Kangaroo^™ Joey pump for tube feeding

Hi, I'm Helen and I'm going to walk you through how to administer formula using the Joey Pump. This method is used when you need to give yourself a specific amount of formula over a specific amount of time. There are 7 steps you'll need to follow and you can jump to each of them at any time using the chapters below. 

Step 1: Getting started 

Let's start by making sure you've got all your supplies ready to go. Formula container at room temperature and the amount and type prescribed by your doctor. A large clean glass filled with tap or drinking water at room temperature. Syringe, Kangaroo Joey pump, feeding bag, your clean tube feeding instruction mat, also known as the tin mat, plus paper towels or a clean dish towel and a clean work area. 

Also, you may have seen nurses wearing gloves in the hospital when administering your feeding, but you don't need to do this at home. 

Just washing your hands is enough. Think of it like washing your hands before you sit down to eat dinner. Use soap, warm water for at least 20 seconds, and dry with a clean towel. 

To help keep your feeding tube clean and to prevent clogging, you'll want to flush it with room temperature water before and after each feeding and before and after you flush medication down your tube. 

Step 2: Flushing your tube 

So let's begin with the first flushing. Take your glass of water, making sure it's at room temperature. Then take your syringe with its plunger still in place and put the tip into the water. Pull back on the plunger to draw the water into the syringe, using the amount of water prescribed by your doctor. Then, remove the syringe from the glass. 

If you don't know how much water to use, call us and we'll confirm your prescription. 

Next, you'll want to pinch, clamp or fold over part of the feeding tube to stop any liquid flowing out of your port. 

Then open the feeding port and connect the syringe tip to the port. Unfold or unclamp the feeding tube and gently push the syringe plunger down to flush the water through your tube. 

When you're done, remove the syringe and close the port.  

Step 3: Priming the pump 

Now you can get the formula and tubing ready before you use the pump. First, shake your container formula well and then open it up and add the formula to the bag and the amount you have been instructed to use. Close the cap securely. Once you're ready, press the power button in the lower right hand corner of the pump to turn it on. Check to make sure the fluid line in the feeding bag set is 6 inches above the top of the pump. 

You can adjust the height of your IV pole if you need to. Then, to load the feeding set, open the blue door at the top of the pump. You'll see a diagram when you open the door, which you may find helpful. With the thumb tab pointed up, slide the small round valve into the slot on the bottom. 

Make sure it's firmly seated into the loading column. Then grasp the black retention disc and gently pull the stretchy part of the tubing around the wheel and place the disc into the retention slot. Go ahead and close the door and check to make sure the thumb tab is clearly visible in the slot on the blue door. Once the set is loaded correctly, the screen will say set loaded to remove excess air from the line of the tubing, you'll need to prime the tubing with formula before feeding. To do this, press Prime Pump and then press Auto Prime. 

Once the Auto Prime function has completed, you may notice that the formula has not reached the tip of the feeding set. To complete the priming process, press Hold to Prime Feed until the formula reaches the end and a few drops come out of the tip. Then press Done. 

Step 4: Running the pump 

To set the prescribed rate, press Adjust Feed, then Feed Rate. Using the buttons on the left, set the rate and press Enter. If you go past the right number, don't worry, you can keep going until the display goes back to zero. Then start over. Start by connecting the tip of the feeding set to your feeding tube and press Run. You'll see a small drop scrolling down the screen when the pump is running. 

Step 5: Re-priming the pump 

When the formula bag is empty, the feed error screen appears. If you have completed your feeding, you can disconnect and flush, or you can refill the bag following the same instructions as earlier in this video. Make sure you add fresh water to the bag and swish it around a few times. Then prime it all the way through the line until the bag is empty again. You can refill the bag to continue the feeding, but only after you prime the pump again.  

Step 6: Flushing your tube 

Once the feeding is done, it's important to flush your tube for a second time. To do this, you will follow the same steps as earlier. Refill your glass of water if needed, making sure it's at room temperature. Then take your syringe and place the tip into the water. Pull back on the plunger to draw the water into the syringe using the amount of water prescribed by your doctor. Then remove the syringe from the glass. Next, you'll want to pinch, clamp or fold over part of your feeding tube to stop any flow. Open the end of your feeding tube port, then connect the syringe tip to the port. Unfold or unclamp the feeding tube and gently push the syringe plunger down to flush the water through your tube. When you're done, remove the syringe and close the port.  

Step 7: Cleanup and disposal 

Once you finish flushing the feeding tube, your final step is clean up. If you have completed your feeding for the day, you can discard your pump sack. If your formula container is empty, you can toss it into the recycle bin or trash, depending on the instructions. And you can cover and store any unused formula in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This may all seem a bit overwhelming at first, but once you do this a few times, you'll feel more comfortable. 

And remember, as a Coram patient, our team is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

If you'd like to learn more, visit the Resource Center on our website at Coramhc.com and watch our Getting Started with Your Feeding Tube video. 

Thank you for watching today.