General District Nursing
The State and Commonwealth governments fund the majority of home nursing through the Home and Community Care (HACC) funding. The aim is to provide quality nursing for people in their own homes, delivered by experienced Registered Nurses.
Typical interventions include:
- Hygiene assistance and assessment for ongoing hygiene assistance by HACC services
- Post-operative wound care
- IV antibiotics and PICC line management
- Leg ulcer management including Doppler assessment
- Medication assistance
- Monitoring blood pressure &/or blood sugar levels
- Collection of blood for pathology tests (for people who live out of town)
- Assisting with education of patients e.g. diabetes, use of oxygen at home, colostomy care, basic foot/toenail care
- Continence assessment, support and referral to other specialist services such as Allied Health, HACC, etc.
Within the service, there are nurses whose expertise is able to provide specific care such as Lymphodema management. Patients can be referred for assessment and ongoing routine massage treatments, and liaison with providers for pressure garments.
Currently there are a total of nine nurses who provide individualized nursing care to patients across most of the catchment area of the local shire. In addition, the service provides placement of medical, nursing and pharmacy students throughout the year. Treatment plans are discussed and negotiated with each patient, and designed to facilitate optimal outcomes.
Fees
The Department of Health and Community Services requires that fees be charged for District Nursing visits. You will be given a list of current charges. Fees can be reduced or waived if payment will cause hardship.