Pediatric Trach and Ventilator Nursing at Home in Georgia
Trained nurses who care for your child's trach, ventilator, and everything that comes with them, so your child can live at home and you can rest. Paid through the Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) at no cost to your family.
Bringing Your Child Home With a Trach or Ventilator
Going home with a tracheostomy or a ventilator is a big step. Someone needs to be ready around the clock to suction, respond to an alarm, or handle an airway emergency, and no parent can do that alone every night. In-home skilled nursing through GAPP puts a trained nurse at your child's side for the hours your child is approved for, so your child can grow up at home and your family can sleep, work, and be a family again.
- We care for children with trachs and ventilators today
- Nurses trained in tracheostomy and ventilator care
- We work directly with hospital discharge teams
- Registered nurse oversight with on-call support
What Our Nurses Do in Your Home
Hands-on care for the trach, the ventilator, and the rest of your child's medical needs, every shift.
Tracheostomy Care
Daily stoma care, trach tie changes, and skin checks to prevent breakdown and infection, done the way your child's care team ordered.
Suctioning and Airway Clearance
Suctioning as needed, humidification, and watching for the early signs of a plug or a change in breathing.
Trach Tube Changes
Routine and emergency trach changes when your child's physician orders them, with the spare trach and supplies always ready.
Ventilator, BiPAP, and CPAP Management
Checking settings against orders, responding to alarms, caring for the circuit, and keeping the backup equipment ready to go.
Oxygen and Monitoring
Oxygen delivery, pulse oximetry, and vital signs, with clear notes so your child's doctors see how the shift went.
Emergency Airway Response
A nurse in the home who knows your child's emergency plan and can act on it, including accidental decannulation and equipment failure.
Feeding Tubes and Medications
Many trach and vent kids also have a G-tube or J-tube. Our nurses handle feedings, flushes, and medications on the same shift.
Overnight and Daytime Shifts
Night shifts so parents can sleep, and day shifts so parents can work or care for siblings, based on the hours GAPP approves.
How We Get Your Child Home From the NICU or PICU
Four steps, and we walk you through each one.
Send Us a Referral
A parent, hospital discharge planner, case manager, or physician can start it. The sooner we hear from you before discharge, the more time we have to staff your child's shifts.
We Gather the Medical Orders
We work with your child's physician on the plan of treatment and the records GAPP needs, then submit the request for nursing hours.
GAPP Sets the Hours
State reviewers decide how many nursing hours your child is approved for, based on medical need. We keep you updated and answer questions along the way.
Care Starts at Home
We match your child with trach and vent trained nurses, a registered nurse oversees the care, and someone is reachable after hours if a question comes up.
How GAPP Pays for Trach and Vent Nursing
- No cost to your family. GAPP is a Georgia Medicaid program, and approved nursing is paid in full.
- Your child must be on Georgia Medicaid and under 21 years old.
- Hours are based on medical need. State reviewers decide how many nursing hours your child is approved for, using your child's physician orders and records.
- Every child in GAPP has skilled nursing. A parent can be paid only for personal care, such as bathing and dressing, never for trach or ventilator care.
Referring a Trach or Vent Patient?
We accept referrals directly from NICU and PICU discharge planners, case managers, and physicians. Send us the family's contact information and what you know about the child's needs, and we will take it from there: physician orders, the GAPP request, and staffing trach and vent trained nurses for discharge.
Where We Provide Trach and Vent Nursing
Metro Atlanta and surrounding counties today, with referrals welcome from across Georgia as we grow.
Core Counties
- Fulton County
- DeKalb County
- Cobb County
- Clayton County
- Henry County
- Gwinnett County
- Fayette County
- Douglas County
- Forsyth County
- Rockdale County
Also Serving
- Cherokee County
- Paulding County
- Bartow County
- Newton County
- Spalding County
- Coweta County
- Carroll County
- Barrow County
- Gilmer County
- Pickens County
Live somewhere else in Georgia? Call us anyway. We are expanding, and we will tell you honestly whether we can staff your child's care.
Learn More Before Your Child Comes Home
Plain-language guides from our team on the questions trach and vent families ask us most.
Trach and Ventilator Care Questions
Does GAPP cover in-home nursing for a child with a tracheostomy or ventilator?
Yes. The Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) is a Georgia Medicaid program that pays for in-home skilled nursing for medically fragile children under 21. Tracheostomy and ventilator care are skilled nursing needs, so children with a trach or vent are among the children GAPP is designed to serve. State reviewers approve the number of nursing hours based on your child's medical needs.
How much does trach and ventilator nursing at home cost through GAPP?
GAPP services are provided at no cost to the family. Your child must be enrolled in Georgia Medicaid, and the nursing hours must be approved by GAPP based on medical need.
Can a nurse stay overnight with my child who has a trach?
Yes. Night shifts are one of the most common ways families use their GAPP hours, so parents can sleep while a trained nurse watches the airway, the monitors, and the ventilator. The number of hours depends on what GAPP approves for your child.
Are your nurses trained in trach and ventilator care?
Yes. Heart and Soul Healthcare cares for children with tracheostomies and ventilators today, and our nurses are trained in trach care, suctioning, trach changes, and ventilator management. A registered nurse supervises every child's care.
Can you help us bring our child home from the NICU or PICU?
Yes. We accept referrals directly from hospital discharge planners and case managers, and we coordinate with your child's care team so nursing is in place for the move home. Reach out as early as you can before discharge.
Can I be paid to care for my child with a trach or ventilator?
Under GAPP, a legally responsible family member who lives with the child can be paid only for personal care, such as bathing and dressing, through the Family Caregiver Option. Trach and ventilator care is skilled nursing, which a parent cannot be paid to provide, and every child in GAPP must have skilled nursing involved. A nurse from the agency provides that care.
What areas of Georgia do you serve?
We currently provide care in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, Henry, Gwinnett, Fayette, Douglas, Forsyth, and Rockdale counties, and in Cherokee, Paulding, Bartow, Newton, Spalding, Coweta, Carroll, Barrow, Gilmer, and Pickens counties. We are growing, so families elsewhere in Georgia are welcome to reach out and we will tell you honestly whether we can staff your child's care.
How do I get started?
Submit a referral on our website or call us at (678) 644-0337. We will talk through your child's needs, explain the GAPP process, and work with your child's physician on the paperwork.
Let's Get Your Child Home
Tell us about your child and we will take it from there. The earlier we hear from you before discharge, the more time we have to have nurses ready.