“My role working with Enteral Feeding Tubes is important to bridge the gap between acute care and community care.” Enteral feeding is a method of supplying nutrients directly into the gastrointestinal tract for patients and Enteral Feeding Co-ordinator, Kathy Sinnamon, highlights the important role her team plays as a spotlight is shone on the crucial work Dietitians do to help patients across the South Eastern Trust.
Kathy described how she and her team support approximately 160 adults who are treated in this way. “We try to make sure that the patients don’t have to go to the ED (Emergency Department) with any tube care issues. My role is to help patients in their own homes.”
Malcolm Wilkinson, who lives in Moira, had his PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) tube inserted in March of this year and has described how he has seen big improvements in his quality of life since his enteral feeding tube was fitted.
The 71-year-old said. “I used to be terrible for biting my tongue but a week after I had the tube I noticed how I wasn’t biting it anymore. I think it was down to dehydration, but now I am able to get my fluids and people have noticed how much stronger my voice is sounding as well.”
Malcolm praised the fantastic help he has received from Kathy and the District Nursing Team. “The support means everything to me. I know who I am dealing with and the District Nurses know me and I know them. They know what I can do and what I need to be told,” said Malcolm. “If you are worried about what is going on, there is always someone who will ring you back, to keep you right and for me that makes all the difference.”
Kathy explained how she and the District Nursing Teams also support patients whose tubes need routinely changed every three to four months.
Kathy continued: “I undertake a lot of training with my District Nursing colleagues and with day care centre staff, private carers and with patients and their families. I have engaged with 90 District Nurses across the Trust in the past six months to provide update-to-date tube care training and really feel this has allowed us to develop professional links to best support our patients. The aim is to look at any trouble-shooting issues that may arise with the tube so that hopefully they can deal with that. For example, if the tube becomes blocked, we aim to unblock it in the community to prevent the patient going to the Emergency Department. The tube may be the main way for hydration, nutrition and medication, so we want to unblock that tube as a priority for the patient.
“I also liaise with my colleagues across the HSC Trusts, we are really trying to work as a team and to send that collective message out to patients, we want them to be best supported with their feeding tube.”
Kathy said that a highlight of her role is seeing the patient once they have come home from hospital or are in their care home setting adjusting to and managing their enteral feeding.
“We want to make the patient feel empowered and to set out how and why their tube is there, but it is also important that they know how to manage the tube and how to look after it. We trouble-shoot scenarios such as ‘what if the tube comes out?’ ‘What if the tube becomes blocked?’ It is my role to signpost the patient to professionals in the community such as District Nurses who can come to their home in an emergency.”
“Patients can contact me directly, it is so important for that face-to-face part of care post hospital discharge,” said Kathy.
Kathy took up post two years ago and hasn’t looked back. She added, “I love my job. I have always had a keen interest in Enteral Feeding Tubes and it’s so important to be that link in between hospital and the community in terms of educating and supporting patients and staff alike. I think this job is hugely important as a real communicator and educator so that the patient feels support around them in the community.”