What You Need to Know About Liberty’s Gastrostomy and Ostomy Care

If you or a loved one has received a gastrostomy or ostomy procedure, you may be wondering about your care and support options upon returning home. Since these procedures require special care to prevent the risk of complications and infections, it’s important to know how to care for the stoma (small opening) on your own. Let’s take a closer look at Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services’ gastrostomy and ostomy care and why this service may benefit you or your loved one.

Liberty’s Gastrostomy and Ostomy Home Care Services

Since each patient has unique needs, the type of care they receive will depend on the type and function of the gastronomy tube (G-tube) or ostomy system. In general, Liberty’s skilled nurses can provide the following services in the comfort of the patient’s home:

  • Administer feedings and medications.
  • Apply, change, and empty pouch systems.
  • Apply clean dressings.
  • Clean and maintain the G-tube or Ostomy site on a daily basis.
  • Monitor and prevent infections.
  • Perform flushing to keep tubes clean.
  • Provide meal planning assistance.
  • Provide education to patients and their families on how to care and maintain the G-tube or Ostomy site.
  • Work with the patient's primary care doctor and family.

Our expert nursing team understands that patients that have undergone ostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy can affect the patient’s quality of life and self-image. This is why we provide one-on-one support to help patients and their families feel more comfortable with the physical changes related to their procedures. Additionally, our expert care and support is designed to help reduce the risk of infection and other complications.

Promote Independence and Education

Like all of our services, a key component of our gastrostomy and ostomy care services is to promote independence and education. We help our patients to regain their independence and to learn how to adapt to their current health needs. By adapting to their current situation with a positive attitude and compassionate care team to support them, our patients are able to achieve their health goals. 

Expert, Compassionate Home Care

Our caring and supportive nursing team are here to help patients and their families. Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services offers high-quality home health care, consultation, and support to those that have received a gastrostomy and ostomy procedure. Since these services are offered in a patient’s home, this will help patients feel more comfortable and relaxed. In turn, this means patients can focus more on healing and regaining their independence at home, rather than being stressed out and uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place. Contact us today to discuss your specific home care needs and learn how we can help you.


Benefits of Cardiac Care At Home

Did you know that millions of Americans are affected by heart disease? If you or a loved one is living with a cardiac condition or perhaps is recovering from a recent procedure, you may need assistance with regaining your independence, strength, and function necessary to live the best quality of life possible. At Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services, we provide a special home care program for cardiac care patients that focuses on patient self-management of the signs and symptoms of cardiac distress. Continue reading to discover the top benefits of receiving cardiac care at the place you love and feel most comfortable, your home.

Cardiac Care At Home

Cardiac care at home is designed for patients that have a cardiac condition or those that are recovering from a cardiac procedure, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty or stent placement. The primary goal is to help patients regain their independence, achieve their best quality of life, and learn the signs and symptoms of cardiac distress.

Cardiac Conditions include:

  • Angina pectoris
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Cerebrovascular trauma
  • Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
  • Heart failure (HF)
  • Hypertension
  • Ischemic heart disease
  • Myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Like all Liberty home care services, our cardiac care program provides a personalized treatment plan based on each patient’s needs. Since each patient recovers differently, it’s imperative that we provide a customized plan that ensures patients and their families that they are receiving high-quality, expert care.

Our Cardiac Care Program includes:

  • Disease management tips
  • Education regarding lifestyle changes, proper nutrition, and exercise
  • Medications to manage symptoms
  • Patient self-management of signs and symptoms of cardiac distress
  • Regular checks of a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, and weight
  • Self-care recommendations

Benefits of Cardiac Care at Home

Patients will benefit from receiving quality care at home, in a familiar, comfortable setting. By being at home, the patient experiences less stress than can occur when receiving treatment in a nursing or hospital setting. Aside from being more comfortable and relaxed, cardiac care in a home setting has other possible benefits, such as:

