Levindale's Ventilator Services Program

Ventilator services at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital are a combination of state-of-the-art medical care, aggressive weaning procedures and unmatched compassion.  We understand that this can be a time of stress and uncertainty for patients and families so our dedicated professionals use their knowledge, skills and experience to help patients attain the highest level of independence and quality of life.

An entire unit of Levindale’s Specialty Hospital is devoted to ventilator care.  Most of our patients have spinal injuries, respiratory failure following a catastrophic illness, neurological challenges or post-surgical complications.

Levindale has one of the largest ventilator programs in Maryland, with 60 ventilator-capable beds. Devoted interdisciplinary teams work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to formulate individualized care plans for patients.

Weaning Process

Levindale works with patients to wean them from the ventilator as quickly as possible so they can start breathing on their own. Weaning refers to a decrease in the amount of support needed to help patients breathe independently. Levindale has a comprehensive continuum of care once patients are off the ventilator or if they continue to be ventilator dependent.

Specialty Treatments

In addition to ventilator management, Levindale offers other specialty care including:

• Dialysis
• Wound care
• Medication management
• IV antibiotics
• Psychiatric consultations for patients and their families

The Team

• Ventilator services’ team members include:
• Patient’s attending physician
• Physiatrists- doctors who specialize in the treatment of physical medicine
• Physician’s assistants
• Psychiatric consultants
• Pulmonologists
• Respiratory therapists
• Rehabilitation (occupational, physical and speech) therapists
• Licensed nurses and geriatric nursing assistants
• Nutritionists
• Social workers
• Chaplain

Respiratory Rehabilitation 
 
The Respiratory Rehabilitation Therapy team is specifically trained in the following areas.

Occupational therapy focuses on maximizing independence and activities of daily living, as well as community re-integration. Patients learn how to perform tasks efficiently and to use proper breathing techniques.

Physical therapy works to restore strength, mobility, balance and endurance to patients experiencing functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function, due to injury, disease, or other related causes. 

Recreational therapy encourages leisure interests and skills to enable a successful return to the community.

Eden Alternative

Levindale is a registered Eden Alternative center. The Eden Alternative philosophy fights the three plagues of the elderly- loneliness, helplessness and boredom- with companionship, empowerment and variety. Some of the ways that Levindale does this is to have animals that live here on-site, to arrange for children to visit often and to offer gardening activities for our patients.

Education

Education for patients and families is a top priority. Before patients are discharged, an individualized care plan is created for each patient and shared with his or her family. The family is also trained to help patients with their conditions when they are able to go home. As part of our discharge planning, families learn how to administer medicine and how to suction; how to set up and carry out a home exercise program for their loved ones; and information about needed equipment.

Accreditation
Levindale is certified by Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO).

For more information or to tour Levindale, call 410-601-2227.