Adults& Children with Tracheostomy for a variety of diseases since 2012.
Following our main principle “INTENSIVE LIVING”, our main goal is to enable and provide our Clients and their Families with a better Quality of Life, more freedom, more control and independence by reintegrating them back to a life in their own home, surrounded by their loved ones.
Normally, we take over the care of our Clients in their own home, as soon as they are medically stable and are able to leave Intensive Care whilst still ventilated with Tracheostomy.
Part of our comprehensive service delivery and service provision is to not only take care of your basic nursing needs such as hygiene and mobilisation needs, we also look after your more advanced and specialised needs such as vital sign observation, nutritional needs, wound care, ventilation and Tracheostomy care.
Besides delivering basic and advanced nursing care, our friendly staff also regularly consult with all parties involved in your care, in order to ensure your and your Family’s safety and well being.
Furthermore, part of our service package is to negotiate your funding needs and care packages from external or internal health service funding agencies and/or Hospitals.
In order to improve your Quality of Life and/or Quality of end-of-life, we enable and improve your daily activities by looking at opportunities and possibilities and we actively ensure that our qualified nursing staff accompany you to school, kindergarten, university, to your work and to all other activities you want to participate in.
Critical Care trained nursing staff with a “can-do” attitude
We exclusively work with Critical Care Registered Nurses. Our friendly nursing staff are highly trained, skilled, qualified and passionate about their work. They all have a minimum of 24 months Hospital Intensive Care experience and most of them have completed a post-graduate certificate or diploma in Critical Care.
Ongoing and regular further internal and external education and qualification is part of our Quality program and our commitment to safety, quality and staff retention. Our further education and qualification program is aligned with current practices in Intensive Care Units and therefore at the highest standards.
Because of our high Quality standards we are a fully accredited health service against the Australian Healthcare standards and against ISO 9001/2008. We are therefore a preferred provider for most Public and Private Hospitals.
OUR CLIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
The Focus of our engagement and our mission is to serve our Clients and their Families
We are taking care of ventilated Adults& Children with Tracheostomy at any age, with different illnesses that require ongoing and continuous Intensive Home Care services. Those illnesses may have been caused by severe accidents, premature birth and by other difficult and challenging diseases and health issues.
Our Clients are mainly suffering from
- Diseases caused by premature birth
- Paraplegia/ Quadriplegia
- Head injuries/ head trauma
- Neurological diseases
- Lung diseases
- Endocrinology diseases
- Genetic diseases
- Other indications caused by a prolonged stay in Intensive Care
INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME’s goal and mission is to serve our critically ill or disabled Clients looked after by us and enable and encourage them to live a life of independence, looking at opportunities and possibilities outside of an inhibiting, sterile and depressing Hospital Intensive Care environment.
We are taking the time to get to know our Clients and their Family’s, build strong relationships, assess their health requirements and needs and we fulfil their wishes.
Our Clients individual wishes, abilities and talents are the fundamentals of our care and service delivery.
Our service delivery is enabling our Clients to live a life away from a regimented, inhibiting and sterile Hospital Intensive Care environment, with the goal of independence and freedom for the individual Client.
The critically ill Client therefore is responsible to make their own decisions about their life and is actively involved in their care process.
HELPING, SUPPORTING AND CONSULTING THE INDIVIDUAL CLIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES
Helping, supporting and consulting the Individual Client and their Families
Our service offer is focused on the Individual’s wishes and care requirements
INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME is offering our Clients individual, tailor made up to 24/7- around the clock care, with a coherent and permanent nursing team, working in shifts.
With both of our Client groups, Adults and Children, we work exclusively with Critical Care trained nursing staff who have a minimum of 24 months clinical Intensive Care experience and/or have completed a postgraduate Certificate/ Diploma in Critical Care.
Our friendly Adult and Paediatric registered nursing staff, are working closely with the Intensive Care Units where our Clients are discharged from and wherever possible we introduce our nursing staff to the individual Client, their special care needs and their individual requirements in a Hospital environment before discharge Home.
We cooperate closely with the discharging Hospital/ Intensive Care Units, the doctors, the nurses and the Allied health professionals and all parties involved in the discharge process, enable and encourage the individual Client to use their internal and external resources when going home.
