House Call
House Call
Visiting nurses make big difference for patients in need
By Matthew Engelhardt
Journal Inquirer January 12, 2009
EAST HARTFORD – Carol Sheridan is meeting patient Gloria Juergens for the first time, but already the two are conversing like old friends.
Juergens, of East Hartford, didn’t hesitate in the slightest at letting Sheridan into her home. In fact, she’d been waiting for her daily visit from the VNA HealthCare.
“The world needs to know that you’re devoted people,” Juergens says.
The 77-year-old widow loves her home in East Hartford, especially her street. Her one-level house is easy enough to get around in, but her life changed last winter when she fell and broke her hip in four places.
Juergens spent significant time rehabilitating at a Glastonbury nursing home before she returned to East Hartford. Upon her release, she started as a patient with VNA, which staffs visiting nurses throughout a good portion of Connecticut to give patients door-to-door care.
On this particular day in December, Sheridan is greeted warmly and immediately invited into the house. Juergens is waiting, a smile on her face, and Sheridan immediately goes over the symptoms the patient is experiencing and makes a diagnosis.
Juergens is suffering from leg wounds that require daily medical attention. She sits at the dining room table as Sheridan goes over past care, has her sign consent forms through a few scribbles on a laptop computer screen, and sets to work checking the patient’s vitals.
Aside from her legs, she is in good health. She can still cook her own meals and is mostly self-sufficient, but needs some assistance with a few activities.
As they chat, Juergens sits in an easy chair with Sheridan caring for the wounds. The nurse’s bedside manner is exceptional, and Juergens appreciates it, even giving Sheridan a small gift.
Sheridan completes the exam quickly and puts fresh bandages on the patient’s legs. She notices some important medications are running low and calls the supplier for refills. They will be delivered to Juergen’s door the next day.
Sheridan loves her job, but says that not all nurses are right for home care. She’s been with VNA for a long time, caring for patients throughout the region, and she knows it takes a certain personality to make the adjustment from hospital nursing.
“It makes me feel good to be any help I can be to these people,” Sheridan says.
VNA, a division of Hartford HealthCare, has helped plenty of patients during its history in Connecticut. Branches are located throughout the state, with coverage extending to dozens of cities and towns, primarily in the north and mid-central regions.
Branches include Enfield, Glastonbury, Hartford and Windsor Locks. The Glastonbury office serves towns including East Hartford and Manchester and has carved a niche of patients who rely on the visits for both care and companionship.
“Our goal is to make sure they can be returned to independent life,” says Karen Pagliaro, supervisor of the Glastonbury branch.
Most of the VNA’s services are covered through Medicare. VNA is open year-round, with nurses literally taking to skis in the wintertime to reach a patient.
Care can even be provided without a home visit over the phone. VNA provides patients with home health telemonitors, roughly the size of an alarm clock. Pagliaro said the monitors measure vital signs and a nurse can read the results and make recommendations through use of a computer.
Services include independent living, home health care, delivering meals on wheels, and hospice. VNA has been a presence in Connecticut for more than 100 years and now offers professionals such as a respiratory therapist and cardiac and diabetes specialists.
The home care allows nurses to see the warning signs that patients might display and prevents return trips to the hospital or life-threatening situations.
From the Glastonbury office alone, VNA serves 335 patients, with nurses sent to different homes who will be a good match for each person they visit.
Pagliaro said the nurses realize they are guests in someone’s home. The key is having nurses with good communication skills and confidence, preferably with a few years of experience as a nurse.
“We do a very good job of keeping people in their homes,” Pagliaro says.
Juergens agrees, saying she is delighted with the care she receives and that every VNA nurse who has cared for her has been professional and encouraging.
For more information about the VNA, call 1-800-466-3227.
