How To Prepare Your Home For ICU-level Care
- Admin
- 19 August, 2024
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We live in an age where it is possible to have an ICU setup at home. ICUs are no longer limited to hospitals. With the right support from qualified healthcare professionals, you can set up an ICU at your home.
However, creating such a setup is not as easy as it sounds. Despite moving its location, an ICU remains an elaborate setup where you cannot afford to make even the smallest mistakes. A slight error can cost a patient their life. If you are planning to set up an ICU at home, you will receive comprehensive help from doctors and their nursing staff. From installing the right equipment to modifying the room for an ICU setup, you need to consider several factors before admitting your loved one to a home-based ICU.
However, if you follow the steps recommended by qualified healthcare professionals, you can create a conducive home healthcare setup for your loved one.
Here are some of the most important aspects to consider while preparing your home for ICU-level care:
Home healthcare preparations often require you to modify the spaces you live in. Firstly, you need to choose a suitable room to convert into an ICU.
Ensure that the room you choose is spacious enough to accommodate all the equipment. It should also have enough space for the nursing staff to move around. Moreover, the patient admitted to an ICU setup at home should not feel suffocated in the room. While a home-based ICU makes a patient comfortable, choosing the right room plays a critical role in ensuring this comfort.
Moreover, choose a room with easy accessibility. If you live in a bungalow with multiple floors, it is better to choose a room on the ground floor for the ICU setup. It is also advisable to select a room that receives ample natural light and air.
A home healthcare setup is incomplete without the right equipment. Depending on the critical illness the patient is battling, ensure that the ICU setup includes the right equipment beforehand. Doctors and their assistants will help you procure all the equipment you need for the home-based ICU, including the beds, patient monitors, infusion pumps, IV drips, ventilators, and more. You will also need dedicated devices related to the health issue at hand.
Must Read: The Role Of ICU Nurses: Providing Caring Attention In Critical Situations
Along with getting the right equipment, you will also need to ensure that the room you choose has a steady power supply. If you suffer outage issues, it is better to set up an inverter to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Most ICU patients rely on machines when it comes to staying healthy. You wouldn’t want to interfere with your loved one’s health due to power cut issues.
Moreover, ensure that there are dedicated areas in or around the ICU room to store medical supplies. This makes things organized for the caregivers and gives them easy access to the medications.
Along with ensuring a steady power supply, you should ensure that the room you choose for the ICU setup has enough electrical outlets. These outlets should be sufficient to power all the equipment you need for the home-based ICU. It is advisable to use surge protectors to ensure a seamless power supply through all outlets.
It is also important to be mindful of emergency protocols within your house while setting up an ICU at home. Ensure that the room the patient stays in has a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and other tools needed to tackle emergencies.
Communication is critical when it comes to setting up an ICU at your home. From reaching out to doctors and specialists to communicating within the team of nurses, your setup should have the necessary provisions for effective communication.
Ensure that the ICU setup is equipped with the right telemedicine tools. Doctors cannot be physically present with the patient at all times. Modern telemedicine tools allow the patient to connect with their doctor, helping them track their vitals in real time. From remote patient monitoring (RPM) tools to healthcare video conferencing software, effective communication systems ensure seamless procedures.
You should also keep a list of emergency contacts (including doctors, specialists, hospitals nearby, etc.) to rely on in the case of a medical emergency.
Home-based ICUs need a nursing staff that is trained to look after a patient in this unique setting. Ensure that the healthcare professionals and/or hospital you are dealing with train their nursing staff for home-based ICU setups. Most professionals trained for ICU-level services can work effectively in an ICU setup at home. All they need is some additional training depending on the infrastructure of your home.
Home ICU training is not limited to nurses and caregivers. The family members of the patient also need to be trained to act responsibly while their loved one is treated. From basic care techniques to emergency procedures, the family members will need some training before an ICU is set up in their home.
Must Read: ICU Workflow Optimization: Strategies To Improve Patient Care
Along with critical medical care, a patient being treated in a home-based ICU also needs psychological and emotional support. Unlike conventional ICUs, ICUs at home give you the liberty to make necessary changes to the patient’s room to make them feel better.
While you set up your home for ICU-level care, include personal items like the patient’s favorite books, photos, and other objects in the setup. These small efforts will have a massive impact on your loved one’s recovery.
If you are ready to set up an ICU at your home, Docville will help you convert your loved one’s room into an ICU in the best way possible. From assigning trained healthcare professionals to fitting the room with modern ICU equipment, we will ensure that the patient recovers from critical illness in a safe, comfortable, and familiar environment.
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