Case 1: This case involves a 12month old patient admitted since birth due to a premature birth and is now a chronic, medically complex patient including severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension which caused a need for them to get a tracheostomy. The patient is now vent dependent and is getting closer to discharge, however one of the caregivers is deaf. To help support the patient medical and caregivers needs, we are requesting $350 to purchase a home aware kit and transmitter that will let the caregiver know when the patient’s vent is going off or when the oxygen is getting low, which is crucial to the patient’s care as they would be unable to hear the alarms which can lead to death for the patient Therefore, we are submitting for your consideration a request of $350 towards this monitor system Total Ask: $350.00
The committee approved $350 for the home aware kit.
Case 2: This case involves a 7-month-old former premature infant admitted since birth due to concerns for ventriculomegaly, pulmonary hypoplasia, among many other issues. The patient has also been on oxygen due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia and laryngomalacia. A discharge date has not yet been determined and anticipated that patient will go home on oxygen and likely have a gastrotomy tube for nutrition. The patient will need to be closely followed by many subspecialty teams once discharged. The patient’s caregiver has been a consistent and loving presence throughout the hospitalization and also cares for patient’s sibling on their own. The family has a limited support system but receives occasional help from relatives when they are able. The caregiver is also facing significant health challenges of their own including Stage 4 Chronic Kidney disease which was worsened during the pregnancy. Due to this issue, the caregiver has been unable to work and has applied for disability benefits which are still in the review process. Despite the caregiver’s best efforts, the financial situation has become increasing difficult and has fallen behind on some essential bills including their electric, gas, and phone bills. Currently the electricity n the home has been turned off so family is staying with a relative until power can be restored. Therefore, we are submitting for your consideration the following needs: Electric ($560.00), Gas ($103.00) and Phone ($77.00) Total ask: $740.00
The committee approved $740 for gas, electricity, and phone
Case 3: This case involves a 2-year-old patient who presented to ACH complex care clinic with their caregiver due to a diagnosis of TOF, spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, intractable generalized idiopathic epilepsy, and is g-tube dependent. Currently there is only one employed caregiver in the home but has been struggling to find consistent employment in their construction field. Due to the complex nature of the patient’s needs, the other caregiver has to bring the patient to frequent appointments, which limits their ability to work. These issues have caused the family to become behind on their electric. Given the patient’s dependence on electricity for their feeds and to receive necessary medications for long-term functioning, we are submitting for your consideration the following needs: Electric ($660.00) Total ask: $660.00
The committee approved $660 for electricity.
Case 4: This case involves a year and a half old patient with sickle cell disease admitted in Oct after the patient became ill The family took them to their local hospital multiple times and, due to the patient’s needs, they needed to be airlifted to ACH. Patient was found to have severely low hemoglobin on top of multiple viral illnesses. Due to this, he went into respiratory failure and suffered an acute stroke. They were admitted to PICU and had to be intubated. The patient is making a steady recovery but has long term side effects from this catastrophic illness. Patient is expected to remain hospitalized for at least a couple of weeks and will likely need a port to begin receiving regular blood transfusions and expected to have a gtube for nutritional needs. The patient’s caregivers both work low paying jobs with limited paid time off. The family is experiencing a loss of income due to one of the caregivers having to stay bedside while the other caregiver returned to work to try and make ends meet. Unfortunately, this situation has caused them to become behind on bills (mainly electric and rent). Therefore, we are submitting for your consideration the following needs: Electric ($175) and Rent ($475) Total ask: $650.00
The committee approved $650 for electricity and rent.
The total support provided this month was $2400.
