Nutrition
Oral nutritional supplements are typically used in addition to the normal diet, when diet alone is insufficient to meet daily nutritional requirements. These products may be needed for a brief amount of time, such as after surgery, or for a longer period of time, such as aiding with weight gain. Oral nutritional supplements are specially formulated to help you meet your calorie, protein and micronutrients needs when you are unable to take enough food in. These products may be consumed individually, incorporated into other foods or beverages or used in cooking to make delicious recipes which can be easily prepared in your home.
Enteral nutrition, also known as tube feeding is another method of nutritional therapy and should be used in patients who cannot meet their nutrient requirements by oral intake, yet have a functional gastrointestinal tract. The process of tube feeding involves having a small tube inserted directly into your stomach or intestines. This may be done through your nose, mouth or through a small hole made in your abdomen. Tube feeding formulas are specially formulated with appropriate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and fluids to mimic an ideal diet. Enteral nutrition can be used as a supplement to someone's diet, or it may be the sole source of nutrition.
Enteral Tubes
An enteral tube is a medical device used to provide nutrition to patients who cannot obtain nutrition by mouth, are unable to swallow safely, or need nutritional supplementation. The state of being fed by a feeding tube is called gavage, enteral feeding or tube feeding. Placement may be temporary for the treatment of acute conditions or lifelong in the case of chronic disabilities. A variety of feeding tubes are used in medical practice. They are usually made of polyurethane or silicone.
Food/ Beverage
Independent Life Medical Supplies is proud to offer a broad line of products for those with special nutritional needs who are living at home or with a loved one. These products have typically only been available to hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, but now they can be brought directly to your door. Malnutrition is a serious senior health issue. Know the warning signs and how to help an older loved one avoid poor nutrition with resources from the Mayo Clinic
Enteral Pumps
An enteral feeding pump is an electronic medical device that controls the timing and amount of nutrition delivered to a patient during enteral feeding. Enteral feeding is a procedure in which the doctor inserts a tube into the patient’s digestive tract to deliver liquid nutrients and medicines to the body. The enteral feeding pump ensures that the right amount of liquid is administered to the body over the course of a day.
Supplements
Nutritional supplements are used for many purposes. They can be added to the diet to boost overall health and energy; to provide immune system support and reduce the risks of illness and age-related conditions; to improve performance in athletic and mental activities; and to support the healing process during illness and disease. However, most of these products are treated as food and not regulated as drugs are.
Enteral Sets
Enteral Feeding pump sets are bags that are designed to be used with feeding pumps. Some feeding bags do not require an enteral feeding pump to be used and these are gravity feeding bags. These feeding bags come with or without Spike Sets and in either 500 or 1000 mL. Feeding pump bags are specific to certain feeding pumps though some may be compatible with a few different pumps. See specific feeding pump sets for compatibility information.
Other
Independent Life Medical Supplies offers a wide variety of enteral feeding accessories to suit patients' varying nutritional, usability and mobility needs at different prices to suit your budget. Select pumps mount directly on IV poles and others have been engineered to provide a greater degree of mobility and can even be placed in custom-designed backpacks for discreet nutrition-on-the-go.