  • Assistance with finding relevant community services for patients
  • Provide education for patients and their families, which helps everyone play an active role in understanding the patient’s condition and treatment plan
  • Improved quality of life
  • Less hospital visits, which are costly and stressful
  • More support with coordinating and working with healthcare providers
  • Telemonitoring allows a cardiac patient’s vitals to be monitored remotely

Benefits of Liberty’s Telehealth Program

To provide an additional layer of support, Liberty proudly offers telehealth to cardiac patients and their families. Cardiac patients receive a monitor allowing our dedicated telehealth team to engage with them remotely as needs arise. Liberty’s Telehealth Program provides the following benefits to patients and the families as well as to their providers:

  • Reduce hospital visits and 30-day readmissions
  • Create regular reports for doctors
  • Provide daily support and oversight of patients’ conditions
  • Improve patient engagement and self-management of their chronic conditions
  • Decrease the need for costly urgent care and ER visits

No matter what type of cardiac condition a patient may have, receiving cardiac care at home can have a positive impact on their recovery rate and overall quality of life. Contact Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services today to learn more about our specialized home care program designed to help cardiac patients. By making healthier lifestyle choices, following a personalized treatment plan, and practicing self-care tips, our skilled nurses can help patients achieve the highest quality of life possible.


How Liberty’s Home Health Care Can Help Patients with Parkinson’s

Since April is Parkinson’s Awareness month, we thought this would be a great opportunity to raise awareness of this neurodegenerative brain disorder affecting nearly one million people in 2021. Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects a patient’s muscle movements and control and progresses with age, which can interfere with their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and live a life free from pain and stress. While there is no cure, many seniors with PD can benefit from home health care services that can help patients manage their stress and pain, as well as receive compassionate care and support needed to maintain their independence as much as possible.

How Can Liberty Home Health Care Services Help Patients with PD

At Liberty, we understand the unpredictable nature and challenges that seniors with Parkinson’s disease face on a daily basis. Common symptoms include muscle stiffness, tremors, and gait and balance issues, all of which can worsen with age. These symptoms can lead to other health concerns, such as falls, anxiety, depression, dementia, sleep issues, digestive issues, and difficult swallowing. Our expert staff understands these concerns and will help provide high-quality, compassionate care that helps patients better manage their symptoms and achieve their personal goals regarding their quality of life and independence. Oftentimes, patients with PD prefer to receive care at the comfort of their own home, especially as their disease progresses.

Manage Symptoms

For patients and their families, it’s important to remember it’s typically the disease’s symptoms that have the greater impact on a patient’s quality of life. Our home health care services will focus on maintaining a patient’s preferred comfort levels and extending their quality time with family and friends.

Address Mobility Concerns

Patients with Parkinson’s disease may experience mobility issues, which also affect their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Our Liberty team can help patients address their mobility concerns through physical therapy exercises designed to improve a patient’s balance and strength. Evaluating a patient’s home to make modifications is an effective way to improve their home’s safety and make it easier to perform everyday tasks needed to maintain their independence. 

Consider Respite Care

To provide the best care possible, primary caregivers must take breaks, especially for a loved one with a serious disease. If the caregiver doesn’t take a break from the physical and emotional demands of their job, they can become overwhelmed and no longer be able to provide adequate support. This is why respite care is a great option - caregivers have peace of mind knowing their loved one is in expert, caring hands, so they can receive the support they need.

As you can see, patients with Parkinson’s disease can benefit from receiving home health care services in the comfort of their home. This is the place that they know and love, which can reduce the stress caused by moving into an unfamiliar nursing home or senior residential community. Contact Liberty HomeCare and Hospice servicing NC, SC, and VA today to learn more about our expert home health care services for patients.


What is Chronic Care Management?

 

If you or a loved one has a chronic condition, you may have heard of chronic care management (CCM). For those that are new to this service, chronic care management provides chronic care services to Medicare beneficiaries with at least two chronic conditions expected to last at least 12 months. Let’s take a closer look at what chronic care management is and how it may be a good choice for your needs.

