The average nursing assistant who makes home care visits for the elderly will find that as the years go by and more skills are acquired, the agency will send him or her to patients that need a higher level of care. Some of that care will include being introduced to new types of home healthcare supplies and procedures. New or untrained aides can sometimes feel uncertain when faced with all the tubing and wiring a very ill person may be attached to.
A person being treated for an illness in their residence may be on an oxygen machine, an I.V. and a feeding tube all at the same time. It will be the nursing assistant's responsibility to feed the patient and to irrigate the device when needed. Keeping the feeding tube flushed and clean will require using an irrigation kit.
What Is An Enteral Feeding Irrigation Kit?
Even though it sounds scary and very medical, this kit is simply a large, clear syringe imprinted with measurement numbers. It typically comes in its own carrying container and may also come with separate tips called adapter tips. This insures the syringe will fit into different size tube ends. The syringe is filled with the proper amount of liquid then inserted into the end of an enteral or nutrition tube. As the plunger is pushed down, fluid is released, cleaning out the narrow hose.
Irrigation is simply a way to flush out the feeding apparatus and prevent clogs. Flushing can be done using special solutions or plain water according to physician instructions. Some clients can even do it themselves if they are alert enough.
Why Someone Might Need Enteral Feeding
There are many reasons why a person might have to be fed this way. The elderly with advanced stages of Alzheimer's Disease or those at high risk of choking on solid food may be a candidate for this procedure. Cancerous organs are another. Cancer of the throat or esophagus may lead to a complete blockage of the upper digestive tract.
Hospice patients are put on gastric or nasal liquid nutrition because they are no longer able to feed themselves or chew solid food. It is also easier to give someone liquid medication directly into the stomach when they are incoherent or confused.
A vocational nurse or skilled assistant should always be present when an aide is doing an irrigation for the first time. Learning to use all types of homecare medical equipment safely and with confidence will ensure that every person can get top-notch medical care in the comfort of their own residence.
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