Life-Changing Care

Lindsay Tower has learned a lot about dealing with the unexpected in the last few years. For her, the lessons began in earnest when her son, Jayden Carreiro, arrived 15 weeks premature in June of 2007.

He was born on Father’s Day, weighing only one pound, 12 ounces and measuring a mere 12 inches long. Lindsay recalls her son’s bittersweet entrance into the world. “He was so tiny. I didn’t even get to hold him. They instantly put him in an incubator and transported him by helicopter to All Children’s Hospital in St. Pete.”

After many early health crises, including a serious infection and the need for laser eye surgery to prevent blindness, Jayden, now two and a half, continues to struggle with medical issues. “He has eye problems and renal failure,” Lindsay shares, “and he has brain damage, so he’s severely delayed.”

With so many challenges, physical therapy has become a crucial part of Jayden’s life. A stay-at-home mom with aspirations for continued education, Lindsay says she’s especially grateful to Becky, Jayden’s eye therapist from Lighthouse for the Blind, who first introduced her to the idea of medical daycare and, specifically, Tender Care Medical Services.

New independence

According to Lori Mazzuco, RN, BSN, administrator of the Hernando County facility that opened its doors in November 2008, so many parents of children with disabilities have no idea a service like medical daycare even exists. She describes the center as appropriate for children aged birth to 21 who require skilled nursing intervention and ongoing therapy, and who are deemed unsuitable for a regular daycare or school environment.

“We are a day-treatment facility for children with special needs,” she explains. “We see children with diagnoses as mild as asthma to children who require much more critical care.”

Each child at Tender Care Medical Services, Lori says, receives direct care, with a three-to-one ratio of children to staff, which is made up of RNs, LPNs, and CNAs (certified nursing aides).

A typical day

To maintain the highest standard of care, Tender Care Medical Services relies on a carefully crafted daily schedule.

“Around six o’clock each morning,” Lori shares, “our nurses and aides pick up the children from their homes on buses we send out.”

When the children arrive at the facility, she says, they have breakfast and then a staff nurse gives each child a head-to-toe assessment and the children receive their medication and treatment. Afterward, the children see therapists.

Beth Martin, PT, explains, “Each child is carefully evaluated by a physical therapist, such as myself, as well as an occupational therapist and a speech therapist when they come in. Based on this, we set up a care plan based on a child’s specific needs.

“This helps a parent with early detection in case anything is wrong with their child’s condition. And it also helps us to educate parents about their own child’s particular weaknesses.”

Lori points out, “Lunchtime with our staff is also a crucial part of our care. For instance, our speech therapy is often geared toward helping a child learn how to chew and swallow food properly. This is something that’s really tough on a parent. Sometimes, they’re not aware of how to support a child and position them properly while feeding. I know one mother who was cradling her child like an infant during feeding and this was stalling the child’s progress. Our staff can really help with aspects of care like this.”

Following lunchtime, the children of Tender Care Medical Services are taken out to the playground, and after playtime, Lori says the children receive their medications before getting ready to head home around four o’clock.

And then there are all the little extras, Lindsay adds, like changing Jayden’s feeding tube, for example. “Not only do they show me how to do something if I’m not comfortable or if I need to know, but they’ll also just take care of it for me. They’re extremely helpful.”

New milestones

Since beginning with Tender Care Medical Services about a year ago, Lindsay says she’s noticed big differences in Jayden. “Oh my goodness,” she marvels. “I have a list. He definitely moves around a lot more, and he’s always smiling and always happy.”

And one of the most important changes, she adds, is that he’s eating baby food off the spoon during speech therapy and taking bottles rather than using a feeding tube. “He used to be on his feeding pump twenty-four hours a day, and then he went to being on it just at night,” Lindsay explains. “Now, he’s not on it at all, and he takes his bottles all by himself. He just started holding his bottle recently, probably about a month ago.”

Jayden’s not the only one with new achievements, however. Upon finding such wonderful care for her son, Lindsay has returned to school with plans to pursue a degree in nursing. “Since having Jayden, and dealing with so many medical problems, I realize I would love to be a nurse,” she says, giving Tender Care Medical Services sincere credit for the progress they’ve both made.

“Not only has it helped him, but it’s really helped me to get my life together, and that’s going to make me a better parent. I can take care of him better.”

From Lori’s perspective, such an outcome is one of the most gratifying things she and her staff accomplish at Tender Care Medical Services. “Not only are we helping this child, but we’re also helping this mother make a better life. And, in return, even more positive things are going to happen for Jayden.”