When you leave the hospital with home tube feeding, things can easily become overwhelming. A feeding tube can be critical in meeting nutrition needs but it’s not without its difficulties. The stress of dealing with a new medical device and new way of “eating” can take its toll on a family. Not to mention the potential complications of tube feeding, such as gastrointestinal issues, and clogged or displaced feeding tubes.
You need a strong support system that includes your family, your doctor/nurse and a registered dietitian (RD) that knows your feeding supplies. Your home medical supply company RD can help you prevent and deal with common complications of home tube feeding, such as weight loss or gain, tube clogging, gastrointestinal symptoms and hydration issues.
An RD can close the gap between hospital and home and provide the continued support you need to thrive.
An RD that is part of your home medical supply company can:
- Instruct you on how to use the supplies and formula
- Explain your nutrition prescription and regimen
- Ensure you are meeting nutrition goals for optimal health
- Complete a nutrition assessment for your medical team
- Monitor your tolerance and troubleshoot issues related to tube feeding
- Contact your doctor and recommend changes to your treatment plan
- Provide helpful tips and resources on nutrition and tube feeding
Research shows that specialized monitoring of home tube feeding helps prevent hospital readmissions:
Looking For a support group dealing with people that are on tube feeding for their nourishment, I am a 88-year-old who requires tube feeding for my nursery.