Home care nurses are the reason Kateri Morton can find time to sleep, eat and shower.
The mother of two from Wyoming, Delaware, depends on support from nurses to help take care of her 9-year-old son Joey Scruggs, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and autism. Throughout his lifetime, he s experienced an endless string of medical challenges.
These nurses, who provide everything from emergency care to potty training to physical therapy, are often the hidden heroes in health care – especially for parents like Morton.
More than a visiting nurse who may stop by a patient s home to give medicine or help with exercises, the registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who work in home health care are deeply integrated in families lives. Many pediatric nurses have worked with the same patients for years, becoming like family.