By Annette Pinder
Eligible patients and residents of McGuire Group/Living Legends nursing and rehabilitative facilities can now receive blood transfusions. According to Chief Nursing Officer Andrea Czora, RN, BSN, the three designated facilities are the first and only locations to receive such approval from the New York State Department of Health. They are Garden Gate Health Care Facility in Cheektowaga, Harris Hill Nursing Facility in Williamsville, and Northgate Health Care Facility in North Tonawanda.
Each of the facilities have dedicated treatment rooms with reclining chairs, warming blankets, iPads, televisions, and magazines for a comfortable, safe, and pleasant experience. A trained registered nurse administers the transfusions under the direction of a treating physician. To be eligible for the treatment, patients must have a chronic or non-urgent need for a blood transfusion, have had at least one transfusion in an acute-care setting without an adverse reaction, be calm and cooperative, and be able to consent to the procedure.
“We’re excited to be the first to offer this next-level service for individuals residing in a long-term care setting,” stated Czora. “As clinicians, we understand the disruption that patients and residents experience in having to travel to a hospital for care. This progressive initiative that enables our residents to receive treatment where they reside supports our clinical strategic plan for reducing avoidable hospitalizations and unnecessary emergency room visits. Not only are in-house transfusions safer and more convenient for residents, but they have the added benefit of reducing hospital occupancy and freeing up resources for other acute care services.
McGuire Group/Living Legends facilities provide 24-hour skilled nursing care, subacute rehabilitation, memory care, in-house dialysis, hospice and palliative care, and respite/short-term care. Learn more at www.LivingLegendsHealth.com, or call 1-800-826-2013.
