$60,000 grant delivers at-home care to Kauai

Patients on Kauai who are recovering from surgery or have serious medical conditions now can receive nursing attention without leaving home from St. Francis Home Care Services-Kauai. State-of-the-art electronic monitors, leased through a $60,000 grant from the Antone and Edene Vidinha Trust, allow the agency to serve more patients.

St. Francis Home Care Services also plans to begin "telehealth" monitoring on Oahu in March.

The equipment prompts patients to check their vital signs – such as weight, blood pressure, blood sugar level or oxygen in the blood – and reminds them to take their medications. The information, sent by phone line to the home care office, is reviewed by nurses, who provide immediate attention and follow-up if the patient's medical condition changes and notify the patient's doctor to determine if care needs changing.

Nurses who used to visit patients two or three times a week are now in daily contact and can spot significant changes in their medical conditions quicker. The telehealth monitors also enable patients to take an active role in managing their health amd can help reduce unnecessary trips to the emergency room or recurrent hospitalizations because symptoms and problems are spotted before they become serious.

The Antone & Edene Vidinha Charitable Trust was established by the late Kauai Mayor Antone "Kona" Vidinha and his wife, Edene, to assist nonprofit organizations that serve Garden Island residents.