Enteral nutrition is also called tube feeding, and it is an effective way of delivering food directly to the stomach or small intestine. The doctor recommends tube feeding if you or a patient cannot get the sufficient nutrients needed by the body.
Apria Healthcare–eminent name in home enteral nutrition therapy
Apria Healthcare is a leading and highly trustworthy name in home respiratory and specific medical equipment in the Lake Forest, CA area of the USA. It is a private company owned by a group of investment limited partnerships managed by the affiliates of Blackstone or NYSE-BX.
Via its operating unit, Apria Healthcare LLC offers home respiratory therapy, quality home enteral nutrition therapy, and support and therapy for damaging pressure wounds in about 350 locations across the USA and Hawaii. It belonged to one of the nation’s largest and credible companies in the field of home healthcare. It was the first organization to receive a voluntary accreditation from The Joint Commission. It has been constantly accredited with this recognition for more than 25 years.
What do you mean by home enteral therapy?
According to the professionals here, doctors refer it to home enteral nutrition when tube feeding takes place outside of the hospital. Here, a skilled and experienced team teaches a patient or caregiver how to feed themselves with a tube and offer support when they encounter problems.
When is home enteral therapy recommended?
Home enteral therapy might be recommended if one has difficulty eating; however, the digestive system usually functions here. Cases where home enteral therapy is recommended are as follows-
- Cancer, like in the case of cancers in the neck and head or a cancer treatment that makes it hard or painful for one to swallow
- Neurological problems like the case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or stroke
- Gastrointestinal problems like delayed gastric emptying and obstruction in bowel movements
- Trauma like injury to the digestive tract
What are the different types of feeding tubes?
Feeding tubes used in home enteral therapy deliver liquid nutrition directly to the small intestine or the stomach. The options include-
- The feeding tube passes through the nose-If a patient needs a feeding tube for less than a month or so; doctors recommend inserting the tube through the nose and into the stomach (the nasogastric tube) or small intestine (the nasojejunal tube)
- A feeding tube that is passed through the abdomen skin- If a patient needs a feeding tube for a longer-term, the doctor recommends a procedure where the feeding tube goes through the skin of the abdomen into the stomach (gastrostomy) or into the small intestine (jejunostomy)
The professionals at Apria Healthcare state that the best tube for the patient depends on their situation. The healthcare provider will guide the patients accordingly. Besides the above, the team will also educate the patient or the caregiver on how to safely administer the home enteral therapy procedure and assist them in the face of problems over time.