One of our main goals is to provide a holistic, individualised and tailor made care concept that includes early rehabilitation, early movement therapy, activation of all senses, respiratory and speech therapy. We include those therapies early on in the day to day activities of our Clients in order to become independent and active.
This is usually the starting point and guarantee to a high quality, individualised and focused care. Even during the discharge process from Hospital/Intensive Care Unit to a Client’s Home we are delivering professional support. We guarantee a fast, streamlined and uncomplicated discharge from Intensive Care and therefore minimise the time our Clients have to spend in Intensive Care.
Our friendly, highly qualified and experienced staff support and consult our Clients and their Families during the discharge process. For example, we negotiate your funding needs with external or internal Health service funding agencies and providers. We also support, consult on and organise other equipment such as ventilators, suction equipment and/or special care beds in order to enable a smooth and frictionless transition into your Home.
Once our Clients have been discharged home from Intensive Care, a specific, individualised, tailor made and holistic care plan for our Clients is developed and our Clients are fully involved in developing their care plan. The care plan is focused on our Client’s specific wants, needs and desires.
We generally coordinate and organise other specific Client requirements such as Medical cover and/or Allied Health such as Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Dietician and Occupational Therapy etc…
Further to delivering high quality Intensive Home Care services to our Clients, we also ensure that our Clients and their Families are fully involved and educated about the services we deliver and as part of our comprehensive services, we educate our Clients and their Families on everything we do, including education about equipment used. We also organise and coordinate Kindergarten, School, University, work and travel for our Clients.
ENSURING A FRICTIONLESS AND SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM INTENSIVE CARE TO YOUR HOME
Inquiry> contact> decision> funding> team building> transition and discharge home
The first contact is generally made from either a relative of a Client contacting INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME or through a hospital/ Intensive Care Unit contacting INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME.
Usually, within a few days we arrange for a first personal, no obligation meet& greet.
The participants in this first meet& greet are usually the potential Client and/or their Family, the treating medical practitioner, a Social worker and one or two delegates from INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME.
In this meet& greet all participants involved can voice their individual wishes and goals. Opportunities and possibilities of a transition and discharge home can be discussed as well.
Opportunities and possibilities regarding health care funding for home care services are generally part of the meet& greet as well.
As soon as the decision has been made that INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME will be providing the Intensive Home Care service for the Client, our Case management staff will be negotiating with potential Health service funding agencies(Department of health, Hospitals, Private Health insurances, TAC, DVA etc…) the details about funding of the services.
The next step generally is to start advertising and recruit suitable, qualified and skilled Critical Care Nursing staff.
If your case is urgent- and if we have the capacity- INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME tends to allocate and roster some of our Critical Care trained Nurses from our existing pool of staff to your care.
During the recruitment and team building process, we like our Clients and their Families to get to know their potential Nursing staff early in the process. If possible, during the initial training period, we get our nursing team to work within the Hospital/ Intensive Care Unit and get to know our Clients first hand before discharge home. During that transition process we also want to learn about and deliver on our Clients specific and individual needs early on.
In your own home we thoroughly mentor your nursing team so that we can educate and train them on your individual needs and then deliver a tailor made, holistic, individualised and personal service.
The initial training is usually provided by an experienced senior Clinical Nurse Specialist(Critical Care). In the first few weeks after your discharge home from Hospital/ Intensive Care, the Clinical Nurse Specialist is responsible to train, educate and mentor your nursing team and the Clinical Nurse Specialist also ensures that our high quality standards are delivered upon and maintained. The Clinical Nurse Specialist is also responsible that a routine is being developed so that your nursing team can perform their tasks to your satisfaction. Your Quality of Life, your independence and your wishes are paramount.
Even after the first few weeks, the Clinical Nurse Specialist(Critical Care) is the person responsible for your care. The senior nurse coordinates and communicates amongst the Client, their Family and the nursing team.
The Clinical Nurse Specialist ensures the ongoing professional delivery of your care and consults on any issues that may come up.
