Saint Elizabeth Health Care’s Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses provide a broad range of services to people of all ages and diagnoses in the comfort and convenience of their own home, workplace or other community setting. Our nurses care for individuals who have just been discharged from the hospital with acute care needs, as well as for those with complex or chronic conditions and longer term health care requirements.
The goal of our holistic approach is to partner with clients and families so that they are fully involved in care decisions, thus, being responsive to individual needs and preferences. Our approach to care and treatment plans can include improvements in overall health, maintenance of optimal health status, increased independence or a positive end-of-life experience.
In addition to employing nurses who have a wide variety of skills and experiences to meet client needs, many of our nurses also have specialized skills with additional education, certifications and experience. These specialty services include:
- Advanced Foot Care (anchor to sections below)
- Breastfeeding Consultation
- Continence Management
- Diabetes Management
- Home Chemotherapy
- Home Dialysis
- Home Infusion
- Mental Health Care
- Respiratory Care
- Palliative Care
- Pre and Postnatal Care
- Psychogeriatric Services
- Wound and Ostomy Care
Assessments
In addition to interventions, Saint Elizabeth Health Care's health services include a variety of professional assessment services. Assessments may be accessed as a stand-alone service or in conjunction with direct-care services. Our comprehensive assessments address not only an individual’s physical and mental health status, but also an evaluation of the environment, social supports and spiritual needs.
The following is a comprehensive list of assessment services offered by Saint Elizabeth Health Care:
- Specialty Assessments (for all of the specialty areas described above)
- Physical Health Status
- Mental Health Status
- Physical Functioning
- Home Functioning
- Psychosocial
- Physical Demands
- Environmental
- Work Site Analysis/Ergonomics
- In-Home Safety
- Attendant Care Needs
- Assistive Devices
- Pre-Discharge
Education and Consultation
The expert knowledge of Saint Elizabeth Health Care's talented nursing team can be accessed by other organizations including residential care facilities, clinics, consumer groups, social service agencies and hospitals. We can:
- Provide customized education packages and training sessions for both regulated and unregulated health care providers
- Collaborate on the planning and direction of clinical services and programs
- Develop support groups
- Assist with the identification of community needs
- Help establish linkages among local organizations
- Develop and implement post-secondary curriculum
- Participate in research
Proper foot care is often a challenge for the elderly and is particularly important for people living with diabetes. Nurses certified in foot care management provide treatment, health teaching and advice in areas such as skin care, footwear and foot care in homes, clinics or other community settings.
Getting off to a good start is the key to successful breastfeeding. Some new mothers and their babies face challenges that our certified Lactation Consultants can help resolve. Our breastfeeding experts offer advice in a number of areas, including proper positioning and latching, and solutions to common breastfeeding problems.
Saint Elizabeth Health Care’s certified Nurse Continence Advisors provide treatment and symptom management education to individuals experiencing a lack of bowel or bladder control resulting from a variety of conditions. These experts develop customized treatment plans based on a comprehensive assessment and offer ongoing teaching and support. The result is improved quality-of-life and a reduction in the need for expensive continence supplies.
Through community-based education, Saint Elizabeth Health Care’s diabetes management services are designed to improve the client’s quality-of-life. With the support of our Certified Diabetes Educators, nurses provide education and advice on topics such as blood sugar monitoring and management, general health care, as well as lifestyle choices and their impact on long term health.
Home chemotherapy may be preferred by individuals who have difficulty getting to and from clinics or hospitals, as well as by those who would rather receive treatment in the comfort of their own home. Certified in the delivery of home chemotherapy, our chemo nurses work cooperatively with the supervising physician to design a personalized care program, which includes pain management and check-ups between treatments. Clients receiving home chemotherapy are also provided with extensive information on side effects and symptom management.
Receiving peritoneal dialysis at home can dramatically improve the quality-of-life for those living with impaired kidney function. Saint Elizabeth Health Care certifies many of our nurses in the skills required for home delivery of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and supports them through 24-hour access to clinical supports. We also collaborate with local hospitals to ensure that we incorporate the care requirements unique to each facility.
Home infusion, also called intravenous (IV) therapy, is commonly delivered in a community setting. Our nurses can provide comprehensive care in IV hydration and medication administration, ambulatory infusion pump monitoring, and central venous and PICC line maintenance. Selected staff also receive education on chemotherapy, flolan and TPN administration, as well as initiation of IVs and midlines. Our nurses provide individuals and families with education on treatments so that they can make informed decisions about their care.
Saint Elizabeth Health Care recognizes the unique need of individuals with mental health concerns. We employ highly skilled mental health nurses with knowledge of major mental illnesses, treatment modalities, pharmacological and behavioural management issues, local community resources and liaison strategies, concurrent disorders and co-morbidities. They also receive training in crisis intervention in mental health, suicide risk assessment and crisis prevention.
For individuals living with respiratory ailments such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, learning how to better manage their conditions can reduce respiratory distress while enhancing quality of life and increasing independence. Saint Elizabeth Health Care nurses are able to provide the teaching and support required. For unique or very complex respiratory concerns, a respiratory consultant is available to provide consultation and advice to clients and families as well as the primary health care team.
Palliative CareFor persons with a progressive life-threatening illness, Saint Elizabeth Health Care provides palliative care services that support both the individual and the family. Since comfort is a key focus, our nurses have skills and knowledge in leading-edge interventions related to pain management and stay apprised of current complementary therapies. Those in end-of life situations have unique psychosocial needs and our nurses are able to take a lead role in counselling and helping the individual and family cope with their emotions. Staff also provide grief and bereavement support before, during and after death. Our nurses have access to the advice and support of our Palliative Care Nurse Consultants with advanced education, knowledge and experience.
Saint Elizabeth Health Care’s maternal/newborn nurses help prepare expectant mothers for the birth of their babies with childbirth education designed to provide the knowledge, confidence and resources that support a positive birth experience. Most new mothers and babies leave hospital after a very short stay. We offer postnatal services to help mom and baby get off to a healthy start at home. In addition to providing education, support and referral to appropriate community resources, our expert nurses are able to assess the mother’s physical and emotional health. Babies’ feeding, voiding and stooling patterns are also assessed and they are examined for signs of jaundice and dehydration.
Psychogeriatric ServicesSaint Elizabeth Health Care's psychogeriatric services are designed to enhance quality-of-life and help prevent the early hospitalization of individuals age 65 and over suffering from depression, Alzheimer's disease and other psychiatric disorders. Our team consists of nurses with extensive experience in assessing and treating psychogeriatric disorders and, using standardized methods, such as an advanced psychogeriatric assessment that includes the client's physical and mental health status, fosters a positive environment that accounts for the client’s social supports and spiritual needs. The assessment also helps to develop a customized, holistic treatment/care plan that promotes a person’s independence and control.
Wound care is a commonly needed skill in the community. For wounds that are complex, our Wound Ostomy Resource Nurses are available to provide assessments, interventions and consultation. These specialist nurses are supported and educated by Saint Elizabeth Health Care’s certified Enterostomal Therapists who are recognized leaders in the field. Our advanced wound care services are focused on providing timely, cost-effective, outcome-focused interventions for persons with acute and chronic wounds. Efforts are directed toward identifying the cause of the wound, maintaining the most effective, infection-free environment for wound-healing. In addition to advising surgeons on the best place for an ostomy site, our experts offer consultations before and after surgery and are knowledgeable about the rehabilitation of individuals with new ostomies, including learning how to live with one and how to return to their former lifestyle.