Home Health Aide On-The-Go In-Service Lessons: Vol. 4, Issue 7: Infusion Therapy

This lesson on Infusion Therapy includes a complete training packet. Each in-service packet takes approximately one hour to complete and fully meets the Medicare in-service training requirements. As aides need training, you can make as many copies as you want - there's no restriction when used with aides assigned from your office location. Remember that Home Health Aides must have 12 hours of in-service training every year.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this program, the home health aide will be able to: List two reasons for infusion therapyIdentify three observations that home health aides should report, andDistinguish between tunneled or implanted catheters and peripherally inserted infusion lines.

OVERVIEW
The frequency of home infusion therapy has increased substantially in the past 25 years. Not only is it more comfortable for patients; home infusion therapy is less costly than hospital-based infusion therapy. While infusion therapy usually is more commonly provided for a short duration, some patients receive long-term therapy. Patients with end-stage heart failure may receive dobutamine intravenously for the rest of their lives, or while awaiting cardiac transplantation. Some patients may receive total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for very long periods of time.


While home health aides are not directly involved in providing the infusion therapy, they do need to know about the different types of home infusions that may be provided. Aides will visit patients with a variety of venous access devices, and it is important for them to have a basic understanding of the differences between the devices. The purpose of this in-service is to provide basic information about infusion therapy.