Home Nursing
This program supports children and youth with special healthcare needs in Illinois, particularly those who require skilled nursing care at home (like ventilator support, tracheostomy, G-tubes, or other complex medical needs). The UIC Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) partners with families, medical providers, and community resources to help children with complex medical needs access coordinated care — including home nursing serviceswhen medically necessary.
Overview & Purpose
The DSCC Home Care Program supports children/youth with complex medical needs living at home. Home nursing under this program ensures safe, high-quality care in the home setting: medical, technological (e.g., ventilator, central lines), education of family/caregivers, and coordination of services.
Nursing Assessment
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Vital signs baseline (BP, HR, RR, SpO₂, temperature) and target ranges.
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Assessment of airway/tracheostomy/ventilator: settings, back‐up alarms, suctioning schedule.
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Nutrition/hydration: type of feeding (NG-tube, G-tube, oral), schedule, tolerance.
Nursing Interventions
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Airway management: Tracheostomy care every X hours, suctioning protocols, ventilator troubleshooting.
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Medication administration: per schedule, additional checks for high-risk meds.
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Nutrition/hydration management: tube feedings, monitoring weight, labs.
Monitoring & Documentation
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Daily nursing logs: vital signs, interventions performed, patient responses, any incidents.
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Weekly/biweekly review: update on care plan progress, any adjustments needed.
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Monthly or quarterly quality review: nurse supervisor or DSCC home care quality team review.