Enabling discharge from hospital for Jake, with high-quality paediatric care
Jake is a baby with complex medical needs. He was born prematurely and had been in hospital since birth. He requires ventilation with oxygen via tracheostomy 24-hours a day.
Whilst Jake’s parents had received training to meet his needs, they could not provide the 24-hour care that Jake required. His dad had to return to work and his mum was expecting their second child. Both parents were extremely keen to get Jake home and into a routine before the arrival of the new baby.
Jake required a team of fully trained carers to meet his complex needs at home. Training for the carers needed to be carefully coordinated in a timely and efficient manner, to ensure that all carers involved in providing care to Jake were fully competent and able to meet his needs.
Prestige Nursing & Care identified carers who completed the required training. They then worked shadow shifts at the referring hospital alongside our experienced registered nurse prior to Jake’s discharge. This ensured both Jake and his parents became familiar with the care team, enabling them to be reassured about their level of competence. Training completed by the team included tracheostomy care and management, invasive ventilation, emergency procedures, nebuliser and oxygen therapy, enteral feeding and administration of medication.
The Prestige team worked closely with the healthcare professionals involved in Jake’s discharge from hospital. They also worked with the multi-disciplinary team, which included the community children’s nursing team representative, a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist and a dietitian. This enabled a holistic approach to the development of his paediatric care package. A comprehensive care plan was created with realistic goals and his discharge date was set.
Prestige worked in collaboration with local services to ensure that all essential equipment and supplies would be available following discharge. A plan for follow up and escalation of treatment was written and shared with all relevant healthcare professionals and the Prestige care team.
Jake was discharged within six weeks of the first multi-disciplinary team meeting and is receiving high levels of support from the Prestige team in his own home, with his family around him. On discharge our registered nurse attended his home to ensure all the carers had the support they needed, and his parents were reassured about the service. Jake is now living a healthy and happy life at home and has welcomed the arrival of his baby sister.
