In-home nursing services critical for families with special needs children, adults
Families with special needs children and adults have been trying hard for the past year to keep them out of hospitals.
Many have turned to in-home nursing services for help with that mission.
But that industry is struggling to find enough care-givers during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, families with special needs children and adults say in-home nursing services are critical.
"I needed a nurse there at all times because Miracle had a lot of things going on", said Stephanie Cannady of Wake County about her youngest child.
Three-year-old Miracle has Down syndrome, uses a feeding tube (also known as a G-tube) and has other serious medical issues.
In the past when Cannady couldn't find a dependable home nurse she's had to quit jobs, exacerbating her family's problems.
"I wasn't able to make money to pay bills because my nurses wasn't on time. But I don't have to worry about that with Home Rule," she said referring to the North Carolina based home healthcare company.
It was started by Christy McGlothlin when she couldn't find a home nurse for her special needs child.
McGlothlin says her now 12-year-old daughter was born not breathing.
People with antibodies after COVID-19 may have short-term virus protection: Study
"She has a trach, a shunt, a G-Tube, cancerous brain tumors, rods in her back," McGlothlin, from Hickory, said during an interview with ABC 11 at Home Rule's office in Wake Forest.
She said her experience led her to a career coordinating home health care for people who might otherwise be hospitalized.
"Our families can't go to work without having a nurse. And they can't usually take a shower without having a nurse. they can't sleep without having a nurse," she said, "So having a nurse in their home is a really big deal."
But McGlothlin can't find enough nurses and needs to hire 200 right now.
Wake Forest business owner leaves hospital after 75 day COVID-19 battle
During the pandemic, many nurses have been hired by hospitals and others are staying home with their kids according to McGlothlin who said, "I literally thought that in January, there would be this boom of nurses on the market and there are not."
Although home healthcare often doesn't pay as much she said it's often more rewarding for nurses.
"They know that their clients might not be so healthy. You know, they might not be reaching their goals, they might be hospitalized if they didn't have a nurse there," McGlothlin noted.
Miracle's mom said her family couldn't make it without nurses in their home.
And she would like to see more nurses enter the home healthcare sector.
"The ones that we have, they're great," Cannady said. "They do very well with Miracle, and she loves them."
McGlothlin said Home Rule is hiring nurses for full-time, part-time, or occasional work.
More information is available here on the company's website.
