HABITAT BOOST

VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION: INSPIRED VISION

visiting nurse association VNA IS passionate ABOUT HOME HEALTH BECAUSE WE ARE THE EYES AND EARS in homes WHERE other MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS don’t go.

~ JAMIE SUMMERFELT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, VNA

Hope

Hope was referred to VNA through the physiciandirected mother/child program. She was five weeks old and diagnosed with failure to thrive, poor weight gain, malnutrition, and severe reflux. She was hospitalized four times, and the hospital staff contacted Child Protective Services out of concern that Hope was possibly being neglected. But working with Hope’s parents, the VNA nurse saw a caring mom and dad who were overwhelmed by their circumstances.

There were no local child care facilities that accept babies with feeding tubes, so Hope’s mother couldn’t work. Her father was fired for missing too much work while Hope was hospitalized. The added stress to their already limited resources made every obstacle look bigger. However, Hope’s parents worked with their VNA nurse to find the right solutions, and Hope has started to gain weight—reaching 12 pounds when she turned seven months old. VNA personnel have also educated Hope’s parents about developmental delays and connected the family to a financial assistance program.

Cooper

Cooper was a U.S. Navy veteran who lost his housing when he had to choose between paying rent and buying his mental-health prescriptions. On the streets of Omaha, he stopped all medications and spun out of control. He met a VNA nurse while eating a meal at one of the local homeless shelters, and she provided care and resources.

VNA’s shelter nurse connected Cooper to Community Alliance, which helped him begin to stabilize his mental health. She also addressed his severe stomach issues that were related to eating spoiled food out of dumpsters while living on the street. In partnership with shelter staff, Cooper was housed and became eligible for veterans’ benefits that he never knew existed.

Jolene (not pictured)

Jolene suffered a spinal-cord injury from a diving accident when she was 19, leaving her a quadriplegic. For years, her mother was her primary caretaker and they shared a home together. As both Jolene and her mother aged, they knew they would need assistance to remain in the home they both loved, but their resources were limited.

VNA’s Home Health Aide (HHA) program has been a great support for Jolene and Judy. Providing nonmedical care, HHA staff assist with bathing and personal care, range-of-motion exercises, repositioning, and transfers to a motorized wheelchair using a Hoyer lift. Because VNA staff work with Jolene regularly, they see subtle or abrupt changes that might concern her physician. With the support of HHA, Jolene and her mother have maintained their overall health and wellbeing. VNA staff have also been a wonderful source of social interaction and emotional support when Jolene and Judy felt isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cesar

Cesar had an active lifestyle and a thriving business providing lawn care and snow removal. Because he was uninsured and the majority of his income went to living expenses, he rarely went to the doctor. That changed when a wound on his foot got infected. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure, then tested positive for COVID-19. When his foot didn’t heal, a doctor had to amputate his lower leg.

As one of the only post-acute options for COVID patients, VNA was there when Cesar’s doctor discharged him to go home. VNA funding provided nursing, social work, and therapy. VNA nurses provided education that not only helped Cesar recover from COVID, but also helped him manage his diabetes and high blood pressure. They helped Cesar and his

ConTInUed • mmAgAzIne

Uncommon Obstacles

and the people who overcame them

girlfriend access home equipment and assistive devices to strengthen his body so he could safely navigate their apartment after his amputation. Community partners were contacted to provide rental assistance and access to prosthetic support.

Nancy

Nancy was 21 years old and pregnant with her first child when she enrolled in the Love and Learn Program. She was unemployed, had a health condition that required frequent medical appointments, and had a history of mental health challenges.

Nancy’s VNA nurse taught her about fetal development, physical and emotional changes in pregnancy, labor and birth, and why it’s important to keep prenatal and medical appointments. A parent coach connected her to community resources and taught her about healthy relationships. The Growing Great Kids™ parenting curriculum taught her the importance of parenting through child development and positive parent-child interaction.

Nancy gave birth to a healthy, full-term baby girl. She found a job at a daycare where she can take her daughter to work, she loves reading to her baby, and she’s motivated to be a great parent.

