Independence Plus Blog
Developing the Next Generation of Nursing Talent
Have you heard about our Home Nursing Residency? This program offers new grads with less than one year of nursing experience the opportunity to train and learn from experienced clinicians. Our first cohort begins training on Monday, October 21.
Meet Mary: 21 Years of Service (and Counting!)
Mary Castranova has been working as a nurse at Independence Plus for the last 21 years. She continues to prove herself as a strong patient advocate and dependable nurse – and make a difference in our patients’ lives every day.
Focus on Education: Annual Skills Competency Training
What brings more than 250 nurses and 15 clinical educators together over the course of six days? The answer: Independence Plus’ Annual Skills Competency Training. Find out more about our annual training, commitment to education, and other training and education classes offered throughout the year, such as our Home Ventilator Training class and Spinal Cord Injury class.
Turning Alex’s Football Dream into Reality
Last Friday, Alex, 15, was named Honorary Team Captain of St. Francis High School’s sophomore football team. This honor means a great deal to Alex and his family, particularly because Alex was severely injured the day before he was scheduled to play in his first high school football game last fall.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month: Alejandro’s Story
Alejandro, two and a half years old, has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and is ventilator dependent. Diagnosed with Type 1 SMA at a very young age, Alejandro lacks the ability to send signals from his brain to his muscles, which causes severe mobility impairment. Despite his limitations, Alejandro continues to make progress.
Transition Home: Creating a Family for Alexis
Recently adopted Alexis and her new sister have something in common: They were born with Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida, a birth defect, occurs when the bones of the spine, vertebrae, do not form properly around part of the spinal cord. The cause of this birth defect remains a mystery today.
Spotlight on Max: His First Trip to the Park
Max and his twin sister were born at 26 weeks in March 2012. After their birth, Max spent more than 15 months in the hospital until he was able to transition home in July. Last Friday, Max’s mom, Jessi, scheduled his first official outing at a local park. In case you missed it, we compiled a list of the media highlights from their special day.
Rocky’s Law: A Win for Student Athletes
Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a new bill into law requiring Illinois high schools to provide insurance for athletes who sustain major injuries. The law is called “Rocky’s Law,” inspired by Rasul “Rocky” Clark who passed away in 2012. With three former NFL players in attendance at the signing, as well as hundreds of Rocky’s friends and supporters, Rocky’s Law is a win for student athletes everywhere.
Rehab at Home: Weaning Andrew off the Vent (Part I)
Andrew was born at 26 weeks at less than 1 lb. Due to Andrew’s severe prematurity and emergency birth, he was placed on a ventilator. Now 2, Andrew is crawling, using sign language to communicate, and has been working to accomplish his biggest goal yet: to breathe on his own without a ventilator.
Meet Legendary Inventor Dr. Bird
Last week, our Founder and CEO, Tamara Müller, and three of our clinicians, had the honor of traveling to northern Idaho to meet the infamous Forrest M. Bird, MD, Ph.D. During the short stay at his 300-acre residence and farm, our team learned about Dr. Bird’s life, passion for innovation, and how he single-handedly transformed the world of mechanical ventilation.
Get Out, Enjoy Life!
Our friends over at Wheel:Life, a global online community for people who use wheelchairs, are hosting their third annual “Get Out, Enjoy Life!” photo contest. The contest encourages people who use wheelchairs to get out of the house and enjoy their summer by attending events, going on vacation, or trying a new activity.
5 Tips for Therapeutic Playtime
Children with special needs require a unique level of support and care. Not only are they learning basic life skills, such as communication, mobility, and how to interact with the world, but they’re also learning about their own abilities and limitations. Learn more about therapeutic playtime with these 5 simple tips!
Grow With Us
We’re expanding our services and offerings. We want you to be a part of the team that is delivering personalized, individual, people-focused skilled home healthcare to those in need. Come join us.