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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from intensivecareathome.com, where we provide tailor-made solutions for long-term ventilated adults and children with tracheostomies. And where we also provide tailor-made solutions for hospitals and intensive care units, whilst providing quality service for long-term ventilated adults and children with tracheostomies, medically complex patients at home, as well as BIPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure), CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), ventilation at home, including home TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition).

So in today’s blog post, I want to read out a question from a reader who says, “My sister is 66 years of age and has COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma and a host of many more underlying medical conditions. She’s on a ventilator now and she has a tracheostomy and a PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy), and she’s been in ICU for a few weeks. She lives alone and is required to use a walker for mobility. Do you think she would be possible to live a normal life at home?” And this is from Sandy.

Now Sandy, this is a good question. And most of our clients that are at home on a ventilator with a tracheostomy live, what I believe they would consider good lives, whether it’s considered normal, that’s a different story. It really depends what is being considered normal. One thing is for sure, patients do not live a normal life in intensive care, in a bed space, in an intensive care unit. That is definitely not a normal life.

With Intensive Care at Home, our clients’ lives at home is normalized. And they can choose what they want to do. In an ICU, in an intensive care unit, they cannot choose what they want to do, and their routine is based on the hospital’s routine. Whereas at home, the routine for your sister will be based on your sister’s routine, and we will work with her. We will make sure she can maximize her quality of life at home.

Most of our clients have social lives. They go out. They participate in their community. They’re busy living their lives. They have families, friends coming over to their home. Well, you are well aware how restrictive intensive care units are, with limited visitation times. During COVID, ICUs were closed, for families and friends. So, your sister will live a much better quality of life at home with Intensive Care at Home rather than “living” in an intensive care unit for weeks or for months on end.  So, your sister’s quality of life will be so much better at home. That is for sure.

And especially, if she’s been in ICU now for weeks on ends or for months on and she can’t be weaned off the ventilator, you should absolutely consider Intensive Care at Home. And you should be contacting us as a next step so that your sister’s quality of life can be improved at home as well.

And just to remind everyone as well, there’s also a financial aspect here. Of course, an intensive care bed costs around five to $6,000 per bed day, whereas Intensive Care at Home is about half of the cost. Plus, the added on benefits that I’ve just talked about, quality of life for your sister or for any family member and quality of life for you as well, because you’re probably spending most of your time in ICU. And so does the rest of your family. And you don’t want to be spending your time in ICU or literally day and night putting your life on hold. So that is much easier for you to live your life once your sister is at home and have the intensive care come into her home.

Also, the add-on benefit for a hospital here, if you’re watching this and you are a hospital employee, you’re a doctor, you’re a nurse, you’re a hospital executive is, you will have an empty intensive care bed which you most likely desperately need. So it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

So go to our website, intensivecareathome.com and you will find more information there about our services. Just contact us on one of the numbers on the top of our website there. We are currently operating all around Australia as well as we are starting out in the U.S. very soon, but we’re operating all around Australia.

And if you have a loved one in intensive care and you are in a similar situation, contact us in any country really. We can help you and we can point you in the right direction. We are providing a genuine alternative to a long-term stay in intensive care, and we are replicating an ICU bed in the community for our clients.

Now in Australia, we are a DVA (Department of Veteran Affairs), TAC (Transport Accident Commission) in Victoria, iCare in New South Wales, as well as an NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)approved community nursing provider. And we also provide NDIS support coordination. You should contact us for that as well.

And even if your loved one is at home at the moment, you’re feeling like they’re not getting enough support, maybe you’re having support workers and you realize that support workers can’t really look after intensive care skills, which is needed for ventilation and tracheostomy, you should contact us as well. We can help you sending you ICU nurses and we can help you with the funding.

And if you are a critical care nurse and you’re having a minimum of two years critical care nursing experience, you should contact us as well. We have work opportunities, career opportunities for critical care nurses, especially if you’re looking for a career change and you’ve had enough of PICU/ ICU you should contact us and consider working for us. We provide really exciting career opportunities at the moment, predominantly in Melbourne, Sydney, and in Brisbane. Please contact us.

And if you are an intensive care consultant, we would welcome to hear from you as well. We are currently trying to expand our medical team and we’re hiring intensive Care consultants as well. Please contact us and if you need an NDIS nursing assessment, please contact us for that as well.

And we also provide medical record reviews for patients in intensive care and also after intensive care.

Thank you so much for watching.

We also have a membership for families in intensive care at intensivecaresupport.org . You can check that out as well.

Now subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular updates for families in intensive care and Intensive Care at Home. Share the video with your friends and families. Click the like button, click the notification bell and comment below what you want to see next and what questions and insights you have from this video.

Thank you so much for watching.

This is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecareathome.com, and I’ll talk to you in a few days.

Take care.