What Defines a Chronic Condition?

Before we dive into chronic care management, it’s helpful to understand what defines a chronic condition. A chronic condition lasts at least a year, requires ongoing medical care, and/or limits the activities of daily living (ADLs). 

Common chronic conditions include:

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF)
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Depression
  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • Hypertension
  • Osteoporosis
  • Stroke

What is Chronic Care Management?

Chronic care management provides care and support for patients with at least two chronic conditions that are expected to last a year or more. At Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services, our chronic care management aims to improve a patient’s overall quality of life. To do this, we create a personalized plan of treatment for each patient. 

This custom plan is designed to:

  • Provide education to the patient and family/caregiver on the disease process.
  • Help a patient achieve their personal health goals
  • Improve a patient’s mobility, physical fitness, and quality of sleep
  • Maintain an ongoing record of the patient’s chronic conditions, health care providers, medications, community services used or needed, and personal information
  • Reduce a patient’s pain and stress
  • Reduce the need for hospital readmissions
  • Reduce emergency room visits
  • Reduce length of stay in hospital visits

How Can Liberty Help Patients with Chronic Conditions?

If you or someone you know has chronic conditions, we recommend that you talk with your doctor about your options and whether chronic care management may be a good fit for your health needs. At Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services, our top priority is to help you achieve a better quality of life that you deserve. Contact us today to learn about our chronic care management services, so you can be on the road towards a healthier life.


Improve the Quality of Your Life with Palliative Care

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 85 percent of older adults have at least one serious health condition, while 60 percent have at least two serious conditions. These numbers indicate the growing number of older adults that suffer from chronic conditions. If you have a serious illness, you may be wondering how you can improve your quality of life and better manage your pain and stress due to your illness. Palliative care is an excellent option to improve the patient’s and their family’s lives. Keep reading to learn more about palliative care and how it may be a good choice for your specific needs.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is a special type of medical care for patients with a serious illness. At Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services, our palliative care is provided by nurse practitioners (NPs). These experts are dedicated to supporting and comforting patients with a serious illness. Our NPs work and coordinate with the patient’s external care team to ensure the patient receives the appropriate care. This care can be started or stopped at anytime, which makes it an ideal option for patients. Indeed, palliative is based on the needs of the patient, rather than the outcome of their illness. A patient’s doctor may recommend palliative care be provided in addition to using other curative treatments and therapies for their illness. 

Can Palliative Care Improve My Quality of Life?

Since palliative care is for anyone with a serious illness, this means it can benefit people with a wide range of chronic health conditions.

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
  • Alzheimer’s 
  • Cancer
  • Cardiac disease
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF)
  • Kidney disease
  • Renal failure
  • Scleroderma

Depending on the type of illness and treatments used, patients may experience a variety of symptoms.

  • Anxiety
  • Breathing issues
  • Constipation
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Sleeping issues

Your nurse practitioner will be there to support and comfort you, so you can live a better life with less pain, discomfort, and stress. Recent studies show that patients with serious illnesses that receive palliative care tend to live longer than those who do not receive this specialized medical care. It’s not surprising to hear that life is better when you receive the personalized care, support, and comfort you deserve.

Liberty’s Palliative Care

Our Liberty Palliative Care team is dedicated to helping our patients enjoy life and everyday activities without unnecessary discomfort and pain. Our NPs will ensure that palliative medications are coordinated with the patient’s external care team, as well as frequently monitor patients’ medications for optimal dosages. If you or someone you know could benefit from palliative care, we encourage you to talk with your loved ones and the relevant doctors. Palliative care is more than just providing medical care and support during a serious illness. Contact Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services today to learn more about our compassionate, expert services for our amazing patients.


