Home healthcare nurse
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Home healthcare nurse · Mar 2002
Case ReportsAccomplishing quality of life in end-stage heart failure: a hospice multidisciplinary approach.
The literature addresses using multidisciplinary teams to manage outpatient heart failure patients to reduce hospital readmission rates, increase functional capacity, and improve quality of life. This article shows how a multidisciplinary team can be used for these same patients in a hospice home care program.
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Palliative care developed during the hospice movement. Hospice was associated as a rest place for weary travelers in ancient times, many of whom were ill. Hospice first became associated with the dying in France in 1842; the first modern hospice, St. ⋯ The traditional view of palliative care indicates that symptomatic and supportive care are generally withheld until all attempts to treat the underlying disease and other medical problems are exhausted. Many times, palliative care is offered with little time left for living. Palliative care should be considered in conjunction with active treatment, and, as death nears, palliative care becomes more important as active treatment while cure become less important.
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Guided imagery is a therapeutic technique that allows a person to use his or her own imagination to connect their body and mind to achieve desirable outcomes such as decreased pain perception and reduced anxiety. This article describes the use and application of guided imagery for clients in the home and the benefits to the agency. A step-by-step approach to teaching clients how to use guided imagery is included.
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Home healthcare nurse · Jun 2000
Home care nursing for persons with congestive heart failure: description and relationship to hospital readmission.
Although home care nursing has been associated with a lower rate of repeated hospitalization of persons with congestive heart failure, little is known about this relation. This study examined variables that reflect information about demographic characteristics, clinical status, nursing services, and repeated hospitalization for persons admitted with a primary diagnosis of congestive heart failure to one home care agency during one fiscal year. Implications related to assessment, documentation, patient instruction, and further research are discussed.
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These cases offer evidence of the potential utility of telephone support for one of the most challenging segments of the population. This group of clients often does not have strong support of any kind. Telephone support shows promise of offering cost-effective care for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Home healthcare nurses are encouraged to use this information as a basis for exploring the use of telephone support as a cost-effective system with their patients.