A Better Alternative Nursing Agency, INC.

Nursing Assessment

The first thing A Better Alternative Nursing Agency will do after contracting with your family, is to send a nurse to the hospital prior to discharge, or to your home, if you are already discharged, to perform a skilled nursing assessment. During the assessment, the nurse will identify the needs, preferences and abilities of each patient.  Assessment includes an interview with and observation of the patient by the nurse, and considers the symptoms and signs of the condition; the patients verbal and non-verbal communication; the patient's medical and social history; medication and chart review, and any other information available from the family, doctors, lab results, diagnostic test results, social workers, nutritionist, therapist, etc. Next, we will complete a physical assessment.  Among the physical aspects assessed are vital signs, skin color and condition, motor and sensory nerve function, nutrition, rest, sleep, activity, elimination and consciousness.  Among the social and emotional factors included in the assessment are  religion, occupation , attitude toward the hospital and being at home, health care required per the physician's discharge instructions, mood, emotional tone, hobbies, recreational preferences, tolerabliity, family ties and responsibilities. The assessment is extremely thorough and important because it provides the scientific basis for a complete nursing care plan to be implemented focused particularly on the uniquenesses, desires, needs and strengths of each individual patient and their families. Next all information disclosed, being guided by our Nursing expertise,  will allow RN's to become Advocates for our patients as we manage the care they receive.

Our skilled nurses at A Better Alternative Nursing Agency  will make a visit to the home at least every 60 days on clients receiving non-skilled care, and as contracted on patients receiving skilled care.This information will then allow us to  be positioned to monitor a change in the patients condition, and make a connection with the physician to give a skilled report and update. We are  informed and updated enough after each assessment to advocate for our patients.  This means to cut through the health care maze, ask the right questions and get correct answers to ensure that our patients continually receive the best care that the Health care industry can offer.  Ultimately, many patients lives have been saved, and increased quality of  lives for  others.  We have found that with health care changes and short-cuts to health care, including medication monitoring,  a skilled Nursing Advocate can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Our team of skilled nurses  will strongly advocate for our patients whenever necessary with the appropriate medical staff. We realize that most family members are either not knowledgeable enough about the health care system, lack confidence  or too uncomfortable with the process to advocate for their loved ones effectively.  We promise to advocate in your behalf when necessary and with your permission.

Patients are encouraged to return home from the hospital as promptly as possible to promote healing and decrease the chances of obtaining nosocromial infections, which are hospital acquired infections, (a leading cause of patient's deaths within the hospital). All health care professionals will agree that patients simply do better when they are at home, within their very own personal and familiar environments while being provided with adequate skilled care.

We offer a range of services from Companion and Senior Care to Intensive Nursing Care, to include but not limited to  Ventilator Care, IV infusion, Enternal or tube feeding, patient education, and Wound Care. VAD patient care, Private Duty Nursing, RN's, LPN's, CNA's, GNA's, Sitters, and Med-Techs.