Vna-today May 09
This document was uploaded by user and they confirmed that they have the permission to share it. If you are author or own the copyright of this book, please report to us by using this DMCA report form. Report DMCA
Overview
Download & View Vna-today May 09 as PDF for free.
More details
- Words: 2,626
- Pages: 4
Volume 24 • No. 2 • 2009
VNA Today
Comprehensive Healthcare. We’re There.
T h e
N e w s l e t t e r
o f
t h e
Vi s i t i n g
N u r s e
A s s o c i a t i o n
CEO’s Chat
Home Healthcare: Understanding Your Options
By Jim Newbrough President/CEO
If you or a loved one has recently experienced surgery or an injury, you are sure to have questions about the help available as you recover. The questions become more complex if your loved one has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, such as heart failure, COPD, diabetes, or hypertension, because these conditions require life-long management. Perhaps most confusing of all though are the array of home healthcare options available once you’ve decided to be cared for in your own home. Here, we will highlight the different types of home care available through the VNA of the Treasure Coast.
Skilled Care Skilled care includes medical care, medication management, rehabilitation, and education provided by nurses (RNs or LPNs) or by physical, speech, or occupational therapists. Skilled care is provided on an intermittent basis, meaning a nurse or therapist may visit you at home several times each week, but will not provide around-the-clock care. Skilled care (as well as supportive care by a home health aide, dietitian, and/or a medical social worker) is generally paid for through Medicare Part A, Medicaid, or a private insurer. To receive skilled care through Medicare, patients must be “homebound,” meaning they can leave the home only with great difficulty, and a physician must order home care for them. You can also receive skilled care by paying a private-duty nursing agency to provide it, though a physician’s order is still required.
Home Health Aides Home health aides provide assistance with dressing, bathing, feeding, getting into and out of bed, offering medication reminders, and taking vital signs. Their services are paid for by Medicare when part of a larger home care plan of treatment, or they can be obtained by paying privately for an agency such as VNA’s Nightingale Private Duty Nursing to provide them. (continued on page 2)
Correction: In the previous issue of VNA Today, we incorrectly identified the sponsor for VNA Hospice’s Camp Chrysalis. The children’s bereavement day camp, which was held on April 18th, was sponsored by the Clint S. Malone Memorial Fund.
“Change starts when someone sees the next step.” —William Henry Drayton Over the past few months, we at the VNA of the Treasure Coast have been going through a great deal of change. Much of this change has, in fact, been the result of someone “seeing the next step,” namely, our dedicated associates, who now number over 500. The VNA has a long history of providing home health and hospice care throughout our community, but as our community continues to change, the healthcare needs of area residents will begin to change as well. As President & CEO of the VNA, one of my goals is to ensure that our organization is positioned to meet these emerging needs, from an increase in the prevalence of chronic illness, to more demand for bereavement support services, to the growing number of area residents struggling to pay for home health and hospice care. Fortunately, our home health, hospice, and private duty teams have the experience, expertise, and amazing dedication to patient care that will allow them to rise to the occasion. Knowing the challenges ahead, we’ve been busy building a leadership team that can help our organization take the next step. Over the past few months we’ve added some new leaders to our team, including directors of Home Care, Hospice Care, Private Duty Nursing, Education, and Business Development/Sales. These associates join the experienced team that has been leading our organization successfully. Working together, these professionals will help the VNA take its next steps forward. We will be introducing you to our leadership team and other associates in the months ahead. I know you’ll enjoy getting to know them, just as I have.
www.vnatc.com • 1110 35th Lane • Vero Beach, FL 32960 • 772.567.5551 • 800.749.5760
Home Healthcare: Understanding Your Options (continued) Private duty aides can work hand-in-hand with skilled nurses and therapists to ensure patients receive the proper level of care. In fact, Nightingale can even provide aides on a twenty-four-hour- or live-in basis.
In-Home Companions While nurses, therapists, and home health aides provide medical assistance, in-home companions provide non-medical support such as: • transportation to doctor appointments • assistance with errands or shopping • going to a concert, movie, or community events • doing light housekeeping or laundry • helping to prepare meals It is important to understand that companions are not allowed to provide hands-on care such as medical care, help with bathing, assistance with getting into or out of bed, or medication management. The VNA provides companions through Nightingale Private Duty Nursing. Because companions are a privatepay option, there is an hourly fee for their services, and Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurers do not pay for them. To learn how the VNA and Nightingale Private Duty Nursing can help you or your loved one, please call us today at 772.567.5551.
