Airway management

Tracheostomy Care

A tracheostomy is an artificial airway which is situated in the trachea and can act as a scaffold to keep the airway open, and provide optimum oxygenation when required. Some conditions that may require a tracheostomy, would be premature birth, cancer, tracheomalacia, or muscular conditions such as muscular dystrophy.

Commonly, people may have a tracheostomy to help deliver oxygen to their lungs if they are unable to breathe normally after an incident or accident, or because their muscles are weak (source: NHS).

A tracheostomy procedure may be required if someone has a condition such as Motor Neurone Disease, Guillain-Barré Syndrome or Cystic Fibrosis, or because they have suffered a severe head injury or stroke.

Ventilation

Our team provide care for both invasive (via tracheostomy) and non-invasive. Our team are also trained to use ventilators including the NIPPY range, to support people who require continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) to breathe.

How we can help

Superior Healthcare trains carers, support workers and nurses who, as part of your wider care package, will assist to manage your tracheostomy including completing tasks such as:

• Cleaning the stoma of a tracheostomy
• Suctioning via tracheostomy
• Completing routine tracheostomy tube and tape changes
• Performing emergency tube changes
• Using clinical observational skills to notice when patients are in respiratory distress and have the knowledge to act accordingly.

Quality assurance

• Superior Healthcare is regulated and rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission.
• We work closely with specialist hospitals including the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ and the Royal Brompton Hospital.
• We employ a team of trained carers, support workers and registered nurses who are managed by our team of Lead Nurses.
• Superior Healthcare has up to date safeguarding and whistleblowing policies and deliver training to all members of our team.