[Discharge program to facilitate home care of patients with respirator]

We have introduced a program to provide home care for the patient with an artificial respirator, and have used it for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This program urges us to keep a good relationship with home care nurses, medical engineers and medical social workers, and also relieves the patient and patient's family from anxiety. It also tells us how to remove the patient's sputum, how to differentiate sterilized materials from non-sterilized, and so on. This program has been carried out successfully, resulting in the patient's early discharge from the hospital. The patient is now enjoying a comfortable life at home with the aid of an artificial respirator. We conclude that this program is useful for such a patient and his family through the smooth introduction of home care, will increase the quality of the patient's life, and will achieve an early discharge.