Although having an IV in your hand or arm might be synonymous with a hospital stay, you might not realize that medical patients will often leave hospitals with their IVs in place. This way, should the patient need to return to the hospital for any reason, the IV will already be ready to use. If the idea of having to go back to the hospital for anything related to your IV doesn't appeal to you, you can often hire an elderly in home care provider through a homecare agency to manage your IV. Here are some things that this professional can do.

Give You Medication

Certain types of medication are best to take intravenously, which might be part of the reason that your hospital's medical staff members have opted to leave the IV in your arm. Instead of having to go back to the hospital to get your IV medication, which could be daily and thus be a significant hassle for you, your caregiver can visit you in your home to provide this medication.

Keep You Hydrated

Your IV isn't just a way to get the medication that you need. In many cases, medical professionals will also use a patient's IV to provide fluids. This is especially necessary if the patient is getting dehydrated, or has a condition that is impacting his or her ability to eat or to keep food down. Your caregiver can arrive at your home with some bags of fluids, which he or she quickly hook up to an elevated stand and connect to your IV. Soon, you'll be feeling the benefits of the hydration. The caregiver will constantly be assessing your body's level of hydration, as well as conferring with your care team at the hospital, in order to keep you healthy in this manner.

Change The IV

A patient's IV isn't left in his or her hand or arm for the duration of the illness. After a period of time, it's necessary to have your IV moved. You'll often be able to tell when this chance is needed, as the site around the IV may be sore. You can return to the hospital to have the IV removed and set up in a different vein, but this is another service that your medical professional can provide in the comfort of your home. He or she will determine the proper vein to use and can change your IV with minimal discomfort to you.