Note: In this article, we have purposely excluded discussion of hospice care, a specialized type of home care available for those diagnosed with a lifelimiting illness.
Welcoming New Directors
Bolle brings to the VNA more than 25 years of clinical, educational and managerial experience in hospice and other healthcare settings. In her new role, Bolle will be responsible for the management and direction of all aspects of the VNA’s hospice program. Prior to joining the VNA, she served as the Director of Patient Care Services at Hospice Care in Downey, California, where she provided leadership, education, and development of the staff and medical directors.
The VNA Mobile Unit provides basic healthcare services free of charge for Indian River County residents who are without health insurance or access to a private physician. Our Mobile Unit’s nurse practitioners can examine patients, diagnose their illnesses, and prescribe medications. Sunday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Fellsmere Community Center 32 North Broadway Street Fellsmere Monday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Winn Dixie Shopping Plaza 2950 9th St. S.W., Vero Beach * Tuesday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Riverview Park U.S. Highway 1 and Harrison St. Sebastian *
The Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast is pleased to announce two new members of our senior leadership team. Judy Schuler, RN, MBA has been selected as the agency’s new Director of Home Health Services in Indian River County and Karen Bolle, RN, BSN, CHPN, CHA has been selected as the new Director of Hospice Services. Schuler comes to Vero Beach from Columbus, Ohio, where she served as Executive Director of Employer Services for WorkHealth, OhioHealth’s occupational health program, which served over 7,000 employers through five health centers and over twenty on-site operations centers. In her new role, Schuler will be responsible for strategic planning, operational oversight, and financial management of the VNA’s home healthcare operations in Indian River County.
VNA Mobile Unit Schedule
Wednesday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. VNA Parking Lot 1110 35th Lane Vero Beach * Judy Schuler
Thursday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Gifford Youth Activity Center 4875 43rd Avenue Vero Beach * Friday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. VNA Parking Lot 1110 35th Lane Vero Beach * Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. CVS Pharmacy 8495 U.S. Highway 1 Wabasso
Karen Bolle
VNA Today
* Closed for lunch from noon – 1 p.m.
Mary DeBonis Learns to Dance
COPES Meeting Schedule
Born in Shelton, Connecticut, Mary DeBonis lived in New York City, Brooklyn, and Long Island, worked for Chase Manhattan Bank for nine years as a supervisor, had two wonderful marriages, and three years ago moved to Vero Beach where she now lives with her daughter, son-in-law, and their one dog. Mary’s avocation is painting. She has many beautiful watercolor and oil paintings on her walls, mostly of family members but also of beautiful, colorful landscapes. Art is in her genes. Her son was a protégé of Salvador Dali. Some of her grandchildren paint as well.
The VNA’s Caregiver Ongoing Practical Education & Support (COPES) program offers practical training and support to those caring for a sick loved one. The program is free of charge, and all are welcome to attend.
These days, Mary keeps a busy schedule, thanks to Nightingale Private Duty Nursing’s Friends with Wheels Companion Program. Pat Gabbard, a Nightingale companion, goes with Mary to the Irish-American Club weekly for dinner and dancing. Pat also accompanies Mary to the Senior Center where they listen to music and dance. “I never danced a day in my life before coming to Vero,” said Mary. After her late husband passed away, the VNA Hospice bereavement group invited Mary to join them, and there she met several people who were going through the same experience. “I learned about some of the activities in Vero from talking with others in my bereavement group,” she said. Now her daughter says Mary is a Companion Pat Gabbard with Mary DeBonis “band groupie,” following the band from place to place just so she can listen and dance to their music! “She’s getting a lot of enjoyment out of life,” Mary’s daughter added. “If you don’t try something, you’ll never get anywhere.” This is Mary’s wise advice to anyone who might be thinking of venturing out but might be a little reluctant. “When I went to my first dinner dance, I told them I couldn’t dance, but they convinced me that I could, with some help. And now I can’t stay away.” When they’re not busy dancing or listening to music, Pat and Mary go shopping, go out to eat, and even play a few slot machines! It’s perfectly harmless, says Mary. We only play for a nickel and all our winnings are in gift cards…so we can’t get into too much trouble! “Pat is a real jewel,” Mary said. “She’s made my life so much brighter.”
