What is infusion care?

SA Home Care is the only doctor-led multidisciplinary homecare organisation in South Africa. Our services go beyond traditional home nursing offered by other service providers.

A medical doctor will prescribe the infusions and a SA Home Care registered nurse will administer the infusions and liaise with the doctor.

Infusion Care Services

Infusion therapy is when medication is delivered into the vein via a needle or catheter. Home infusion therapy is when a patient receives the therapy outside a hospital or clinical setting. It is safe, more cost effective and convenient for patients without the unintended consequences of hospital-incurred inflection. (a.k.a Super bugs)

• These services are provided by registered nurses.

Home Care Service Provided For These Conditions

Some of the treatments that home infusion care can include:

• Antibiotics – used to treat a number of infectious and chronic conditions, including respiratory issues and transplant infections.

• Parenteral nutrition – for conditions such as stomach cancers and other gastric diseases where patients cannot process nutrients through the stomach or intestines.

• Enteral nutrition – feeding tube treatments may be required for patients with advanced Alzheimer’s or other conditions where eating with the mouth is prohibited.

• Cardiac therapies – which may include blood-thinning infusions or treatment for inflammations in the circulatory system.

• IV/Sub-Q Gamma Globulin – this covers a number of chronic illnesses in which the body is unable to produce appropriate antibodies.

• Pain management – which can include steroids and IVIG treatments for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

• Anti-emetics – this can be precipitated by an actual condition or may be a conjunct treatment for other therapies such as chemotherapy.

• Hemophilia therapies – these often include IVIG treatments and other medications which assist in elevating clotting factors within the body.

• General hydration – this treatment may be adjunct to other infusion therapies or may be required for patients with severe chronic conditions, or cognitive disorders and dementias, which prevent patients from hydrating themselves properly.

As there are a number of conditions that can call for some form of infusion therapy, home infusion care gives patients a greater freedom for well-being while still following the prescribed drug protocols.