Condition Spotlight: Ventilators

Many of our patients are on ventilators, but people who aren’t familiar with these devices might have some questions.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), ventilators are “machines that act as bellows to move air in and out of your lungs. ” The physician sets the pressure and amount and frequency of oxygen delivery, through a fitted face / nasal mask, or a breathing tube (tracheostomy).

This article, also from NHLBI, has some helpful tips for families with a patient on a ventilator. It’s a good idea to always keep a phone charged for emergencies, to keep spare batteries in case of a power outage, and to alert electric and utility companies that there is a ventilator user in the house.

We always ensure our patients have other medical devices in the house such as an ambu bag, suction machine, pulse oximeter (which measures the oxygen level in the blood), oxygen, humidifier, and back up batteries to manage their cares.

Ventilators are just one of the many medical complexities we have experience with. We are proud to be a leader in Minnesota home care, improving the quality of life for our patients and making a measurable difference in their lives every day. If you’re interested in joining our team, you can learn more about us, apply for our open positions or email us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Our stock photo shows a ventilator attached to the back of the wheelchair, for more mobility.

Clinical Considerations, Excellence in Home Care

April 11, 2023

Joan Vaughn

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Written by Joan Vaughn

I’m Joan, and I know home care from the inside out. I’ve navigated my daughter through 24/7 home care nursing and managed her PCA’s. I’ve helped my parents move into (and out of) assisted living, Medicare episodes, skilled nurse visits, home health aids, and PCAs. Sandwiched in all of that, I’ve helped coordinate home care equipment and supplies, physical therapists, occupational therapists, county workers, and medications (oh, the medications). I know emergency departments, children’s hospitals, cancer wards, cardiac floors, and specialty units. I can recite health insurance policies (and call their bluff). I know a lot of other things in life too, like Shakespeare, where to sit to see a great sunset over a lake, how to keep myself healthy, how to read a profit/loss statement and state statutes, when to use a comma, and that gratitude is one of the keys to success. So I’m going to have this blog and write about home care from time to time. I’ll include topics like current legislation, professional boundaries in a tricky environment, and being a caregiver. I’ll also post some guest blogs from clients and nurses. Join me in the conversation.

View all posts by: Joan Vaughn

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