Needing IV medicine used to mean staying in the hospital until the last dose. Now, many people finish that treatment in their own homes. Home IV therapy in Tampa lets you get IV antibiotics or fluids in your living room or bedroom, with a skilled nurse checking on you, caring for your IV line and teaching your family what to do between visits. This guide explains how home IV therapy works, who does what, how to keep your line safe and who qualifies.
What is home IV therapy?
IV (intravenous) therapy means medicine or fluid goes straight into a vein through a thin tube. At home, the most common reasons are:
- IV antibiotics for infections that need stronger or longer treatment than pills, such as some bone, skin, blood or lung infections
- IV fluids to treat or prevent dehydration when you cannot drink enough
Your doctor decides whether IV treatment at home is safe for you. Often, IV therapy starts in the hospital, and the first dose of a new medicine is given there or in a clinic so the team can watch for a reaction. When you are stable, your doctor may order the rest of the treatment at home.
Who does what: your doctor, the pharmacy and your nurse
Home IV therapy is a team effort, and it helps to know who handles each part.
- Your doctor decides on the medicine, the dose, how often you get it and how long treatment lasts. Your doctor also orders any blood tests needed to check how the medicine is working.
- The pharmacy that supplies your IV medicine prepares each dose and delivers it to your home with supplies such as flushes, tubing and dressing kits. Some medicines also come with a small pump. Making Memories Home Health is not an infusion pharmacy and does not supply IV medicine. Ask the pharmacy how your medicine and supplies are billed to your insurance.
- Your home health nurse gives IV medicine and fluids as ordered, cares for your IV line, checks how you are doing, teaches you and your family, and reports changes to your doctor. When your doctor orders blood tests, your nurse helps make sure they get done on time and the results reach your doctor.
We coordinate with your doctor and the pharmacy so your doses, deliveries and visits stay on schedule.
PICC line care at home
Many people who need IV medicine for more than a few days have a PICC line. PICC stands for peripherally inserted central catheter. It is a long, thin tube placed in a vein in the upper arm, with the tip resting in a large vein near the heart. It can stay in for weeks, so you do not need a new needle stick for every dose.
We do not insert PICC lines; your hospital or infusion team places them and our nurses care for them at home.
PICC care includes:
- Flushing the line to keep it open and working
- Changing the dressing and the cap on the end of the line on the schedule your orders call for, using careful clean technique
- Checking the site at every visit for redness, swelling, drainage or a line that has moved
- Measuring the arm or the outside length of the line when needed, to spot swelling or a line that has slipped
Everyday tips for living with a PICC line
- Wash your hands well before touching the line, the cap or your supplies.
- Keep the dressing clean, dry and sealed. Cover it when you shower, and do not swim or soak in a bath.
- Do not lift heavy things or do hard exercise with the PICC arm unless your doctor says it is OK.
- Do not let anyone take blood pressure on the PICC arm.
- Keep scissors and sharp objects away from the line.
- Keep pets and small children from pulling on the tubing.
- If the line ever comes partly out, do not push it back in. Cover the site and call your nurse or doctor.
What a home IV therapy visit looks like
Your first visit is usually with a registered nurse. The nurse reviews your orders, checks your IV line, looks at your medicines and talks with you about your schedule. They also look at your home to find a clean, well-lit spot to keep supplies and give the medicine, and a safe place to store anything the pharmacy says must be refrigerated.
Later visits may include giving a dose, flushing the line, changing the dressing, checking your vital signs, helping with any blood tests your doctor orders and answering questions. If your plan includes self-care, the nurse teaches you or a family member step by step and watches you do it until you are comfortable. Keep a written log of doses and any symptoms so the nurse and your doctor can see how things are going.
Many people on IV therapy are also taking pills, inhalers or insulin. Your nurse makes sure everything fits together safely. Our guide to medication management at home has tips for keeping track.
Warning signs: when to call
Post these where your whole family can see them.
