Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Recent advances in medical care and technology
have made it possible for infants, children,
adolescents and young adults with chronic
breathing problems to thrive. The causes of the
children’s respiratory issues vary, but may include:

• Chronic lung disease due to prematurity
• Tracheal/bronchial malacia
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Subglottic stenosis
• Sleep apnea
• Neuromuscular diseases

Whatever the diagnosis, our patients and their
families share common goals: experiencing
productive and satisfying lives, fulfilling the child’s
physical and intellectual potential, and learning to
manage as independently as possible. At Franciscan
Children’s, we share these family-centered goals.

Children are referred to our Pulmonary Unit when their medical team at the acute care hospital determines they are ready to begin the next phase in their recovery.

Upon admission, each child is evaluated by the Franciscan Children’s Inpatient Medical Team. During this initial evaluation period, the care plan of the referring facility is continued. Following our assessment, we convene a multidisciplinary team to develop a detailed treatment plan. In addition to a Primary Medical Provider, other specialists on the team may include a Pulmonologist, Respiratory Therapist, Nurse, Registered Dietitian, Speech-Language Pathologist,Occupational and Physical Therapist, Social Worker and/or Behavioral Psychologist. The treatment plan may include providing ventilator support, oxygen support or non-invasive support (CPAP/BIPAP therapies) for a patient without a tracheostomy. Our goal is to wean the child from invasive or non-invasive ventilatory support when possible.

We consider caregivers important members of the team. A main focus of a child’s Franciscan stay is helping the family learn and become comfortable with the complex care their child may need. Every effort is made to accommodate a busy family’s activities to schedule teaching sessions. After all teaching is completed, we usually ask caregivers to participate in an In House Stay when they will have an opportunity to spend twenty four hours performing all the care their child will require at home. We have found In House Stays give parents and caregivers the confidence they need when it’s time to go home.

A child’s length of stay at Franciscan Children’s is determined by their progress toward goals, medical status and discharge needs. A Discharge Planning meeting is usually arranged so parents and team members can discuss a specific discharge date. Once a date has been established, a Discharge Planner helps obtain specialized equipment, nursing support if needed, follow-up medical visits, and any other services needed for transition home.

Children and families benefit from scheduled events that encourage interaction, participation, and socialization. Check out our monthly event calendar, hosted on our Child Life page.