Project Breathe Easy

Project Breathe Easy provides support and education to parents who have children with asthma by matching a parent with a professionally trained community parent who will be available for education, support, and encouragement.
We also provide a physician-approved asthma management notebook that discusses ways to gain control of asthma through daily management. Parents receive personalized home visits by a community parents to discuss parental concerns and environmental triggers in the home environment. Support groups are held for continuing education on asthma management conducted by asthma education specialists (i.e., asthma educators, nurses, and respiratory care practitioners). The families are given a free allergy-proof mattress & pillow encasements.

The primary objectives of Project Breathe Easy are:
Ø To decrease the number of asthma-related ER visits and hospitalizations by 50%
Ø To increase the number of children who are medically insured by 75%
Ø To increase the number of children who have and utilize a medical home (where the child’s medical and health care is coordinated within a primary practice) by 75%
Ø To decrease the number of missed work days by the caregiver by 30%
Ø To decrease the number of missed school days by the child by 50%
Ø To increase the number of children who have a written asthma management plan by 100%

The 2006-2007 Year-End Summation shows the following results of the program:
Ø 100% of the participants report having a “medical home” after the post-test
Ø 87% Decrease in Emergency Department visits by children participating in PBE
Ø 56% Reduction in missed school days/childcare days by participating children
Ø 22% Decrease in missed workdays by caregivers
Ø 63% of parents reported having a written asthma management plan after the post-test