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When 84-year-old Tresa Gleeson received a call asking whether she wanted to receive the coronavirus vaccine, she didn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n
Teams of EMTs from Southwest Health System began going out to the residences of patients last month to administer vaccine to the community\u2019s vulnerable homebound population.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was so easy!\u201d she said Thursday morning after receiving her second dose of the vaccine.<\/p>\n
Gleeson has been confined to her home for months after managing to will herself out of an extended stay in hospice care. She struggles with end-stage kidney disease and diabetes. Her kidneys are gradually losing their ability to function, allowing dangerous electrolytes and wastes to build up in her body.<\/p>\n
With end-stage renal disease, patients need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. Some patients choose to forgo dialysis or transplant and opt for conservative care to manage the symptoms \u2014 aiming for the best quality of life possible during their remaining time.<\/p>\n
Gleeson\u2019s doctor advised against dialysis or a kidney replacement because of potential complications with blood clots.<\/p>\n
According to the Centers for Disease Control<\/a>, homebound individuals \u201cinclude those that need the help of another person or medical equipment such as crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair to leave their home, or their medical provider believes that their health or illness could get worse if they leave their home, and they typically do not leave their home.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Marc Meyer, director of Pharmacy Services and Infection Control at SHS, EMTs will be administer roughly 34 second doses of the vaccine this week to homebound people.<\/p>\n SHS has been administering both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.<\/p>\n Meyer encourages other homebound people throughout the community to sign up to receive their shots.<\/p>\n