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Suburban does not automatically mean better.

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Contributed by: J. Cervellera on 9/14/2007

Rebuttal to Buffalo News Article 8/25/2007 Page D5, Written By Emma Sapong.

The Deaconess Center of Kaleida Health is a not-for-profit long-term care
facility on the East side of Buffalo, NY. The Deaconess Center is not a
Hospital; it is a Home to many different types of adults and children in need. There is an entire 21 - bed unit devoted to pediatrics, a similar size sub-acute rehab unit, along with geriatric care beds.
The Deaconess pediatric unit is a hidden gem of Kaleida Health. Children
reside there who have little family, no family, or family unable to handle their
complex medical needs in the home environment. Our children's families, if they
are fortunate enough to have family involved, are encouraged to visit as often
as they can. Our facility is easily accessible and free parking is always
available to our visitors.
The pediatric unit has met an increasing Western and Upstate New York
community need for approximately the past 15 years. The closest facility that
meets similar needs is in Albany, NY. Up until last year when these pediatric
special needs group homes started being built, there was nowhere else for these
medically complicated children to go. These children had to stay in Hospitals or
come to Deaconess to live and await alternative placements.
Today's healthcare system can make it very difficult for these children to be
discharged home, even if there is able family involved. This is often due to the
family's inability to receive proper nursing care in the home.
There are two main reasons appropriate nursing care cannot be secured, the
first being money. The system often will not provide 24 hour nursing care to a
child who has various medical needs such as ventilator care, feeding tubes, and
artificial airways.
The second reason is that we are in the middle of a nationwide nursing
shortage. Many times, even if there is reimbursement for the proper nursing
care, there are no nurses to cover the shift openings.
Today's society often requires both parents, if both are even present, to
work to make ends meet. Often children with special needs have siblings who also
need time and attention. It is simply not possible or safe to attend to daily
life, get proper rest, and care for a medically complicated child 24 hours a day
without appropriate nursing.
When these situations occur, it can be deemed unsafe for the child to be
placed in the home environment and temporary alternate placement is required.
These pediatric special needs group homes are a fairly new venture in Western
New York. There are only a few built currently and waiting lists exist for the
homes in the planning stages. In other words, there is not room for everyone.
Much of the pediatric staff has been with the Deaconess Center unit caring
and advocating for these children since the unit opened approximately 15 years
ago. We have provided as close to a safe, stable home environment that most of
these kids have experienced in their entire lives. The staff cares and loves
these children as if they were our own. Some of our past staff members have
given so much of themselves as to accept these special needs children into their
homes and adopt them as their own.
The Western New York community has been so generous to our Children. People
have volunteered countless hours and donated substantial dollars to our unit.
This helps provide our children with necessary, expensive medical equipment that
our government and private insurances do not always foot the bill for. Also, it
gives our kids opportunities to go on outings and have the things kids would
normally have.
It is bittersweet to the staff here at Deaconess that our Children are able
to have a beautiful, brand new facility they can now deservingly call home. It
is very disappointing however, that the wonderful care the Children have
received here the past 15 years can be quickly blurred by a news article
highlighting their new suburban home. There have been many positive news stories
in the Buffalo News as well as Local TV about our unit. Our Children's will to
live persevered as they waited patiently for the system to do right by them and
create alternative placement. Please don't discount how our children got to
where they are today.

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