Re: Gratitude & New Ques.

annette (nete1(AT)midwest.net)
Sun, 17 Aug 1997 14:55:23 -0500

At 03:15 PM 8/17/97 -0400, you wrote:
>I received several replies to my previous letter about bringing my mother to
>my home on a vent, and all of them were helpful! Thanks!
>
>We just made an offer on a new, larger house that will accomodate my family
>as well as my parents. I found a short-term sub-acute rehab facitlity in
>West Palm Beach, 75 miles away, and am waiting to hear if they will accept my
>mother for a final attempt at weaning.
>
>I expect, however, that she will not be able to be weaned and am expecting
>that when she comes to my home she will still be on a vent.
>
>These are my new questions:
>
>1.) Can anyone recommend a text that would teach me about respiration on a
>vent, about operating and maintaining the vent, the meaning of the different
>settings and information that the vent displays, etc.?
>
>2.) I assume that if my mother can not be weaned in the rehab facility, that
>she would then not ever be able to be weaned at home, even if her fragile
>medical condition would improve considerably. I can not envision that the
>constant monitoring needed when the weaning is done could ever happen at
>home. Am I correct?
>
>Chris Gawlak
>
>
>

Chris..
Congratulations on the new house...hopefully it will be easier to
accomodate the family situation you are in regarding your mother.
To answer the first of the two questions, all that I can say as a vent user
myself, the hospital that you mother is at, or the home health vent
supplier can try you regarding respiration, settings, the use of trach
supplies, etc.

When I got my trach in 1994 before my physician would even consider sending
me home both my PCA's, boyfriend, and myself got extensive training on the
settings of the vent, what the vent was used for, suction and trach care
techniques, and CPR. The doctor and respiratory therapists has me use the
actual vent I was to use at home in the hospital for at least two days so I
would get used to it.

If you ask for training they should be able to accomodate you regarding
this matter.

As for the weaning of the vent, it depends on your mothers condition and
the severity of it as time goes on. Usually weaning is done in a hospital
or rehab facility. Do the doctor's think that this will be a future
possibility?

All my weaning of the vent took place in the hospital....I now only use the
vent at night while sleeping or when I nap during the day. Weaning can be
a painstaking process, but it depends on what your physician says about the
particular condition.

If you have any other questions feel free to contact me..

Annette Hanna
nete1(AT)midwest.net