Referral Guide for Discharge Planners: Placing a Ventilator-Dependent Patient in Vancouver, WA
Respiratory-challenged patients may need long-term ventilation support even after being discharged from the hospital. Such patients are transferred to care facilities other than their homes. Finding the best facility to accommodate such patients’ nursing, mobility, respiratory, and daily hygiene care routine is overwhelming sometimes; however, Better Options Adult Family Home can be a good option for such patients in Vancouver, Washington.
Who May Be Considered for Referral?
Better Options facility facilitates any adult in need of ongoing ventilation support or complex care needs. Here, a resident can get support with
- Long-term ventilation, invasive or non-invasive
- Respiratory care
- Tracheostomy support
- Medication and nutrition management
- Personal hygiene in daily routine
- Mobility and communication support
However, a referral alone is not enough for admission in the Better Options facility, as every resident gets admission after a careful review. Better Options adult home considers multiple options, including staffing needs, room availability, equipment and backup supply needs, environment, and safety measures necessary for the residents before accepting any resident.
However, it is worth noting that the Better Options facility does not initiate or control discharge from the hospital. Given that, it is the responsibility of the hospital to manage the overall discharge process of the patient and make a safe transfer to the care facility.
Begin the Referral Process Early
The receiving facility and referring team review the patient’s record carefully to discuss all possible care options and barriers. It is thus advised to start discharge planning as soon as possible so that both parties get plenty of time to find out any missing piece of information.
Patient discharge planning, as suggested by CMS guidelines, must include his medical goals as well as treatment preferences. It is important to include both patients and their representatives in post-discharge care planning. Early referrals even become inevitable when patients need specialized care and equipment supply, extensive medical care by multiple healthcare professionals, and complex medication management.
Information Commonly Needed for Clinical Review
The document needed to review the referral depends upon the condition of the patient. The receiving facility may need to review the patient’s information, including full name, DOB, location, legal representative contact info, insurance, and preferred language or mode of communication.
Other review documents may include:
Medical Information
- History and diagnoses
- Physical examination report and specialist’s note
- Recent labs and imaging results
- Current medication administration record
- Known allergies, infection record, or any precaution needed
- Code status and advance directives, when applicable
- Recent hospitalizations or significant clinical events
Ventilator and Respiratory Information
- Mode of ventilation
- Oxygen requirements
- Tracheostomy type
- Suctioning and secretion-management needs
- Weaning status
- Respiratory goals, therapists, and pulmonologists’ notes
- Backup ventilation and emergency requirements
Functional and Daily-Care Needs
- Mobility and repositioning schedule
- Pressure-injury risks
- Dietary needs and feeding support needed
- Bowel and bladder support
- Skin care and wound management
- Cognitive and behavioral issues
- Assistance needed daily
How the Clinical Review Works
Washington Administrative Code (WAC) legally binds adult family homes to obtain and assess the information about the residents’ needs as well as personal preferences before admission.
Given that, the Better Options team carefully and completely assesses the condition and medical preferences of the patients before admitting to the facility. The review team discusses and may ask for additional records of the referred patients from the referring hospital staff. Once satisfied, the Better Options facility accepts the prospective resident.
Equipment and Medication Coordination
A primary ventilator is sometimes not enough to match the needs of long-term ventilator-dependent patients. It may sometimes involve proper equipment planning, including the need for backup ventilators and emergency supplies, oximeters, suction management equipment, tracheostomy and feeding equipment, humidifiers, specialized beds, and mobility devices.
The duty of the referring team is not only to provide a complete list of equipment specifications but also medication so that everything is set up before the transfer of the patient to the facility. It is important to timely report any significant change in the condition of the referred patient before transportation so that the receiving facility may reassess the original plan and work accordingly.
Why Refer to Better Options?
Better Options is best known for providing specialized care to long-term ventilator-dependent adults in a homelike setting. It accommodates its residents with private rooms and focuses on personalized routines, patients’ privacy and dignity, comfort, family involvement, and one-to-one relationships among nursing staff and patients. Better Options Adult Home facility characterizes 24/7 availability of trained nursing staff and on-call professionals and therapists. This way, it promises the best services as per the needs and personal preferences of the patients and their representatives.
Contact Better Options About a Referral
Discharge planners, case managers, social workers, and healthcare providers can contact Better Options to discuss a potential referral, request information, or arrange an initial review.
Better Options Ventilator Specialty Care
Phone: (360) 944-4471
Email: ventcarebo@protonmail.com
Address: 15214 NE 25th Circle, Vancouver, WA 98684
Website: BetterOptionsVentilator.com
