Angela Wright said:He really ought to be getting his IV fluids at home. His primary care doctor should be arranging for a visiting nurse and home health services. Based on his diagnosis, he’s entitled to daily home visits lasting about 45 minutes...
I suppose there should be palliative teams integrated within primary care that operate out in the field.
Actually, patients receiving palliative care have a right to home healthcare visits lasting up to 120 minutes. Generally, when a patient's condition is truly critical, a home health nurse can visit five times a week. She can also administer intravenous infusions and stay with the patient while the infusion is running. I should point out that infusions are administered based on the assessment of medical professionals, specifically in cases of dehydration or when oral intake isn't possible. An infusion isn't some miracle cure that "uplifts" a patient; it’s strictly for hydration (with the exception of glucose).
There are palliative teams in Chicago (just like in other parts of the US—there are currently 22 active ones total). Their role is symptom management—adjusting and titrating analgesics, easing nausea and vomiting, advising families on nutrition, changing urinary catheters for men, and setting up subcutaneous infusions. Those subcutaneous ones run for about 8 hours, and the family is trained on how to handle them—since they don't go into a vein, there's no fear of complications, so you don't necessarily need a nurse standing over the patient the whole time.
In Chicago, you have teams provided through local health centers. If you aren't quite sure which specific district you fall under, I guess you should check their websites and look up your street on the visiting nurse service lists. If, for example, the local health district covers your area, their mobile palliative team can come by. To get a palliative team involved, you don't even need a formal referral; you just call the number and coordinate a visit with them.
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