Adviser Winter 2019-20 LeadingAge New York Adviser LeadingAge NewYork Winter 2019-20 | Page 12

Feature
A Whole New Ballgame
T
he crack of the bat, the cheers of
the fans, the smells of the stadium –
there’s nothing like taking in a baseball
game with good friends, but when your
very existence hinges on the reliability
of a life support ventilator, a trip to “the
old ballgame” can be a mere pipe dream.
For residents utilizing ventilators in
long-term care settings, venturing outside
their room, much less their facility, is a
formidable task. The tethering to a power
outlet and cumbersome devices needed
to manage often numerous medical needs
can make a road trip to the ballgame – or
anywhere for that matter – unfeasible.
Until now.
Cutting-edge, multi-function, portable
ventilators rolled out at the Gurwin Jewish
Nursing & Rehabilitation Center recently
provided the opportunity of a lifetime
for four residents on Gurwin’s ventilator
unit. With their new 5-in-1 ventilators
and a team of Gurwin clinicians in tow,
the residents were whisked by ambulance
to Citi Field to enjoy a night out at a New
York Mets game with their loved ones.
The partnership between Seattle-
based Ventec Life Systems, creator of
the innovative VOCSN critical care
ventilator, and Gurwin has opened up new
possibilities for residents on the facility’s
28-bed ventilator unit. The Citi Field road
trip marked the first time in three years
that 65-year-old Janie, paralyzed from a
stroke, and 39-year-old Scott, living with
ALS, were able to leave Gurwin’s facility.
The new VOCSN units also enabled
82-year-old Gus, a lifelong athlete recently
diagnosed with ALS, to cheer on the
Mets from a stadium seat, flanked by his
son and two grandsons, and 72-year-old
James, recovering from a TBI, to enjoy a
luxury suite view of the game with his wife
and son.
“This technology truly is a home run for
residents on our ventilator unit,” said Shua
Sauer, Gurwin’s chief operating officer.
“The integrated ventilation, oxygen, cough
assist, suction and nebulization – all at
the touch of a button – enhances their
well-being and makes life outside the
confines of their room a real possibility.
In particular, the seamless cough assist
technology has been a game changer.
Able to be activated in seconds – rather
than minutes – it can trigger a cough at a
natural point in the breathing cycle, which
(See A Whole New Ballgame on page 12)
11
Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Winter 2019-20