OUR COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE DELIVERY AT
A GLANCE
Comprehensive Intensive Home Care Nursing Services
- Home Intensive Care Nursing for ventilated Adults& Children with Tracheostomy
- Service delivery exclusively with qualified Registered Nurses(Division 1) who have a minimum of 24 months ICU experience in a Hospital environment and who have completed a Critical Care Certificate or equivalent
- Safe delivery of ventilator care, including the provision and maintenance of ventilation equipment
- Tracheostomy care and endotracheal clearing of secretions
- Up to 24/7 nursing care/ 365 days per year, constant monitoring and vital signs observation
- Enteral Nutrition therapy via PEG or Nasogastric Tube
- Total Parenteral Nutrion(TPN) therapy via PICC line or Central Line(CVC)
- Fluid Balance monitoring via IDC(indwelling catheter) or subrapubic Catheter
- Administration of prescribed medications
- Wound care, including regular dressing changes
- Glucose and Insulin management
- Controlling and monitoring of technical equipment used by our Clients
- Pressure area care
- Mobilisation therapy
- Falls prevention
- Development of Care and Activity plan with our Client and their Family
- Regular and ongoing activities such as Kindergarten, School, University, Work, Social activities etc…
- Ongoing equipment and supply Management
- Ongoing risk assessment and management of such
- Ongoing monitoring of Client satisfaction
- Ongoing monitoring of Readmissions back to Hospital
- Ongoing training and education of our staff
Professional Case Management, Discharge Planning and Discharge Management
- Close cooperation and coordination amongst discharging facilities, the Clients, their Families and INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME
- INTENSIVE CARE AT HOME’s Case Management will negotiate with potential Health service funding agencies(Department of health, Hospitals, Private Health insurances, TAC, DVA etc…) the details about funding of the services
- Training and education about our Clients’ individual care needs, ideally starting during their stay in Intensive Care
Individualised care, cooperation and consulting
- Individualised and Holistic care, focused on opportunities and possibilities, aligned with our Client’s abilities
- Up to 24/7 nursing care/ 365 days per year
- Individualised and tailor made nursing care, reflecting our Clients wishes
- Coordination and organisation of allied health services such as Physiotherapy, Occupational
- Therapy and Speech Therapy wherever applicable
- Inclusion in the selection of your nursing team(Client specific nursing teams)
- Depending on our Clients and their Families wishes, we can educate and train Families in managing equipment and deliver some of the nursing care
- Development of Client specific emergency management plan
- Management, organisation and accompany Client to all activities outside of their home
YOUR ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
Individualised Care of our Clients
- Length of stay in Intensive Care is minimised through structured discharge planning
- Individual Case Management negotiates funding of the services
- Up to 24/7 Nursing Care/ 365 days per year
- Individualised, holistic and tailor made nursing care
- Service delivery exclusively with highly trained, qualified and skilled Critical Care Registered
- Nurses, who have a minimum of 24 months ICU experience
- Service coordination delivered by a senior Clinical Nurse Specialist(Critical Care)
Professional Intensive Home Care Nursing services for Hospitals, Intensive Care Units, Rehabilitation Facilities and Health Care funding agencies including TAC and DVA
- Cooperation with Intensive Care Units, Hospitals, Rehabilitation Facilities, Intensivists, Respiratory Physicians, Anaesthetists, Paediatricians, General Practitioners and Health Care funding agencies
- Timely discharge processes, irrespective of Client’s location
- Ongoing control, optimisation and adaptation of our processes in alignment with our stakeholders requirements
- A service provider specialised on Intensive Home Care Nursing
- A resource and coordinator of Care for both Adults& Children in need of Intensive Home Care
- Comprehensive, individualised and personal consultation for our Clients and their Families
- Stabilising of our Client’s condition in their own home and therefore avoiding readmissions back to Hospital and to Intensive Care
- Organisation and negotiation of health service funding needs, prior to discharge home
- Uncomplicated and fast response times in order to meet our stakeholders needs
- Individual Case Managers for both, Adults& Children
- Critical Care trained Nursing staff with a minimum of 24 months ICU experience exclusively deliver services, therefore ensuring quality and minimising risk of readmission back to Hospital
- Tailor made, holistic and individualised nursing care, focused on achieving medical treatment goals
- Optimisation of the care process by getting the Client’s Family involved in the care process if they want to get involved and if they are capable
- Maintaining high Quality standards by continuously educating our nursing staff
