Assuring successful home enteral feedings.
As increased numbers of acutely and chronically ill patients are cared for in the home environment, the need for high-tech services such as enteral feedings will increase. This article has outlined some areas to be considered in order to assure a successful tube-feeding experience for patient, family, and caregivers. As new information becomes available from home health research, clinical practices will need to be revised and refined to incorporate this new data. It is evident that current practices in the area of enteral feeding as well as other high-tech areas are somewhat arbitrary and that many critical questions about policies and procedures remain unanswered. It is to be hoped that clinicians and administrators of home health agencies will continue to collaborate with nursing faculty to engage in and promote research and study of these areas and share their findings with others. Only in this way can all home care patients be assured of the highest quality care.
Loewenhardt
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D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000451:nursing*; D005190:Family; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010353:Patient Education as Topic