Heartland Home Health and Hospice Serving Northeastern Wisconsin recently received a donation of face masks from Wisconsin Face Mask Warriors.

Part of a 50-state network, Wisconsin Face Mask Warriors connects those in need of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and community members who sew and donate hand-made, non-medical grade face masks for the most vulnerable. All over Wisconsin people are buying fabric, sewing and donating masks for health care workers, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, hospitals and the military.

According to Melissa Shea, Heartland Hospice Bereavement Coordinator, this is a well-organized endeavor which includes mask drop off and delivery. “It’s quite an amazing group, which is being led by my friend Liz. She started the group and has been expediting since March,” said Melissa.

Local volunteer, Jeni Klein, made and donated 50 cloth masks for the Heartland team. “I started making masks because I have seen first-hand how devastating viral infections like COVID-19 can be to the individuals they infect,” said Jeni. “I am honored to be able to help our community stay healthy. If even one life can be saved from my masks, it is worth it.”

“We will be wearing the masks while in the office and while with patients and their families to maintain infection control,” said Melissa. “I feel honored to have been provided masks and it is so refreshing to know that there are others willing to donate their time to keeping our staff and patients safe,” she said.

Heartland Home Health serving Northeastern Wisconsin was able to meet the needs of a home health patient who initially declined home health services after her total knee replacement surgery. Read below to see how their compassionate care helped this patient to get back on her feet.

Following her total knee replacement surgery, the patient stayed in a skilled nursing facility for three nights. The facility offered her an additional stay for one more day to help with her recovery but she declined. Prior to her discharge that Friday, she cancelled her home health services because she didn’t think she needed them.

After being home for a weekend, the director of the surgery center placed a courtesy call to the patient to check on her recovery. The director discovered that the patient was sitting in her tub on her shower chair crying. She explained that it was very difficult to get into the tub and that she didn’t have the energy or stamina to do so. Her husband was at home with her but he felt overwhelmed and wanted additional support. At this point, the patient was requesting to be placed back at the skilled nursing facility because she felt there were no other options for the level of care needed. She asked about her home layout which prompted the director to make a referral for the patient for occupational therapy.

Upon referral, Heartland Home Health immediately started services for the patient by sending a registered nurse to assess her condition. She agreed to start physical therapy the next day. The patient now had daily support between the nurse, physical therapist and occupational therapist. After one week, the patient started to show significant signs of improvement. She was able to move around easier and cope much better. She wasn’t quite ready to attempt a shower so the occupational therapist backed her shower chair up to the tub so she could sit and get her hair washed.

The patient was discharged from home health services with a plan to begin outpatient rehab services the following week. She was very thankful for the tremendous support from Heartland that helped her gain the confidence to move around. She admitted that once home, she was overwhelmed and in a great deal of pain. She reached the point of wanting to give up. With the additional support from Heartland Home Health Care, she was able to move around, bend her knee and get dressed. She was even smiling again!