What You Need to Know About Liberty’s Hospice Care

 

Hospice care is a misunderstood term that many people only associate with end of life. However, hospice is about making the end of life transition with dignity and making each day matter with our compassionate, supportive care. At Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services, we want to help patients and their families learn about the benefits of hospice care, which goes beyond just caring for patients with life-limiting illnesses. In general, patients qualify for hospice care when they have a serious illness and have been given 6 months or less to live, according to their doctor. Our expert team provides compassion, comfort, education, and emotional and spiritual support for both patients and their families. Continue reading to learn more about Liberty’s hospice care, so you can determine whether hospice is the best choice for your loved one.

Liberty’s Hospice Care

1. Hospice is for Patients with Serious Illnesses

Hospice care provides comfort care, as well as emotional and spiritual support for patients with serious illnesses that are no longer seeking aggressive treatment. Our expert, caring staff understands this and have the technology, experience, and dedication to ensure every patient receives the highest quality of care and support they deserve at home. This care is about making each day matter, sharing time with loved ones, and easing through a natural stage of life.

2. Hospice is a Choice

Hospice is a choice. This means patients can choose to stop receiving hospice care at any time. If patients would like to receive hospice services again, they are welcome to as long as they meet the hospice eligibility qualifications.

3. Patients Can Receive Medicine for Pain Management

With their doctor’s approval, patients can receive medicine to help manage their pain and control symptoms. This can help comfort our patients and improve their quality of life.

4. Hospice Provides Home Medical Equipment Related to a Patient’s Illness

Hospice care can also provide home medical equipment and supplies directly related to a patient’s illness. This can include durable medical equipment (DME), shower chairs, oxygen tanks, disposable supplies, hospital beds, and more.

5. Families are Encouraged to Help Provide Care

Our hospice team will support and educate families and caregivers on how to take care of their loved one in their home setting. The home setting can be in an individual’s house, an assisted living, or a nursing facility.  This can be a stressful time, which is why our team will make regular scheduled visits to ensure patients, families, and caregivers receive high-quality care, support, and comfort.

6. Start Hospice Sooner Rather Than Later

Hospice care can be ordered for patients with a terminal illness. Starting hospice care as soon as a patient is appropriate allows for patients and their families/caregivers to receive the full benefits of the service improving the patients’ quality of life.

7. Hospice Supports Patients’ Families

After a patient passes away, we offer bereavement care to their loved ones for up to 13 months. This can help ease the impact of death, address emotional and spiritual pain caused by their loved one’s passing, and begin the road towards healing. This special care includes support programs, educational information, and counseling.   

As you can see, hospice care is not just about end of life care. It’s about embracing each day, spending time with loved ones, and easing through a natural part of life. Our hospice patients receive high-quality services, compassionate care, support, and education. If you would like to learn more about our hospice services at Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services, visit our site today or call us at 800-999-9883.


What is Home Care?

 

As people age, their health and lifestyle needs change. For most seniors, they would prefer to stay in their homes. This is not only more comfortable, it can also reduce costs spent on frequent hospital visits or nursing homes and improve the quality of their health and well-being. Of course, the best type of care will vary for each patient. If your loved one’s doctor or Non-Physician Practitioner (NP or PA) has recommended home care, you may want to know what this is and how it benefits patients. At Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services, we provide high-quality home health care services. Continue reading to learn all about home care and why it may be a good choice for your loved one.

What is Home Care?

Home care refers to any professional support services that enable a patient to live safely and independently in their home. 

There are a wide range of people that can benefit from home care:

  • An aging person who requires assistance with daily activities
  • A person with chronic health conditions
  • A person recovering from a medical setback
  • A person with special needs or a disability

Depending on the patient’s needs, there may be a variety of professionals who may visit their home. For example, nurses, caregivers, and therapists can provide short or long-term care in a patient’s homes. A patient’s doctor/NPP and a clinical assessment will help determine whether home care is a good option for a patient.