Although Nancy faced a significant chronic medical condition, with the support of VNA, she could focus on her goals of having a healthy baby, parenting, learning to budget, locating housing and finding a job.

Drew

In the span of six months, Drew lost most of the things that were important to him. His mother died after five years of Drew serving as her main caretaker. The house he had been promised was sold by family members, leaving him homeless. His beloved dog died. And he was diagnosed with stage-four bone cancer. In emotional, physical and financial crisis, Drew thought his only way out was suicide. He sat in a park for hours with a gun, but he couldn’t go through with it. He called a friend who took him to one of the local homeless shelters.

At the shelter, Drew met a VNA nurse who addressed his immediate needs to establish medical care and get medication. She also collaborated with the shelter staff to help Drew apply for disability and low-income housing.

Today, Drew lives in a permanent supportive housing apartment and continues to see the same VNA nurse on a regular basis. His cancer has metastasized, but he knows VNA will help provide hospice services in his apartment when the time comes. “I was in a deep hole, but I’m better now,” Drew said. “For whatever time I have left, there are people who care about me and watch out for me.”

Hope Nancy Jolene

Cooper Caesar Drew

FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab has created a meaningful impact throughout the state by providing animal advocacy and educational opportunities for people of all ages.

The state of Nebraska is wellknown for many things—a flourishing agriculture sector, bustling urban communities, and bountiful attractions and recreational activities, to name a few—but perhaps one of its most admirable qualities is its beautiful and diverse native wildlife and ecosystems. Preserving and restoring these spectacular habitats is the prime focus at Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, an organization that rescues, rehabilitates and returns animals back into the wild while also educating the public on how to live in harmony with nature.

The nonprofit, which operates throughout the state, was initially founded 23 years ago as a volunteer-based entity. Over the years, the organization has worked diligently to meet the needs of the community and has grown tremendously as a result. Today, the center cares for over 7,000 wild animals each year. To continue to accommodate such a large number of animals and offer the best possible resources to the community, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab opened the doors of its brand new, state-ofthe-art urban facility in November 2021. Dubbed the Baldwin Wildlife Center and Hubbard Family Wildlife Hospital, the new space spans more than 15,000 square feet. Laura Stastny, executive director for Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, said the decision to build an urban wildlife center was based on the notion that it would be more accessible for the community.

“We have plenty of outdoor operations already, as we lease a site on a private nature preserve,” Stastny said. “We knew a space in the city would give us so many more opportunities.”

Improving care for animals

To provide care at the highest level, the new complex features a fullservice veterinary clinic that houses a 3D veterinary CAT scan, radiology, full surgical suite, intensive care unit, wound vacuum and therapy lasers, an isolation room, and advanced diagnostic equipment. Attached to the clinic is a laboratory, which allows staff to run almost every blood sample in-house.

The building, which was a call center in its previous life, was designed with biosecurity in mind. Details like epoxy flooring, block walls and floor drains make the spaces especially easy to disinfect. In addition to 17 animal nurseries, the center also features a diet prep kitchen, laundering and cage-washing rooms, a large educational center, and staff offices as well as a gift shop, which generates funds to support the organization.

Four of the nurseries feature color tuning lighting that can maintain the natural circadian rhythms of animals to help them heal. Nearly every room includes a camera, allowing for many new educational opportunities.

“We don’t generally offer tours or allow people to see the animals because wildlife see humans as predators and become very stressed by this,” Stastny said. “However, many people still want to see how we do things, so we are excited to be able to share footage with the public now thanks to the technology in our building.”

Next on the agenda is hiring a wildlife veterinarian and vet tech this spring.

Educating on wildlife

Partnering with the community to educate youth is an important facet of the organization. Currently, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab collaborates with Collective for Youth, which implements afterschool programs in Omaha schools. According to Stastny, the partnership reaches students in eight middle schools and two elementary schools each year. NWRI OPENS state-of-the-art urban center