Testimonial

In February of 2006 I suffered a massive heart attack and began the most difficult journey of my life. After going into cardiogenic shock and suffering multiple system failure, I found myself dependent on a respiratory ventilator. I spent the next month and a half in a local Duluth hospital as they tried to wean me from the ventilator. Because they were unable to successfully wean me from the vent, I was transferred to a rehabilitation center in the Twin Cities. My anxiety, instability and continued infections resulted in another transfer, this time to one of the big metro hospitals. My family was concerned that I was just being rotated from hospital to hospital so after a suggestion from a social worker, my family looked into Interim HealthCare Vent Care Residence. Interim HealthCare helped my family and the hospital through the admission process and reassured us all that they specialized in ventilator management. I arrived at their residence in May of 2006 and was extremely anxious. I was in despair that I would never get off the vent and live independently but the caring staff reassured me that they would get me on the road to recovery. The staff was unlike anything I had previously experienced and I was cared for as if I were in my own home. It didn't take long before I felt that I belonged to a big extended family. The twenty-four hour nurses, physical, occupational and respiratory therapists worked closely with my physicians to strengthen me both physically and emotionally. The caregivers did not start the weaning process until they felt I was strong enough and emotionally ready. We set goals to keep me on task and along the way they also educated me about my recovery process.

Interim HealthCare has been with me and my family through this journey and they have rejoiced in my success. They have given me the encouragement I needed to regain a part of my old life back and now I am totally off of the ventilator and only require oxygen at night. I have learned how to manage my own medications and they have helped me to return to my own home. I will always be grateful for their TLC, encouragement, and medical expertise. I am a success story and I know I could not have done it without Interim HealthCare.

- Greg Knutsen