The UAE recognizes people with disabilities as ‘People of Determination’, highlighting their abilities and resilience. Most live at home with their families, where they are most comfortable and can remain very close to those they love.
The care of a family member with a physical, neurological, or developmental disability can be very rewarding. At times it may be challenging. There are certain care tasks that family members may lack, such as the care of a feeding tube, a catheter, or a breathing machine. Issues may also come up at any time, frequently during clinic hours.
This article will describe how a home nursing service can offer skilled care and planned care and how a nurse on call can assist when unexpected issues arise. It also leverages the experience of The Nurse Company, a UAE home healthcare provider that services the families of loved ones with complex needs.
Everyday Care Needs That Benefit From Professional Nursing
People’s needs vary, and many People of Determination live independently or require minimal health care support. Some conditions, however, require long-term medical management such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, or severe intellectual disability, and long-term clinical management may include:
- Tube feeding: caring for gastrostomy (PEG) tube or nasogastric tube, feeds,s and tube hygiene.
- Catheter and continence care: insertion and changing of catheters, and infection prevention.
- Respiratory assistance: suctioning, oxygen therapy and care of tracheostomy patients.
- Skin care: prevention and treatment of pressure sores in individuals with wheelchairs and/or prolonged bed rest.
- Medication management – ensuring medicines are taken when needed, such as medications for seizures, spasticity, and pain.
- Mobility and positioning: safe transfers, repositioning, ng and the use of hoists or other equipment.
These tasks are safer to do or supervise by a trained nurse, especially during the early stages when family members are not confident.
Planned Care: What a Home Nursing Service Provides
A home nursing service delivers regular, scheduled care in the person’s own home. Care is based on an initial assessment and a written care plan agreed with the family and, where relevant, the person’s doctor or therapist.
Planned nursing support may include:
| Type of care | Examples |
| Clinical procedures | Catheter changes, stoma care, tube feeding, wound dressing |
| Monitoring | Vital signs, weight, hydration, seizure records |
| Medication | Giving oral medicines and injections, and keeping accurate records |
| Personal care | Bathing, grooming and positioning with dignity |
| Coordination | Sharing updates with doctors, physiotherapists and speech therapists |
This support can be tailored to the family’s requirements, ranging from a few visits per week to a few hours a day or live-in. Families can request the same nurse to visit when they place a care arrangement with a provider like The Nurse Company, if at all possible. For many people of Determination, continuity is important – it can be as unsettling as new faces, new routines!
Unplanned Problems: When a Nurse on Call Helps
Even with a good care plan, problems can happen between scheduled visits. For a person with complex needs, a minor issue can quickly become serious if it is not dealt with promptly. A nurse on call can visit at short notice to assess and resolve many of these situations at home.
Common reasons for family to call a nurse are:
- An obstruction of a catheter or a catheter that has fallen off.
- A feeding tube that has moved, blocked, or come out
- New onset of fever or infection (redness around tube site)
- A pressure sore that has deteriorated. A pressure sore that has deteriorated.
- Difficulty breathing, new (mild) or increased secretions
- Failure to take medications as prescribed or throwing up the medication.
The nurse may be able to correct the problem in the home and/or recommend that the family pursue additional steps without the need for an unnecessary trip to the emergency department. This is important because for people with sensory, mobility, and behavioral needs, hospital visits may be particularly challenging.
In the event of an emergency, for example, if they have severe breathing problems, a prolonged seizure, or loss of consciousness, then please call 998 immediately for an ambulance.
Supporting Family Carers
Family members are usually responsible for the majority of the care, and may do so over many years. Professionally, they can assist him in several different ways:
- Training: nurses may train family members how to perform procedures, e.g., tube feeding, suctioning, or safe transfers, and monitor their skills at regular intervals.
- Respite: regular nursing visits provide time for carers to rest, work,ork and attend to other children or simply take a break.
- Anxiety-reducing: when a nurse is on call, anxiety is reduced, particularly during the night and on weekends.
- Early warning: Nurses can identify minor changes in health that families may overlook and discuss these with the doctor.
Building a Reliable Care Routine
A routine is good for the person receiving care and the family. To build one:
- Maintain an updated care folder containing medical notes, medications, allergies, equipment information, and emergency contacts.
- Set a regular time for planned visitations to their home, compatible with school, therapy,rapy and family time.
- Ensure that the nurse on-call number is saved and it is agreed beforehand which issues warrant a call.
- Have back-up supplies in the house including dressings, feeding sets and catheters.
- Check the care plan with the nurse regularly, particularly following hospitalisation or changes to health.
Conclusion
People of Determination have the right to live well, safely and with dignity in their own homes. A home nursing service delivers the skilled, planned care many of them require, and a Nurse on call provides immediate assistance to families between visits when issues arise. As a team, they help to decrease hospital visits, alleviate family carers, and make life more manageable.
The Nurse Company provides home nursing and nurse-on-call services across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman, supporting families caring for loved ones with disabilities and complex health needs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a home nursing service care for children with disabilities?
Yes. Some providers have nurses who have experience with pediatric feeding tubes, respiratory and seizure support. When you make a booking request, ask about their experience with children.
What is the difference between a home nursing service and a nurse on call?
A Home Nursing Service is a planned service provided at regular intervals. A nurse on call who will deal with unexpected, non-emergency issues promptly, e.g. blocked catheter, displaced feeding tube.
Can a nurse train family members to provide care?
Yes. Training caregivers is an integral part of home nursing, and it gives families confidence between visits.
Do I need a doctor’s referral?
Most procedures and medications require a referral or prescription. In general, for personal care assistance, it is not necessary.
