Infusion Therapies

Chemotherapy

Many people associate chemotherapy treatments with in-hospital infusion centers where the medication is given over the course of a few hours. However, when patients require chemotherapy given over the course of a few days they may have the option of receiving their treatment at home rather than in the hospital.

For nearly two decades, Professional Home Care Service has been partnering with several area cancer centers to provide home IV chemotherapy. The chemotherapy is administered with a small mechanical pump that fits into a small waist pouch. In this way, patients can resume many of their normal daily activities while their chemotherapy is administered discreetly.

The American Cancer Society has many wonderful resources on chemotherapy if you have more questions. Patient are also always welcome to speak with our nurses and pharmacists if they have questions or concerns about their chemotherapy. We are available 24 hours a day at 1-800-448-6337.

Enteral Nutrition

Enteral nutrition – or “tube feeding” as it is commonly known – provides nutrition for patients who are not able to take food by mouth. (For intravenous feeding, please see the section on TPN.) PHCS stocks a wide selection of enteral formula and tube feeding supplies, including ambulatory pumps. Our enteral patients receive monthly deliveries of the formula and supplies they require right to their doorsteps – and delivery is always free of charge.

You can find more information about enteral nutrition from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN).

Hospice/Palliative Support

PHCS partners with hospice and palliative care agencies to support patients seeking services for chronic health conditions and end of life care. More and more patients are choosing to receive palliative and hospice care in their homes rather than in facilities so that they can spend more time with family members. For these patients, PHCS is able to provide such services as hydration, pain management (PCA), nutritional support, and inotropic therapy.

Hydration

Many patients, particularly those dealing with cancer or hyperemesis, may become dehydrated to the point that they require intravenous (IV) solution to properly restore their electrolytes. Hydration is often administered in hospital and urgent care settings, but patients may also benefit from extended hydration therapy in the comfort of their home.

Professional Home Care Service provides prompt, free delivery of IV hydration therapy directly to the patient’s home. We will also provide a pump or gravity tube setting that best suits the patient’s needs. Doctors can also speak to our pharmacists about providing additional electrolytes to these patients as needed.

Inotropic Therapy

Professional Home Care Service has developed their Heart Smart program with home inotropic therapy patients in mind. Inotopic therapy is used in patients with heart failure who require medication to assist their heart in beating more efficiently. An inotropic drug works with weakened heart muscle in a way that causes the contraction of the heart (the portion of the heart beat that pushes blood out of the heart chambers) to do so more forcefully. The medication also works to open up, or dilate, the arteries. This gives the patient’s heart an opportunity to recover.

The PHCS Heart Smart program provides patients with the personalized care and education they need during this time of recovery. Call us at 1-800-448-6337 or Contact Us today for more information!

Intravenous (IV) Antibiotics

As healthcare-associated infections (HAI) become an increasing concern, doctors and patients are relying more and more on the availability of short- and long-term home IV antibiotics. Going home from the hospital on IV antibiotic therapy means shorter inpatient stays, and more time for patients to recover comfortably at home.

PHCS is able to provide an array of IV antibiotic therapies treating concerns such as wound infections, Lyme disease, cellulitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, and AIDS-related infections. We provide patients with the IV delivery method that makes the most sense for them – and the 24/7 support to give them the confidence and comfort they need to administer it safely.

Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG)

Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a blood product collected from the serum of a large pool of healthy donors which provides the natural antibodies some patients may lack due to immune deficiencies or disorders. While it is not completely understood how IVIG works, physicians and patients often find that IVIG therapy can boost deficient immune systems or help regulate immune systems that are not functioning properly.

Professional Home Care Service is able to provide the special medication IVIG patients require and will help patients coordinate the nursing care they need to administer the therapy in the home. Additionally, PHCS will provide any accompanying IV hydration or antihistamines the physician deems appropriate.

Intravenous (IV) Steroids

IV steroids are used for patients experiencing acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis or inflammatory conditions such as asthma, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For these patients, Professional Home Care service is able to provide the medication and nursing care they need to start IV steroid therapy as quickly as possible in the comfort of their own homes. For patients on long-term IV steroids, PHCS is also able to provide the support they need to safely taper off of their therapy.

Pain Management (PCA)

Home intravenous pain management therapy – sometimes called Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) – provides safe, convenient care for patients suffering from acute or chronic pain. A small mechanical pump automatically delivers the medication in such a way to provide continuous pain management. In some situations, the patient may also be prescribed what is called a bolus dose – an additional small dose of medication the pump can release immediately if the patient requires it.

PHCS works in close partnership with the patient, their home nurse, and the ordering physician to provide responsive care and the best pain management possible.

Prenatal Care

Pregnancy is an exciting time during a woman’s life, but some expectant mothers may experience hyperemesis gravidarum – a condition characterized by extreme nausea, vomiting, and weight loss. For these patients, Professional Home Care Service is able to provide drugs known as antiemetics – intravenous anti-nausea medication – as well as nutritional support such as hydration, enteral nutrition, and TPN.

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) provides nutrition for patients who are not able to take food by mouth and must receive it intravenously. (For tube feeding, please see the section on Enteral Nutrition.) TPN delivers the calories, protein, and other nutrients patients require when they need to regain or maintain body weight.

TPN may be required for patients who have limited gastrointestinal (GI) function or require total bowel rest, including such conditions as: short bowel syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's disease, bowel obstruction, and certain pediatric conditions.

Professional Home Care Service closely monitors TPN patients through weekly laboratory tests and phone assessments. Changes to the patient’s TPN mixture are made according to their specific needs. PHCS believes that every TPN patient has the right to comfortably recover in their own home and resume as many daily activities as they can. To that end, we partner with the patient, their caregivers, and doctors to provide personalized TPN therapy for each patient under our care.

You can find more information about TPN from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN).