Back to all stories

Providing compassionate care with VNA’s Parenting Support services

December 13, 2022 | VNA Staff | Story

Visiting Nurse Association’s (VNA’s) Parenting Support services offers a Physician-Ordered Family Home Visitation program for mothers and children. This is Hope’s story.

At five weeks old, Hope received a diagnosis of failure to thrive, poor weight gain, malnutrition and severe reflux. After experiencing hospitalization four times, the hospital staff contacted Child Protective Services out of concerns of neglect.

Baby with headband and blanket

Staff ultimately referred Hope to VNA through the Physician-Ordered Family Home Visitation program. Working with her parents, Hope’s VNA nurse saw caring people overwhelmed by their circumstances. There were no local daycares that accepted babies with feeding tubes, so her mother couldn’t work. Her father was fired for missing too much work while Hope was hospitalized. 

The added stress to their already limited resources made every obstacle even bigger. But Hope’s parents worked with her nurse to find the right solutions, and Hope started to gain weight — reaching 12 pounds when she turned seven months old. The nurse also taught Hope’s parents about developmental delays and connected them to a financial assistance program. The support they received means Hope can now have the best possible start in life.

VNA’s Physician-Ordered Family Home Visitation Program

VNA’s Parenting Support Services

Story

Share this story:

Back to all stories