Home Helath Care
Home Health Care (HHC) provides nursing services supported by medical care to KFSHRC patients with specific Nursing or Medical needs that could be provided at home, as well as to individuals who elect to be independent of hospitals or long-term facilities. The services that the HHC team provides maximize the Integration of the patient into the community. This service is provided daily/7 days weekly through a team of staff working regular shifts from 07:00 hrs till 21:00 hrs and as on-call who attend to urgent situations after the regular working hours.
HHC patients have chronic and acute complex medical conditions including complex wounds, acute infections, organ transplants, oncology, mechanically ventilated patients, hemodialysis at home, etc.
Last year, 2021, HHC conducted an overall 13353 home visits and 1446 virtual visits to 830 patients. The HHC likewise responded to 8233 telephone calls from patients/families for various needs, requests, and queries.
Nursing Care:
1- Palliative care
HHC provides a multidisciplinary approach involving specialized medical care for HHC patients with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing these patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis. The goal of such therapy is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family. The HHC clinical care coordinator maintains an up-to-date palliative care register to facilitate first-class service for this exceptional group of patients.
2- Opiates infusion
The HHC team provides subcutaneous infusions in the home for the cancer population with moderate to severe pain; this is in collaboration with a palliative consultant.
3- Intravenous Antimicrobial
The HHC team provides antimicrobial treatment to patients for treatment of infectious diseases.
4- Home mechanical ventilation:
The HHC team provides, in collaboration with the Respiratory Care Services, primary and continuing medical care for this group of patients in the community.
5- Home Enzyme Replacement therapy (HERT)
The HHC team distinguishes that home-based therapy is more comfortable, less stressful, and more effective and had less impact on patient and family life when compared to hospital-based therapy. The HERT administration can last for 6 hours requiring the HHC nurse to be present during the administration.
6- Parental Nutrition (PN)
Collaborative care between the HHC team and the patient’s family. Feeding a person intravenously, bypassing the usual process of eating and digestion.
7- Tracheostomy care
Tracheostomy tube is a tube inserted in the trachea to support the patient in his/her ventilation. HHC team provides home based tracheostomy change/care.
8- Gastrostomy tube care/change
Gastrostomy tube is a tube inserted through a small incision in the abdomen into the stomach and is used for long-term enteral nutrition. HHC team provides home based Gastrostomy tube change/care.
9- Wound care
Acute or chronic wounds: All patients with wounds will have their wounds appropriately assessed by HHC nursing staff within 24hours of recognition. The HHC provide Negative-pressure wound therapy to their patient whenever it is indicated.
10- Blood draw
Blood draw is provided to assess and manage acute changes in the patients’ medical condition as well as for routine follow up and when required pre-hospital visits. This service is helping to increase the likelihood that the patient can continue to stay at home.
12- Home Hemodialysis
A service that provided hemodialysis at home in collaboration with a specialized team. HHC team supports the patients with their nursing and medical needs as well as the hemodialysis team in provision of their care.
13- Other services
General nursing care, vital signs checking, POC testing, Foley’s catheter change, Central line dressing care, etc.
Medical Care:
1- Primary & medical follow-up
The HHC physician together with HHC team provides home health care patients with required primary and medical follow-up to allow for appropriate management of chronic and acute medical problems at the patient’s own home including medication refill service.
2- Medical evaluation
The HHC physician will examine patients, conduct diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, and educate patients, families, and caregivers about management of chronic diseases.
3- Management plan
The Home health care physician also takes into account physical, emotional, and social factors when diagnosing illness and recommending the required treatment.
4- Referral to hospital clinics
The HHC physician will refer the patient to hospital clinics for further assessment and possibly for treatment when indicated.
5- Medical reports
When requested by the patient/family, HHC physician provides medical reports including the need for other services.
6 – Virtual Clinics
The HHC nursing team provides remote patient care (through virtual clinics). These services of home care are a replacement for the traditional care provided: face to face. This service allows for home care to be provided to a larger number of patients.
