Helping you manage a variety of chronic medical conditions at home
Sometimes, it is easiest for people to manage chronic conditions from the comfort of their own homes. Sentara Home Care Services makes this possible with our specially trained nurses and resources to assist with your care.
Sentara Home Health Services for chronic conditions:
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects millions each year, who often end up requiring acute, episodic care and hospitalization because of poor symptom management. Sentara Home Health includes registered nurses specializing in the care of individuals with pneumonia and asthma, who will assist patients and their families in assessing their condition and provide education to help better manage symptoms. Some services are also offered through telehealth.
The goals of the Sentara asthma program are to:
- Educate the patient and caregiver on the asthma disease process
- Increase compliance with medications
- Identify and eliminate environmental triggers
- Decrease ER visits and hospitalization
- Reduce time lost from school/work
COPD is comprised primarily of two related diseases: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In both diseases, the flow of air through the airways and out of the lungs is chronically obstructed. The obstruction is generally permanent and progressive over time.
Sentara helps people with COPD continue living active and full lives. By diagnosing the disease early, treating symptoms, reducing the risk of complications and educating patients and families about COPD, our home health staff aims to improve patients' quality of life. Our goal is to help people with COPD take charge of their breathing and regain or maintain control over their lives by becoming actively involved in managing their disease.
Some patients with COPD may benefit from oxygen therapy, which is necessary when the blood does not have enough oxygen. Some people with COPD need oxygen only with activity or while sleeping. Many people with COPD need oxygen all the time (24 hours a day).
Oxygen saturation levels can be measured with a small device that fits over the fingertip (called a pulse oximeter). This is done while the patient is resting and walking. These measures can determine the best oxygen settings to use for rest, sleep and activity. To achieve the maximum benefit, patients must use oxygen exactly as prescribed.
Sentara pulmonary rehabilitation services include:
- Medical and nursing management
- Education
- Physical conditioning
- Nutrition counseling
- Consideration of psychological and social needs
For patients with congestive heart failure, Sentara offers an innovative and convenient telehealth option. The patient's home is equipped with wireless equipment that enables patients to easily record important measurements, including oxygen saturation, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, blood glucose levels and weight.
Patients answer questions specific to their condition on a touch-screen monitor. Within minutes, this information is electronically transmitted to a Sentara home health nurse. This remote patient monitoring equipment enables our nurses and patients to see and hear each other in real-time during virtual visits. Through a combination of in-home visits and telehealth encounters, nurses can identify worsening conditions early and notify physicians in time to avert hospital or ER admissions.
Fluid status monitoring for CHF
Another advanced technology Sentara offers to treat patients with congestive heart failure is the ZOE™ fluid status monitor. The ZOE™ fluid status monitor is a non-invasive medical device that measures fluid levels in heart failure patients, enabling Sentara Home Health Services personnel to predict exacerbations early, when intervention can have the most significant impact. The ZOE™ fluid status monitor measures thoracic base impedance, or Zo, an early predictor of congestion that can decrease as early as two weeks before weight gain. Our CHF patients are instructed on how to use this simple device to measure their fluid levels twice a day.
Our diabetes home program focuses on education, adherence to prescribed medical therapy and self-assessment of diabetes.
Sentara Diabetes Home Health Services includes:
- Assessment of hyperglycemic/hypoglycemic
- Instructions on medication, including self-injection of insulin
- Instruction in self-assessment of blood glucose monitoring and appropriate response to changes in glucose levels
- Instruction on self-blood glucose monitoring, hyper/hypoglycemia, foot and skin care, exercise and nutritional/diet requirements and other aspects of the disease
- Promotion of treatment plan, including follow-through with scheduled physician appointments
The goal of the diabetes home care program is for our patients to adhere to their prescribed dietary regimen, maintain optimal glycemic levels, achieve independence with insulin/medication administration, and acquire comprehensive knowledge regarding diabetes and its impact on the body.