About the Friends with Wheels Program Nightingale’s Friends with Wheels companion program is designed to assist individuals who need a little help at home so that they can remain independent and continue their daily activities. Some other examples of companion services include: driving and accompanying clients to appointments, the grocery, or to run errands; going to lunch together; taking a scenic drive; going to a concert or movie; doing light housekeeping; helping to prepare a meal; and playing cards or a game. Nightingale companion services can be customized to help the client maintain their normal daily activities. As part of the Friends with Wheels program, a Registered Nurse also comes to visit periodically to make sure everything is running smoothly. At these visits, the RN can detect medical issues that need to be addressed, bring them to the patient/family’s attention, and help troubleshoot solutions.
Third Thursday of every month 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. First Presbyterian Church 1405 Louisiana Avenue, Sebastian Third Thursday of every month 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Clare Bridge Cottage of Vero Beach 420 4th Court, Vero Beach
Bereavement Support Group Meeting Schedule VNA bereavement counselors offer guidance and support to individuals and families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Services are provided free of charge. All are welcome to attend. 1st and 4th Tuesday 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Crossroads Christian Fellowship Fellowship Hall 10205 US Highway 1, Sebastian This is a general bereavement group. 2nd Wednesday 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Harbor Chase Library 4150 Indian River Boulevard, Vero Beach This is a general bereavement group. Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Our Savior Lutheran Church Classroom #4 1850 6th Avenue, Vero Beach This is a general bereavement group. Thursdays 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Sebastian River Medical Center Conference Room 13695 US Highway 1, Sebastian This is a general bereavement group. Thursdays 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Community Church of Vero Beach Library 1901 23rd Street, Vero Beach This group is for parents who are coping with the loss of a child.
The Newsletter of the Visiting Nurse Association
How To Obtain VNA Services You can have a VNA nurse visit you at home by calling our office or asking your doctor to call for you. If you are in the hospital, ask the discharge planner to call us. Always use our full name—Visiting Nurse Association or VNA Hospice—if you ask someone to call for you. Following the call, a nurse will visit you at home and, after establishing a plan of care with you and your doctor, will begin making regular visits.
NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID 1110 35th Lane • Vero Beach, FL • 32960 www.vnatc.com
VERO BEACH, FL PERMIT #240
Indian River County: 772.567.5551 or 800.749.5760 Brevard County: 321.752.7550 or 888.771.0260 *VNA accepts payment from Medicare/Medicaid, Private Pay, Private Insurance, Workers’ Compensation and Veterans’ Assistance.
Mailing Information If you receive multiple mailings, would like to update your address, or would like to be removed from our mailing list, please call 772.978.5546.
Home Telehealth Helps VNA Patient’s Hopes Take Flight
Lieutenant Colonel Jack Taylor
Twenty-three years in the army, and sixty-seven countries later, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Taylor and family settled in Vero Beach. In 1970 Col. Taylor began a twenty-year career with the American Cancer Society and now sits on the orginization’s Board of Directors. In 1975 he helped found and sat on the first VNA & Hospice Foundation Board of Directors, watching the organization grow from one nurse to the vibrant organization it is today.
After almost sixty-five years of marriage, Jack’s wife Olive passed away in early 2008, and the Colonel’s health was failing. “I was recently hospitalized with congestive heart failure, and quite frankly I didn’t think I was going to get out. I was thinking, ‘this is the end,’ because I had pneumonia…and they gave me blood transfusions. I was fairly convinced that I was never going to go bird watching again.” (Bird watching is Jack’s passion.) Thankfully, Jack was discharged home, and the VNA was able to equip him with an in-home telemonitoring system. The easy-to-use monitor prompts him to take his pulse, weight, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels each day, asks medical
information about him, and allows him to transmit these readings to a VNA nurse. If his vital signs or weight fall outside of acceptable ranges identified by his doctor, Jack’s nurse or doctor can take action to intervene. “I had almost a depression before I went into the hospital and wasn’t eating well, but now I’m more conscious of that and am starting to eat well.” These days, Jack tends to his orchid house and is out by 7:00 a.m. once a week for bird watching from a golf cart. In November, 2008, Jack was given the high honor of “Environmental Citizen” by the Pelican Island Audubon Society for twelve years of spotting, surveying, recording, and making notes of the birds on the Indian River Club golf course. Jack flew to Kentucky in December, and will travel to London in June where he will place Olive’s ashes in the churchyard where they were married. Then, it’s on to birding in Scotland and straight to Colorado for his grandson’s wedding. Jack is more proactive in his healthcare regimens due to telehealth monitoring and just a few weeks after hospitalization, he began to enjoy an overwhelming increase in quality of life. Also, he can’t sing enough praises about his VNA caregivers. “They are really fine young ladies that are coming around, from the physical therapists to the nurses and the specialists. It’s just been great!” he says.
