Bill, a 65 year old who lives alone, was recently left disabled after an accident on a local farm. One of his main disabilities was that he required a long term tracheostomy. With a highly motivated and professionally trained team, Homecare was able to provide specialist care to Bill, allowing him to return home from hospital and live in the community.
Providing Specialist Care...
The care and support given to Bill within a familiar environment, helps him to adjust and overcome many common obstacles. Homecare staff are trained to communicate and have a knowledge and understanding of basic airway anatomy, signs and symptoms of respiratory and upper-airway distress and also signs and symptoms of aspiration. These techniques are vital as communication is one of the most important considerations associated with the long-term management of patients with tracheostomies. Loss of effective communication can isolate the individual and inhibit normal social and communication development.
The Homecare team are also competent in suctioning technique, tracheostomy tube-cleaning and maintenance, stoma-site assessment and cleaning, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, emergency reinsertion procedures and tube-change procedure. They can be flexible and responsive to Bill’s needs over a 24 hour period regardless of his underlying condition and disabilities. This means they work variable hours to allow for flexibility and to ensure he is comfortable and well-cared for at any time of the day or night.
With the continuing care team Bill is able to start his planned rehabilitation, living independently in his local environment surrounded by family and friends.
