Home Ventilation refers to the provision of mechanical ventilation (breathing assistance with a machine) via invasive (tracheostomy) and non-invasive (via natural airways) routes to a person with breathing insufficiency. It is a life-sustaining, organ-supporting treatment to the lungs. The aim is to maintain or even improve the quality of life of patients, by allowing them to live at home and pursue a lifestyle and activities with as much autonomy and dignity as possible.
Provision of Complex Home Ventilation requires multidisciplinary collaboration. The Nurse Clinicians in Home Ventilation and Respiratory Support Service (HVRSS) work with a specialised team of physicians, therapists, and social workers to provide holistic care of adult ventilator assisted individuals (VAIs).
We participate in patients' discharge planning, patient and family education, direct home care, further coordination of care needs of especially vulnerable patients (if other specialist care in hospital is required, e.g. elective surgery or endoscopies), and support to other community providers (e.g. chronic sick units, nursing homes and inpatient hospices) if patients are unable to stay in their own homes, or with their own family members.
The team sees a wide range of diagnoses in Central Spinal, Neuromuscular, Skeletal, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory disorders. About two thirds of the patients suffer from degenerative neuromuscular diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and central pathologies such as spinal cord injury (SCI). There is also a small but growing group of patients from complex post-ICU discharges who require ventilatory support.
Our Services
- To provide respiratory care to ventilated assisted individuals (VAIs)
- Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for VAIs
- Providing care and coaching for caregivers in performing nursing care to patients on the following aspects:
- Acts as a resource person for VAIs in all environments – inpatient and outpatient setting & in the community
Our Team
Soon Hse Yin Lydia
Nurse Clinician
Feng Chunshu
Nurse Clinician