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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com with another quick tip for families in intensive care.

So, today I have a question from John who says, “They’re forcing my brother out of intensive care with a tracheostomy. What can I do?”

Well, John, that’s a great question. I can also understand why you are asking the question, because the bottom line is, when someone has a tracheostomy, they either need to be in intensive care or they need to be at home with Intensive Care at Home. Now, you haven’t really shared what the situation is with your brother. I’m sure there’s other things happening. There are reasons why he has the tracheostomy. Can he have the tracheostomy removed? Those are all questions that you haven’t shared with me or the answers you haven’t shared with me.

But the bottom line is, you’re right on the money here that your brother shouldn’t be forced out of intensive care with a tracheostomy and your safety concerns are very, very valid because as soon as someone leaves intensive care with a tracheostomy, the skills to manage and look after a tracheostomy are really not available outside of intensive care so there needs to be a plan when someone leaves intensive care with a tracheostomy.

Some hospitals they place patients on a ward or on a floor, and they have a 1:1 nurse to patient ratio with an intensive care nurse or with a critical care nurse that knows and has the training and the experience how to manage a tracheostomy. Other strategies can be that some ICUs have an ICU outreach team, one ICU liaison team, and they can continue to manage the tracheostomy on the ward or on the floor. But the best option here is home care with Intensive Care at Home. You can get more information at intensivecareathome.com how to safely transition a patient home from intensive care with a tracheostomy.

Now, more importantly, I actually have done a YouTube live a few weeks ago with a title, “A Blueprint for Hospital Discharge with Tracheostomy with Intensive Care at Home,” and I’ll link towards this video and the blog post so you can actually use that as a blueprint for your brother’s situation. How to get help? What’s the best course of action so your brother can be safe?

Unfortunately, patients have died when they leave intensive care with a tracheostomy because they’re coming into the wrong environments whether that is with LTAC (Long Term Acute Care) in the U.S. in particular, or in a Skilled Nursing Facility, this is all unique to the US. But in other countries such as the U.K. or Australia, they really need to go home with Intensive Care at Home because outside of intensive care is simply not safe for them to be looked after. But again, have a look at the video, “A Blueprint for Hospital Discharge with Tracheostomy with Intensive Care at Home” and you get all the information in there.

So that is my quick tip for today.

I have worked in critical care for nearly 25 years in three different countries where I also worked as a nurse manager for over 5 years. I’ve been consulting and advocating for families in intensive care since 2013 here at intensivecarehotline.com. We have saved lives with our consulting and advocacy. You can verify that on our testimonial section. You can verify it on our podcast section where we have done client interviews.

That is also why we created the membership for families of critically ill patients in intensive care, you can get access to the membership, and you can become a member if you go to intensivecarehotline.com if you click on the membership link or if you’re going to intensivecaresupport.org directly. In the membership, you have access to me and my team, 24 hours a day, in the membership area and via email, and we answer all questions intensive care related.

In the membership, you also have exclusive access to 21 eBooks and 21 videos that will help you to steer this incredibly difficult territory that is intensive care, and the information will help you to make informed decisions, have peace of mind, control, power, and influence, making sure your loved one gets best care and treatment. Those videos and eBooks are exclusively available as part of being a member in our membership.

Now, I also offer one-on-one consulting and advocacy for families in intensive care over the phone, Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, whichever medium works best for you. I talk to you and your families directly. I talk to doctors and nurses directly. I’ll make sure once again you make informed decisions, have peace of mind, control, power, and influence making sure your loved one is getting best care and treatment.

When I talk to doctors and nurses directly, I also ask the questions that you haven’t even considered asking but must be asked when you have a loved one in intensive care.

We also offer medical record reviews in real time so that you can get a second opinion in real time. We also offer medical record reviews after intensive care if you have unanswered questions, if you need closure, or if you are suspecting medical negligence.

I also represent you in family meetings with intensive care teams.

All of that you get at intensivecarehotline.com. Call us on one of the numbers on the top of our website or send an email to support@intensivecarehotline.com.

Also, If you like my YouTube channel and my videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular updates for families in intensive care. Click the like button, click the notification bell, share the video with your friends and families, and comment below what you want to see next, what questions and insights you have.

I also do a weekly YouTube Live where I answer your questions live on a chat on a show and you get notification if you are a subscriber of my YouTube channel.

Thank you so much for watching.

This is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com and I will talk to you in a few days.

Take care for now.

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