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?
I'm sorry I don't have an answer to your first question, but I
can tell you about my personal experience at weaning off a vent while at
home. I did it successfully!
After coming home after first being trached in 1982, I was able
to continue the weaning process on my own with the help of my mother and
attendants. It just takes time and patience. In my case, it required
no special monitoring to accomplish it. Of course I don't know your
mother's circumstances. If she is mentally alert, she should be able to
"moniter" herself simply by being in touch with how she feels. That's
how I did it. When you feel tired, dizzy, or feel short of breath, it's
time to hook back up to the vent.
One way I did it was to set daily goals for myself each day. For
example, 30 minutes off the vent one day, 35 minutes the next day, and
so on. Admittedly, it is a long, patience-trying process but the
important thing is, don't be discouraged. Sometimes, you might "miss"
the goal. No big deal, just "hit" it the next day. Good luck!
Blane