Call your doctor or your home health nurse right away if you notice:
- Redness, warmth, swelling, pain or drainage where the line enters the skin
- Fever or chills
- Swelling, pain or a feeling of tightness in the arm, shoulder, neck or face on the side of the line
- A line that will not flush, leaks, cracks or looks longer than before
- A dressing that is wet, loose or dirty
- A new rash, itching, diarrhea or other symptoms after a dose
Call 911 for:
- Sudden trouble breathing or chest pain
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or wheezing after a dose
- Fainting, a racing heartbeat or sudden confusion
- Heavy bleeding from the line site that does not stop with firm pressure
When in doubt about an emergency, call 911 first.
Who qualifies for home IV therapy?
Medicare covers home health care, including skilled nursing for IV therapy, when you meet all of these rules:
- A doctor or allowed practitioner orders it. A doctor, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or physician assistant certifies that you need care and reviews your plan of care.
- You need skilled care. IV therapy and IV line care count as skilled nursing. Home health is part-time or intermittent, not a nurse in the home all day.
- You are homebound. Leaving home takes considerable and taxing effort. Short, infrequent outings for medical care, religious services or adult day care are allowed.
- You had a face-to-face visit with your doctor or allowed practitioner within 90 days before or 30 days after care starts, related to the reason for home health.
- Your agency is Medicare-certified.
For IV therapy at home, a few more things usually need to be in place:
- Your doctor feels you are stable enough to get the medicine outside the hospital
- You have a working IV line, such as a PICC line, that is placed before you go home
- A pharmacy has been arranged to supply the medicine and supplies
- You have a safe, clean place at home to store and give the medicine
The medicine itself is usually billed by the pharmacy, separately from home health visits, and coverage depends on your plan. If you just left the hospital, our guide to coming home after a hospital stay covers the other things to plan for. If IV therapy is part of cancer care, see home health care for cancer patients.
Questions to ask before you go home
- What medicine will I get, how often and for how long?
- Which pharmacy is supplying it, and how do I reach them about deliveries?
- What blood tests will I need, and how will they be done?
- Will I or a family member give any doses, or will the nurse give them all?
- What should I do if the pump alarms or the line will not flush?
- When and how will the line come out?
How Making Memories Home Health can help
Our skilled nursing team gives IV antibiotics and fluids at home and cares for PICC lines across Hillsborough, Polk and Manatee counties. We work with your doctor and your pharmacy, teach in English and Spanish, and offer 24/7 on-call nursing for current patients. Making Memories Home Health is Medicare-certified and accredited by The Joint Commission. To learn more about how home health care starts, read skilled nursing at home: what it is and who qualifies.
We accept Traditional Medicare, plus long-term care plans and private pay. Medicare Advantage coverage and our participation depend on your specific plan, so we verify both before care starts. Call (813) 931-0015 to verify your coverage. See our insurance page for details.
If you or a loved one is going home on IV treatment, call us at (813) 931-0015 to talk about next steps. Doctors and discharge planners can send a referral so we can plan your first visit.
Frequently asked questions
Does Making Memories Home Health supply my IV medicine?
No. We are a home health agency, not an infusion pharmacy. Your doctor sends the prescription to a pharmacy that prepares the medicine and delivers it with the supplies you need. Our nurses coordinate with that pharmacy and your doctor and care for you and your IV line at home.
Can my family give the IV medicine between nurse visits?
Sometimes. With many IV antibiotics, the nurse teaches you or a family member how to hang or connect the medicine, flush the line and watch for problems. Whether this is right for you depends on the medicine, the schedule and your doctor's orders, and the nurse checks that you feel confident before you do it on your own.
Can I shower with a PICC line?
Usually yes, but the line and dressing must stay dry. Cover the arm with a waterproof cover made for PICC lines, or as your nurse shows you, and do not let the arm soak in a bath, pool or hot tub. If the dressing gets wet or starts to peel, call your nurse so it can be changed.
What happens to my PICC line when treatment is over?
When your doctor says your IV treatment is finished, the line comes out. Removal is done only with a doctor's order, and your nurse or care team will tell you how it will be done and how to care for the site afterward.