Medicare Certified • License #HHA21276095/HHA213870961/HPC5038096/HHA299991281 • Hospice License Issued In 1986
VNA Today
Comprehensive Healthcare. We’re There.
T h e
N e w s l e t t e r
o f
t h e
Vi s i t i n g
N u r s e
A s s o c i a t i o n
CEO’s Chat
Home Healthcare: Understanding Your Options
By Jim Newbrough President/CEO
If you or a loved one has recently experienced surgery or an injury, you are sure to have questions about the help available as you recover. The questions become more complex if your loved one has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, such as heart failure, COPD, diabetes, or hypertension, because these conditions require life-long management. Perhaps most confusing of all though are the array of home healthcare options available once you’ve decided to be cared for in your own home. Here, we will highlight the different types of home care available through the VNA of the Treasure Coast.
Skilled Care Skilled care includes medical care, medication management, rehabilitation, and education provided by nurses (RNs or LPNs) or by physical, speech, or occupational therapists. Skilled care is provided on an intermittent basis, meaning a nurse or therapist may visit you at home several times each week, but will not provide around-the-clock care. Skilled care (as well as supportive care by a home health aide, dietitian, and/or a medical social worker) is generally paid for through Medicare Part A, Medicaid, or a private insurer. To receive skilled care through Medicare, patients must be “homebound,” meaning they can leave the home only with great difficulty, and a physician must order home care for them. You can also receive skilled care by paying a private-duty nursing agency to provide it, though a physician’s order is still required.
Home Health Aides Home health aides provide assistance with dressing, bathing, feeding, getting into and out of bed, offering medication reminders, and taking vital signs. Their services are paid for by Medicare when part of a larger home care plan of treatment, or they can be obtained by paying privately for an agency such as VNA’s Nightingale Private Duty Nursing to provide them. (continued on page 2)
Correction: In the previous issue of VNA Today, we incorrectly identified the sponsor for VNA Hospice’s Camp Chrysalis. The children’s bereavement day camp, which was held on April 18th, was sponsored by the Clint S. Malone Memorial Fund.
“Change starts when someone sees the next step.” —William Henry Drayton Over the past few months, we at the VNA of the Treasure Coast have been going through a great deal of change. Much of this change has, in fact, been the result of someone “seeing the next step,” namely, our dedicated associates, who now number over 500. The VNA has a long history of providing home health and hospice care throughout our community, but as our community continues to change, the healthcare needs of area residents will begin to change as well. As President & CEO of the VNA, one of my goals is to ensure that our organization is positioned to meet these emerging needs, from an increase in the prevalence of chronic illness, to more demand for bereavement support services, to the growing number of area residents struggling to pay for home health and hospice care. Fortunately, our home health, hospice, and private duty teams have the experience, expertise, and amazing dedication to patient care that will allow them to rise to the occasion. Knowing the challenges ahead, we’ve been busy building a leadership team that can help our organization take the next step. Over the past few months we’ve added some new leaders to our team, including directors of Home Care, Hospice Care, Private Duty Nursing, Education, and Business Development/Sales. These associates join the experienced team that has been leading our organization successfully. Working together, these professionals will help the VNA take its next steps forward. We will be introducing you to our leadership team and other associates in the months ahead. I know you’ll enjoy getting to know them, just as I have.
www.vnatc.com • 1110 35th Lane • Vero Beach, FL 32960 • 772.567.5551 • 800.749.5760
Home Healthcare: Understanding Your Options (continued) Private duty aides can work hand-in-hand with skilled nurses and therapists to ensure patients receive the proper level of care. In fact, Nightingale can even provide aides on a twenty-four-hour- or live-in basis.
In-Home Companions While nurses, therapists, and home health aides provide medical assistance, in-home companions provide non-medical support such as: • transportation to doctor appointments • assistance with errands or shopping • going to a concert, movie, or community events • doing light housekeeping or laundry • helping to prepare meals It is important to understand that companions are not allowed to provide hands-on care such as medical care, help with bathing, assistance with getting into or out of bed, or medication management. The VNA provides companions through Nightingale Private Duty Nursing. Because companions are a privatepay option, there is an hourly fee for their services, and Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurers do not pay for them. To learn how the VNA and Nightingale Private Duty Nursing can help you or your loved one, please call us today at 772.567.5551.
Note: In this article, we have purposely excluded discussion of hospice care, a specialized type of home care available for those diagnosed with a lifelimiting illness.
