Changing Home Nursing Agency

This past Thursday morning we received a phone call from the Home Nursing Agency telling us that they had fired my nurse. I was so happy I think I would have danced if I could have gotten out of my wheelchair. When the agency asked about sending a replacement nurse we told them not to bother. I really wasn’t up to training yet another nurse and P is on vacation this week so there really isn’t the need for help this week.

Because of all the problems we have had with this Home Nursing Agency these past 4 weeks while I have been on the IV antibiotic, which is the time we really need the services, we have decided to change back to the original Hospital Home Health intermittent skilled nursing service. The hospital does not provide private duty nurses to stay with me, but we have hired a young lady from our church to come in for a couple of hours to help with my lunches, cleaning my trach, and doing light housekeeping such as changing my bedding.

Now that we have experienced both types of nursing services we feel, that at this time, having intermittent skilled nursing services and having some help during the middle of the day is the best solution. P and I both agree that having a Home Nursing Agency provide a private duty nurse during the hours P is at work has been an important learning experience. Should I need a private duty nurse in the future, we now have experience and will ask more pointed questions about exactly what services the agency provides.

As with everything in life we have learn a lot from this experience.