Home Care that Promotes Independence

In many cases, home care is an effective way to obtain a high quality of life and promote independence. Home care helps patients manage their health conditions and regain their independence one day at a time. This can reduce or even avoid costly hospital visits. Home care patients tend to recover faster when they are in the comfort of their own homes compared to patients in different care settings. Indeed, patients being in their own home also reduces stress associated with being away from home and in unfamiliar settings. 

Physician ordered Home Health Care may include:

  • Assistance with daily activities, such as bathing and dressing when other skilled services are ordered, such as nursing or therapy
  • Therapy and rehabilitation
  • Short or long-term skilled nursing care for patients’ illnesses, diseases, or disabilities

Home Health Care

Like other medical care, there are different types of home care for patients. While there are different types, all home care is focused on helping patients live a healthier, happier, more independent life. Additionally, home care also gives families peace of mind knowing their loved one is in good, expert hands. Home Health Care provides short-term care to help patients recover from or prevent an illness, injury, or hospital visit. This type of care needs to be prescribed by a doctor and is offered at Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services.

Liberty Home Health Care Services

Liberty HomeCare’s team of experts can cover all of your home health care needs. We provide home health care services for patients in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Our primary goal is to provide high-quality care that promotes independence and a more active lifestyle for all patients. In turn, this goal helps family members have peace of mind that their loved one will be in good hands. Another key component is to educate our patients and their families about the patient’s care and how to help them make a full recovery. 

We hope you enjoyed this article discussing what home care is and why it may be a good fit for your loved one. If you would like to learn more about our home care services, contact Liberty HomeCare and Hospice Services today.


Heart Work in action at Liberty Hospice in Dunn!

This Christmas, the nurses, nurses aides, and social workers at Liberty Hospice in Dunn delivered Christmas stockings and beautiful gift bags to their patients. Five families also received a Christmas dinner basket that included a turkey or ham and all the fixings! These wonderful gifts were made possible by the collaboration of Liberty Hospice employees and Community Care Partners, First Baptist Church of Dunn, and Saint Matthews United Methodist Church of Fuquay Varina.

Liberty employees provided the stockings, gift baskets, and dinner fixings. First Baptist Church of Dunn provided the turkeys and hams, while the Partners in Christ, PinC. Ladies group at Saint Matthews provided all the stocking stuffers and the gift bags!

Providing the Best Quality of Life for Patients and Families

It is very important to the team to provide the best quality of life possible for our patients and their families,” said Holly Price, RN, CHPN and the Patient Care Coordinator at Liberty Home Care and Hospice. “They are always so very appreciative of the extras that the hospice team provides, not only at Christmas, but throughout the year.”

Kimmie Fox, RN, CHPCA and our Hospice Operations Manager stated that, “Despite a terminal illness, even at the end of life, families can focus on living and experiencing meaningful moments together. It is our goal to not only provide the highest level of quality medical care to our patients but to also provide emotional and spiritual support to their families.”

This Christmas holiday will hopefully be a little brighter for these patients because of wonderful community partnerships like these that can truly make a difference!

For more information on Liberty Home Care and Hospice services or to see how you can make a difference as a volunteer today, please call: 910-892-1906.


New Medicare Cards Coming In 2018

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service is continuing their effort to provide information regarding the update coming to Medicare cards in 2018.  To learn more about this change and how it affects you, click here.


Thank You For Voting Liberty #1!

ماتش اليوم

For the 2nd year in a row, Liberty HomeCare and Hospice of Supply, NC would like to thank everyone for voting them “Best of Brunswick” for Home Health! This award is voted on by Brunswick Beacon readers and serves as a resource for identifying and recognizing top service providers in Brunswick County. Liberty HomeCare and Hospice appreciates the opportunity to provide care to the residents of Brunswick County, as well as surrounding areas.

Again, we would like to extend our thanks to everyone that voted and those that have allowed Liberty Home Care and Hospice to care for them and/or their loved one!