Problem:
Environmental triggers affecting asthma at home can include pets, secondhand tobacco smoke (including smoke from neighbors), cockroaches, mice, mold, and poor ventilation. Families who rent housing don’t always know what they can ask their landlord to provide or improve, and don’t always have access to resources that can improve indoor air quality.
Solution:
Region 8 PEHSU used special EPA project funding to complete 16 virtual asthma home visits with a pediatric nurse practitioner. Families reviewed asthma medications and received education on asthma triggers. PEHSU also connected families with resources to improve indoor air such as HEPA air purifiers, HEPA vacuums, replacement filters, humidity monitors, and spacers. They also provided letters to landlords about pest or ventilation concerns.
Impact:
Home visits are examples of PEHSU’s mission to reduce children’s environmental exposures by combining clinical expertise with practical, family-centered interventions. These interventions improve home environments, strengthen asthma self-management, and help reduce asthma for children living in high-risk housing conditions.