Welcoming New Directors
Bolle brings to the VNA more than 25 years of clinical, educational and managerial experience in hospice and other healthcare settings. In her new role, Bolle will be responsible for the management and direction of all aspects of the VNA’s hospice program. Prior to joining the VNA, she served as the Director of Patient Care Services at Hospice Care in Downey, California, where she provided leadership, education, and development of the staff and medical directors.
The VNA Mobile Unit provides basic healthcare services free of charge for Indian River County residents who are without health insurance or access to a private physician. Our Mobile Unit’s nurse practitioners can examine patients, diagnose their illnesses, and prescribe medications. Sunday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Fellsmere Community Center 32 North Broadway Street Fellsmere Monday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Winn Dixie Shopping Plaza 2950 9th St. S.W., Vero Beach * Tuesday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Riverview Park U.S. Highway 1 and Harrison St. Sebastian *
The Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast is pleased to announce two new members of our senior leadership team. Judy Schuler, RN, MBA has been selected as the agency’s new Director of Home Health Services in Indian River County and Karen Bolle, RN, BSN, CHPN, CHA has been selected as the new Director of Hospice Services. Schuler comes to Vero Beach from Columbus, Ohio, where she served as Executive Director of Employer Services for WorkHealth, OhioHealth’s occupational health program, which served over 7,000 employers through five health centers and over twenty on-site operations centers. In her new role, Schuler will be responsible for strategic planning, operational oversight, and financial management of the VNA’s home healthcare operations in Indian River County.
VNA Mobile Unit Schedule
Wednesday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. VNA Parking Lot 1110 35th Lane Vero Beach * Judy Schuler
Thursday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Gifford Youth Activity Center 4875 43rd Avenue Vero Beach * Friday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. VNA Parking Lot 1110 35th Lane Vero Beach * Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. CVS Pharmacy 8495 U.S. Highway 1 Wabasso
Karen Bolle
VNA Today
* Closed for lunch from noon – 1 p.m.
Mary DeBonis Learns to Dance
COPES Meeting Schedule
Born in Shelton, Connecticut, Mary DeBonis lived in New York City, Brooklyn, and Long Island, worked for Chase Manhattan Bank for nine years as a supervisor, had two wonderful marriages, and three years ago moved to Vero Beach where she now lives with her daughter, son-in-law, and their one dog. Mary’s avocation is painting. She has many beautiful watercolor and oil paintings on her walls, mostly of family members but also of beautiful, colorful landscapes. Art is in her genes. Her son was a protégé of Salvador Dali. Some of her grandchildren paint as well.
The VNA’s Caregiver Ongoing Practical Education & Support (COPES) program offers practical training and support to those caring for a sick loved one. The program is free of charge, and all are welcome to attend.
These days, Mary keeps a busy schedule, thanks to Nightingale Private Duty Nursing’s Friends with Wheels Companion Program. Pat Gabbard, a Nightingale companion, goes with Mary to the Irish-American Club weekly for dinner and dancing. Pat also accompanies Mary to the Senior Center where they listen to music and dance. “I never danced a day in my life before coming to Vero,” said Mary. After her late husband passed away, the VNA Hospice bereavement group invited Mary to join them, and there she met several people who were going through the same experience. “I learned about some of the activities in Vero from talking with others in my bereavement group,” she said. Now her daughter says Mary is a Companion Pat Gabbard with Mary DeBonis “band groupie,” following the band from place to place just so she can listen and dance to their music! “She’s getting a lot of enjoyment out of life,” Mary’s daughter added. “If you don’t try something, you’ll never get anywhere.” This is Mary’s wise advice to anyone who might be thinking of venturing out but might be a little reluctant. “When I went to my first dinner dance, I told them I couldn’t dance, but they convinced me that I could, with some help. And now I can’t stay away.” When they’re not busy dancing or listening to music, Pat and Mary go shopping, go out to eat, and even play a few slot machines! It’s perfectly harmless, says Mary. We only play for a nickel and all our winnings are in gift cards…so we can’t get into too much trouble! “Pat is a real jewel,” Mary said. “She’s made my life so much brighter.”
About the Friends with Wheels Program Nightingale’s Friends with Wheels companion program is designed to assist individuals who need a little help at home so that they can remain independent and continue their daily activities. Some other examples of companion services include: driving and accompanying clients to appointments, the grocery, or to run errands; going to lunch together; taking a scenic drive; going to a concert or movie; doing light housekeeping; helping to prepare a meal; and playing cards or a game. Nightingale companion services can be customized to help the client maintain their normal daily activities. As part of the Friends with Wheels program, a Registered Nurse also comes to visit periodically to make sure everything is running smoothly. At these visits, the RN can detect medical issues that need to be addressed, bring them to the patient/family’s attention, and help troubleshoot solutions.
