OUR REACH

We proudly serve the towns of:

  • Chester
  • Clinton
  • Deep River
  • East Haddam
  • East Lyme
  • Essex
  • Haddam
  • Killingworth
  • Lyme
  • Madison
  • Old Lyme
  • Old Saybrook
  • Westbrook
  • Waterford & portions of Colchester

WHY CHOOSE US?

VNLV is consistently named as a Top Agency of the HomeCare Elite.

Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley offers an extensive list of home healthcare services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call us to answer any of your questions!

The nursing staff at VNLV are highly skilled and passionate patient advocates proud to carry on the tradition of superior, compassionate care that has been delivered to patients throughout the Lower Valley and shoreline areas for almost a century.

 

Individualized Care at Home is YOUR Choice!

Working together with the you, your family and your physician, the nurses at VNLV develop a plan of care to meet your individual needs. By providing clinical care, patient and family education and support, our nurses coordinate a home care program to help you become independent in managing your care safely at home.

Our Home Healthcare Services

Please click on the titles below to read about the variety of in-depth services and treatments we have to offer.


VNLV offers a comprehensive cardiopulmonary program designed to meet the needs of patients with a variety of cardiac and pulmonary diseases. Whether the patient is recovering from an acute cardiac episode or is chronically ill with heart disease or COPD, our team of clinicians (RNs, OT, PT, and MSW) are experienced in developing care plans that meet each patient’s specific needs.


The use of telecommunications technologies to remotely monitor patient vital signs and health status, while the patient stays comfortably at home:

  • increases quality-of-life and patient satisfaction
  • significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization
  • catches early signs of exacerbations or health declines
  • allows care givers to stay better connected with patients


Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley is committed to making the transition from hospital to home as smooth as possible for you or your loved one. Transitional Care focuses on ensuring the coordination and continuity of health care. The goal of Transition Care is to increase patient access to healthcare resources, better coordinate the appropriate use of those resources, increase adherence to medication regimens, reduce unnecessary readmissions, and improve each patient’s satisfaction with their experience of care. Our Transitional Care Manager will help you every step of the way.

To learn more about Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley’s Transitional Care Program, call 860-767-0186.


VNLV’s Chronic Care Management Program teaches patients and families about their condition and how to manage it to maximize quality of life, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, controlling pain and symptoms, and finding a balance with holistic care that addresses the individual’s body, mind and spirit. VNLV tailors a care plan specific to each person’s unique needs and personal goals for care.


Diabetes is a disease with no cure. It is a chronic condition that must be controlled daily using your doctor’s advice, diet, exercise and life-long education. Diabetes management reduces the risk of complications, such as heart and circulatory disease.

VNLV nursing and nutrition staff assess patient needs and develop a diabetes self-management program geared to the patient’s specific needs and lifestyle. Diabetic self-management programs include:

  • Appropriate food and meal planning
  • Blood glucose monitoring instructions
  • Education on how daily activities affect blood glucose levels
  • Education on potential diabetes problems and complications
  • Exercise and activity suggestions
  • Instruction on diabetic medication


Wound care is a growing need for home care patients. The Wound Care Nurses at VNLV use cutting-edge technology and advanced wound care products to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Overseen by a certified Wound, & Ostomy Nurse, our program is designed to promote healing and comfort while putting our patients at ease.

Symptoms

  • Arterial, diabetic or stasis ulcers
  • Traumatic wounds
  • Burns
  • Pressure ulcers
  • Surgical wounds


VNLV provides a full range of Home Rehabilitation Therapies:

Physical Therapy: Involves the direct manipulation by a licensed therapist of muscles, joints and other parts of the patient’s body. Physical training involves strength training, heat treatments, massage and supervised exercises, all administered via doctor prescriptions.

Speech Therapy: The need for speech therapy is often due to a stroke. Speech therapy includes articulation, dysphagia (swallowing) receptive and expressive language disorders, aphasia, apraxia and cognitive-linguistic deficits.

Occupational Therapy: Is a skilled treatment that helps you adapt activities of your daily life to changes in your physical condition brought on by illness, age or accidents.

  • Activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing, eating and grooming
  • Activities for memory, orientation and cognitive integration
  • Adaptive techniques / equipment to overcome physical disabilities
  • Strengthening and coordination exercises to maintain normal joint movement


VNLV’s medical social worker services are provided by a social worker experienced and knowledgeable about health care systems and the community resources available to meet patient needs, based on the circumstances of the situation by the referral source and the patient. Our services include a careful assessment of your physical and emotional condition, followed with a plan of care. We provide a combination of supportive counseling and referrals to help you cope with illness or injury.


Our caring and capable credentialed home health aides are ready to assist you, and help lessen the burden everyday with activities including: bathing, dressing and making meals. Our home health aide services can help if:

  • you are disabled due to illness or injury
  • you are recovering at home from surgery
  • your day-to-day activities have become difficult
  • you need assistance with personal care, such as bathing, dressing, or eating
  • you need assistance with light household chores
  • you need reminders to take prescribed medications

A registered nurse supervises the home health aide, and services are closely monitored for appropriateness and quality. This level of assistance is often key to maintaining client safety and comfort at home.

VNLV partners with Lower Valley Care Advocates to bring you the best service and continuum of care in the area. Lower Valley Care Advocates, provides private in-home care consisting of non-medical services including escorted transportation, companions and help with activities of daily life. Find out more here

Patient Satisfaction is Our Top Priority

“It relieved my anxiety a lot to know that someone was monitoring my vital signs and that I could see them every morning. I feel that relieving my anxiety kept me out of the hospital.” – C. Anderson

Support through donations & planned giving maintains our ability to carry out our mission of quality, community-based home health services. Please consider making a donation to support our work and ensure that our programs and services remain available for individuals in need throughout our 15-community service area. All donations are tax deductible by the fullest extent of the law.