LeadingAge New York Adviser Winter Vol. 1 | Page 30

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we perform” and “how well we negotiate”.

newer state of the art neuro-rehab equipment,

This population is growing, not shrinking, and I

we now have her using her upper extremity

think there’s going to be increased need. We have
positioned ourselves with our ability to care for
sicker children and to serve the growing need.
The Children’s Health Association data indicate
there’s going to be a five percent a year growth in
medically complex kids over the next 10 years as
a result of improved technology, improved ability

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and able to use a communication board and
to communicate. She’s able to feed herself,
she’s beginning to ambulate with assistance
of a lite-gate device; and she actually recently
went home for a weekend for the first time ever.
Now we’re contemplating getting her home
permanently. Our staff just doesn’t give up; we just

to save kids and keep kids alive. Statistics show

keep trying.

an increased number of premature babies, for

Is there anything else that I didn’t ask that I

example, those associated with mothers who are

should have asked?

older during their pregnancies. And so you have

When working with a sick child you work with the

more medically complex kids.

entire family. It’s a totally different dynamic and

Do you have a success story you want to

effort as you focus on bringing the patient back

share? Something that spotlights a best

into the home. We’re very, very family centered.

case scenario.

We have even developed a new department of

We’ve had so many children who were success

Patient and Family Services in our in-patient

stories. We have a young lady who’s been here

program combining the traditional Social Work,

a long time; I’ll call her “Linda”. It’s an amazing

Pastoral Care, Behavioral Health and Palliative

story! She’s had a brain infection – the same

Care departments. We also started a program

disease from which her mom died. Her dad

here called Patient Navigation, to help our families

never thought that he could bring her home. She

navigate through the healthcare system so they

was bed/chair-bound for a period of time, not

can get the services they are entitled to and

communicating at all. Between a combination

care for their children. It is so very important to

of working with surgeons and to do a little bit of

remember that caring for our population provides

surgery, and then getting her into some of our

challenges unique to long term care.

Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Winter 2015