Third Thursday of every month 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. First Presbyterian Church 1405 Louisiana Avenue, Sebastian Third Thursday of every month 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Clare Bridge Cottage of Vero Beach 420 4th Court, Vero Beach
Bereavement Support Group Meeting Schedule VNA bereavement counselors offer guidance and support to individuals and families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Services are provided free of charge. All are welcome to attend. 1st and 4th Tuesday 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Crossroads Christian Fellowship Fellowship Hall 10205 US Highway 1, Sebastian This is a general bereavement group. 2nd Wednesday 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Harbor Chase Library 4150 Indian River Boulevard, Vero Beach This is a general bereavement group. Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Our Savior Lutheran Church Classroom #4 1850 6th Avenue, Vero Beach This is a general bereavement group. Thursdays 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Sebastian River Medical Center Conference Room 13695 US Highway 1, Sebastian This is a general bereavement group. Thursdays 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Community Church of Vero Beach Library 1901 23rd Street, Vero Beach This group is for parents who are coping with the loss of a child.
The Newsletter of the Visiting Nurse Association
How To Obtain VNA Services You can have a VNA nurse visit you at home by calling our office or asking your doctor to call for you. If you are in the hospital, ask the discharge planner to call us. Always use our full name—Visiting Nurse Association or VNA Hospice—if you ask someone to call for you. Following the call, a nurse will visit you at home and, after establishing a plan of care with you and your doctor, will begin making regular visits.
NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID 1110 35th Lane • Vero Beach, FL • 32960 www.vnatc.com
VERO BEACH, FL PERMIT #240
Indian River County: 772.567.5551 or 800.749.5760 Brevard County: 321.752.7550 or 888.771.0260 *VNA accepts payment from Medicare/Medicaid, Private Pay, Private Insurance, Workers’ Compensation and Veterans’ Assistance.
Mailing Information If you receive multiple mailings, would like to update your address, or would like to be removed from our mailing list, please call 772.978.5546.
Home Telehealth Helps VNA Patient’s Hopes Take Flight
Lieutenant Colonel Jack Taylor
Twenty-three years in the army, and sixty-seven countries later, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Taylor and family settled in Vero Beach. In 1970 Col. Taylor began a twenty-year career with the American Cancer Society and now sits on the orginization’s Board of Directors. In 1975 he helped found and sat on the first VNA & Hospice Foundation Board of Directors, watching the organization grow from one nurse to the vibrant organization it is today.
After almost sixty-five years of marriage, Jack’s wife Olive passed away in early 2008, and the Colonel’s health was failing. “I was recently hospitalized with congestive heart failure, and quite frankly I didn’t think I was going to get out. I was thinking, ‘this is the end,’ because I had pneumonia…and they gave me blood transfusions. I was fairly convinced that I was never going to go bird watching again.” (Bird watching is Jack’s passion.) Thankfully, Jack was discharged home, and the VNA was able to equip him with an in-home telemonitoring system. The easy-to-use monitor prompts him to take his pulse, weight, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels each day, asks medical
information about him, and allows him to transmit these readings to a VNA nurse. If his vital signs or weight fall outside of acceptable ranges identified by his doctor, Jack’s nurse or doctor can take action to intervene. “I had almost a depression before I went into the hospital and wasn’t eating well, but now I’m more conscious of that and am starting to eat well.” These days, Jack tends to his orchid house and is out by 7:00 a.m. once a week for bird watching from a golf cart. In November, 2008, Jack was given the high honor of “Environmental Citizen” by the Pelican Island Audubon Society for twelve years of spotting, surveying, recording, and making notes of the birds on the Indian River Club golf course. Jack flew to Kentucky in December, and will travel to London in June where he will place Olive’s ashes in the churchyard where they were married. Then, it’s on to birding in Scotland and straight to Colorado for his grandson’s wedding. Jack is more proactive in his healthcare regimens due to telehealth monitoring and just a few weeks after hospitalization, he began to enjoy an overwhelming increase in quality of life. Also, he can’t sing enough praises about his VNA caregivers. “They are really fine young ladies that are coming around, from the physical therapists to the nurses and the specialists. It’s just been great!” he says.
Medicare Certified • License #HHA21276095/HHA213870961/HPC5038096/HHA299991281 • Hospice License Issued In 1986
