Vein Finders for Long-Term Care Facilities
Long-term care facilities increasingly care for patients with complex medical needs who require IV access as part of their ongoing treatment. These patients often present challenges for venous access. Age-related vein changes, dehydration, fragile skin, and a history of frequent IV procedures can all make vein location more difficult.
When IV access is unsuccessful in a long-term care setting, the result can be an escalation – a costly and disruptive transfer to a hospital or emergency department. Vein visualization technology can help staff locate veins more confidently before a stick is attempted, supporting successful IV access at the facility level and reducing the need for escalation.
Keeping Care Where It Belongs
The patient population in long-term care settings tends to have veins that are more difficult to access than younger or healthier patients. This is not a reflection of staff skill, it is simply a clinical reality of caring for elderly and higher acuity patients. Vein imaging gives long-term care staff a real-time visual reference of vein location projected directly onto the patient’s skin, supporting more informed decisions about where to attempt access and reducing the chance of a missed stick.
Benefits
- Vein imaging can help staff locate veins in patients with difficult venous access
- May reduce missed sticks and patient discomfort during IV procedures
- Can reduce the frequency of escalations to more experienced staff for IV access
- Lightweight at 12 ounces and easy to use at the bedside
- Non-contact — no direct skin contact with the patient required
Why NextVein?
The NextVein V800NV is a handheld vein finder that uses near-infrared light to project a real-time vein map directly onto the patient’s skin. It is lightweight, rechargeable, and easy to carry between patient rooms making it well suited for the room-to-room workflow of long-term care facilities.
Every system is covered by the NextVein Total Protection Plan, including a no-questions-asked warranty and an equipment forward-swap program.
