By Gina Morton
SHAMOKIN — Viola Pinamonti sits in her recliner right next to her husband, Richard, all day, every day.
“He gets in the chair at 8 a.m. until he goes to bed,” she said.
After suffering a slight stoke, Richard, 80, fell out of his chair three years ago, picked himself up and went on with his day. He and his wife saw no signs for any reason of concern, until a few days later when he began not talking right, and Viola knew something was wrong.
“He must have hit his head and we didn’t know it,” Viola said. “There was no bump or bleeding.”
After a medical checkup, doctors found blood on his brain and had to remove fluid. The result of the incident has left Richard unable to talk or walk on his own.
So Viola has began counting on VNA Health System to help her take care of her husband of 56 years. Nurses with the organization come into their home and take medical readings and do physical checkups to be sure everything is stable.
Linda Gula, a registered nurse with VNA, said an RN or LPN comes in twice a week to check vital signs and perform a head-to-toe assessment. A nursing aide also comes in twice a week to focus on bathing, mouth care and general hygiene.
“This way they don’t need to go to doctor visits,” Gula said. “We can watch vital signs and respiratory signs or do blood tests. We’re the doctor’s eyes in the home, watching for a change in condition.”
There are about 1,800 people receiving service from the company in 20 counties. Those patients aren’t seen every day, but on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on the referral.
Joseph Scopelliti, president and CEO, calls the organization the best kept secret.
“We have a lot of strengths,” he said of the business. “We’re very good at taking care of patients.”
The organization began in 1913. When Scopelliti began with the company in 1990, the Shamokin office had 12 people.
“Now we have 450 employees,” he said. “We’ve expanded geographically and organically, in our own business and outside.”
Those clients the company deals with depends on the VNA to continue helping provide support, including Viola and Richard.
Viola said her husband also has a touch of Alzheimer’s, dementia and experiences hallucinations at night.
She’s unable to leave his side during the day, because when she gets up he tries to follow, often resulting in him falling down again.
“(VNA) helps a lot,” she said. “I used to do everything myself but now it’s too hard. ... I’m happy he’s home and getting the care he needs. I pray it doesn’t get worse.”
The company has acquired several companies in the past few years, including Community Nursing Service of Clinton County, Jersey Shore Hospital Home Health, Centre HomeCare, Lewistown Home Health and Hospice: The Bridge, VNA Private Duty, VNA of Central Pennsylvania and Lewisburg Home Health.
The company provides services including skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hospice care, homemaker services, dietician services, among others.
To be eligible, a patient must be safe in their home in order to provide care, and be home bound. Their health issues must be intermittent.
Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Patients range in age from infants to the elderly.
The group has been named by the HomeCare Elite in the top 500 providers in the country in 2006 and 2006, and the top 25 percent in 2008 and 2009.
“It’s indicative of our high quality organization,” Scopelliti said.
Scopelliti said visiting patients in their own home during a one-on-one basis provides direct attention to the individual.
“People in this industry find it rewarding,” he said. “You have to face the fact most people want to be in a home environment as long as they can.”
