ALS Program
ALS Program
ALS Ventilation Program
Nearly 5,000 Americans a year get a diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a motor neuron disease that presents unique challenges and symptoms characterized by progressive muscle weakness, including the respiratory muscles. Breathing support with mechanical ventilation can improve patients’ quality of life and may prolong survival.1 One study showed that noninvasive ventilation (NIV) can help prolong survival in a certain subset of patients with ALS for over a year.2
Our patient-centered ALS Ventilation Program collaborates closely with ALS clinics, patients, and caregivers.
We facilitate communication and provide support and education to ensure that patients get the maximum benefit from ventilation therapy. Each patient is paired with a specialty clinician experienced in ventilation for ALS. The Ventilator Patient Specialist serves as a single contact for the patient, their caregivers, their physician, and other providers, coordinating all care and communication. We want to ensure each patient is comfortable using the therapy and understands the benefits it can bring.
Rotech’s ALS Ventilation Program includes:
- Individual Plans of Care – we recognize that every patient with ALS is different, so each plan of care is as individualized as the patient for whom it’s written.
- Patient/Caregiver Education – education is key to getting the most out of NIV therapy; we make sure both the patient and caregiver feel confident and comfortable.
- Customized ventilator therapy coaching to ensure patient comfort and compliance
- Working closely with the ALS clinic by continuously titrating settings as prescribed to meet ongoing ventilation needs
- Ongoing follow-up and regular in-home visits with your personal Ventilator Patient Specialist
- Spirometry with Forced Vital Capacity readings (FVC)
- Portable ventilators to ensure patients remain as active as possible
- Second ventilators available for patients who qualify
- Round-the-clock clinical support: trained professionals available 24/7 for questions and troubleshooting
SOURCES
- Fiorentino G, Annunziata A, Gaeta AM, Lanza M, Esquinas A. Continuous noninvasive ventilation for respiratory failure in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: current perspectives. Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. 2018 Sep 4;8:55-61. doi: 10.2147/DNND.S170771.
- Bach JR. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: prolongation of life by noninvasive respiratory aids. Chest. 2002 Jul;122(1):92-8. doi: 10.1378/chest.122.1.92. PMID: 12114343.
