Gurwin Ventilator Residents Go to Mets Game

Commack, NY — Want to go to a baseball game? Most people can just pick up and go…but for residents who reside on the Ventilator Unit at the Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack, a trip to see a game is not an easy undertaking.  Until now.

New cutting-edge technology rolled out at the facility enabled four baseball fans at Gurwin to head out via a caravan of ambulances to Citifield in Flushing, NY, to enjoy a New York Mets game this past Monday night.   The technology, dubbed “VOCSN” by Ventec Life Systems, is a compact, portable multi-function ventilator that provides mobility for individuals who depend on ventilators for life support.

According to Delta Young, RRT, Director of Respiratory Therapy in Gurwin’s 28-bed Ventilator Care Unit, a Mets game was not necessarily a wish-list item when the equipment was rolled out in mid-September.  “We were really just looking forward to the VOCSN technology to not only help us provide enhanced care, but also to help our residents be a little more mobile, leave their rooms for a bit, be a little more social and have a little better quality of life.  We never imagined that we’d be able to take them out to the ballgame!”

In most skilled nursing settings, ventilators are cumbersome as they require tethering to an electrical outlet and typically utilize multiple pieces of equipment to meet the needs of their medically complex users. VOCSN’s one-of-a-kind portable technology provides ventilation, oxygen, cough, suction, and nebulization in one integrated and lightweight unit, offering the possibility of life untethered to the walls of a facility. Gurwin is the only long-term care facility for adults in the New York metro area equipped with this technology.

For Gus, an 82-year-old Gurwin resident and lifelong athlete who just last year was playing soccer on a team with his son, a recent ALS diagnosis (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) dashed his hopes of ever seeing his grandson ever play baseball again. With the VOCSN unit in tow, Gus cheered on the Mets at Citifield from his luxury suite seat, flanked by his son and two grandsons. “It was a great night,” said Gus.

The trip to Citifield marked the first time in three years that 65-year-old Janie, paralyzed from a stroke, had left Gurwin’s facility.

Janie’s two daughters who accompanied her on the trip are encouraged by the baseball outing, and have new hopes for additional trips with their beloved mother. “She really needed this night at the stadium,” said her daughter. “She needs something to look forward to.”

Other Gurwin residents at the game were 39-year-old Scott who is living with ALS, and 72-year-old James who is recovering from a traumatic brain injury, both outfitted in Mets gear donated by Modell’s Sporting Goods.  The long-time baseball fans were happy to be at Citifield, to meet Mr. Met and enjoy a baseball game with their loved ones.

“This technology is truly a home run for our residents,” said Shua Sauer, Chief Operating Officer.  “We were certain when we partnered with Ventec Life Systems that their technology would be the innovation needed to enhance care for our residents who use ventilators.   The VOCSN units were installed only two weeks ago and already we are able to demonstrate the quality of life they provide.   What better way to celebrate our residents’ newfound mobility than a night at the ballpark to see the Amazin’ Mets!”

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The Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a 460-bed nursing care facility in Commack, Long Island, and is part of the Gurwin Healthcare System, a renowned health-care provider offering a full continuum of healthcare and senior living services for the frail and elderly. The Center was named by Fortune Magazine as the #1 Best Workplace in the nation for Aging Services, and is the 2019 Best of Long Island award winner for rehabilitation, adult day care, health aides and assisted living. Services provided at the Center include skilled nursing care, rehabilitation therapy, advanced care, ventilator and respiratory care, on-site dialysis and infusion therapy, memory care, and palliative and hospice care, as well as both medical and social adult day programs and home care programs. The 34-acre campus is also home to Gurwin Jewish~ Fay J. Lindner Residences assisted living community, and a proposed independent living community, Fountaingate Gardens. For more information, visit www.gurwin.org, Follow Gurwin on Facebook (bit.ly/GurwinNursingRehab) and on Twitter (@GurwinJewish).

Check out video footage from the game and more photos below: