Home IV Therapy in Tampa, FL

What is home IV therapy?

IV (intravenous) therapy means medicine or fluid goes straight into a vein through a thin tube. Needing IV medicine does not always mean staying in the hospital until the last dose. When your doctor feels you are stable, many treatments can continue at home.

When you get IV treatment at home, a skilled nurse from Making Memories Home Health visits you to give treatment as your doctor orders, care for your IV line and teach you and your family what to do between visits. The most common treatments are:

IV antibiotics at home 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
Injections your doctor orders

The first dose of a new IV medicine is often given in the hospital or a clinic, so your care team can watch for a reaction. Follow your doctor’s plan for where and when each dose is given.

Who does what

IV treatment at home is a team effort:

Your doctor chooses the medicine, the dose and how long treatment lasts, and orders any blood tests.
An infusion pharmacy, arranged by your doctor or hospital, prepares the medicine and delivers it with supplies like flushes, tubing and dressing kits. Making Memories Home Health is not an infusion pharmacy and does not supply the medicine.
Your home health nurse gives treatment as ordered, cares for your line, checks how you are doing, helps with ordered blood draws and reports changes to your doctor.

We coordinate with your doctor and the pharmacy so your doses, deliveries and visits line up.

PICC line care at home

Many people who need IV medicine for more than a few days have a PICC line. It is a long, thin tube placed in a vein in the upper arm that can stay in for weeks, so you do not need a new needle stick for each dose.

We do not insert PICC lines; your hospital or infusion team places them and our nurses care for them at home.

PICC line care at home includes:

Flushing the line to keep it open and working
Changing the dressing 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
Teaching you how to keep the line dry, protect it during daily life and spot problems early

When your doctor says treatment is finished, the line comes out only with a doctor’s order. Our article on receiving infusion treatment safely at home has more tips for living with a PICC line.

When to call

Call your doctor or your home health nurse right away if you have redness, swelling, pain or drainage at the line site, fever or chills, swelling in the arm, neck or face on the side of the line, or a line that leaks, will not flush or looks longer than before. If the line comes partly out, do not push it back in. Cover the site and call.

Call 911 for sudden trouble breathing, chest pain, swelling of the face, lips or throat, fainting, or bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure.

Who qualifies for IV treatment at home?

IV treatment at home may be right for you if your doctor feels you are stable enough to get treatment outside the hospital, you have a working IV line placed before you go home, an infusion pharmacy has been arranged, and you have a clean, safe place at home to store and give the medicine.

For Medicare home health, you generally must also meet all of these rules:

A doctor or allowed practitioner orders your care. A doctor, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or physician assistant certifies that you need it and reviews your plan of care.
You need part-time or intermittent skilled care. IV therapy and IV line care are skilled nursing.
You are homebound. Leaving home takes considerable and taxing effort. Short, infrequent trips for medical care, religious services or adult day care are OK.
You had a face-to-face visit with your doctor or allowed practitioner within 90 days before or 30 days after your care starts.
Your agency is Medicare-certified. Making Memories Home Health is.

What Medicare and insurance cover

When you meet the rules above, Medicare can cover the skilled nursing visits for your IV therapy and line care. The IV medicine and infusion supplies are billed by the infusion pharmacy, separately from our visits. Ask the pharmacy how they are covered under your plan. Medicare does not cover 24-hour care at home.

Many people on IV therapy also take pills, inhalers or insulin. Our medication management visits help make sure everything fits together safely, as part of your skilled nursing care.

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. You can review all the insurance plans we accept.

How to start home IV therapy in Tampa

Our nurses visit homes in Tampa, Temple Terrace, Winter Haven and across Hillsborough, Polk and Manatee counties. To begin:

Talk to your doctor. If you are in the hospital, ask the discharge planner for a referral to Making Memories Home Health before you leave. Your hospital or infusion team places your line, and your doctor or hospital arranges the infusion pharmacy.
Call us at (813) 931-0015. You or a family member can call. We check your coverage and contact your doctor for the orders.
Your doctor sends the order. Doctors and discharge planners can send a referral online or by fax to (813) 931-0017.
Your first visit. A registered nurse reviews your orders, checks your IV line and medicines, and helps you set up a clean spot for supplies.
Your plan of care. Your nurse and your doctor agree on visit times, line care, any blood tests and when treatment ends. Current patients can reach an on-call nurse 24/7.

Frequently asked questions

Do you supply my IV medicine?

No. Your medicine and infusion supplies come from an infusion pharmacy that your doctor or hospital arranges. Our nurses work with that pharmacy and your doctor so your doses and visits stay on schedule.

Can I shower with a PICC line?

Usually yes, but the line and dressing must stay dry. Cover the arm with a waterproof cover as your nurse shows you, and do not soak the arm in a bath or pool. If the dressing gets wet or starts to peel, call your nurse.

Can my family give doses between nurse visits?

Sometimes. With some IV medicines, your nurse teaches you or a family member how to give a dose and flush the line, and watches you practice until you feel sure. Whether this is right for you depends on the medicine and your doctor's orders.

Does Medicare cover IV therapy at home?

Medicare can cover skilled nursing visits for IV therapy and IV line care when you meet the home health rules. The medicine and supplies are billed by the infusion pharmacy, and that coverage depends on your plan. Call (813) 931-0015 and we will help you check your benefits.

How do I start IV therapy at home after a hospital stay?

Ask the hospital discharge planner to send a referral to Making Memories Home Health before you leave. The hospital usually places your IV line and arranges the infusion pharmacy. We then schedule a nurse visit to start care at home.

Where we provide home iv therapy

We visit patients at home in Hillsborough, Polk and Manatee counties, including:

Tampa · Brandon · Riverview · Plant City · Temple Terrace · Lutz · Carrollwood · Town 'n' Country · Lakeland · Winter Haven · Bradenton · Lakewood Ranch

Hillsborough County · Polk County · Manatee County

Insurance we accept

Doctors, hospital discharge planners and case managers can send a home health referral by fax to (813) 931-0017. How to refer a patient.

Other services

Making Memories Home Health provides home health care services.

Skilled Nursing · Wound Care · Catheter Care · Medication Management · Physical Therapy · Occupational Therapy · Speech Therapy · Medical Social Work · Home Health Aide · Medicare Home Health · Home Care & Long-Term Care