Oley Foundation Marks 40 Years of Education and Advocacy

Supports people worldwide who require home IV nutrition or tube feeding

The Oley Foundation, a nonprofit based at Albany Medical Center that supports and advocates for people who use home intravenous nutrition or tube feeding, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special event at the Hilton Garden Inn at Albany Medical Center on Feb. 2.

People with severe digestive conditions, such as the inability to swallow, a motility disorder, or a shortened intestine, cannot eat normally. Instead, they rely on long-term home IV nutrition (parenteral nutrition or PN) or tube feeding (enteral nutrition or EN) to survive.

Nutrition support therapy was once solely hospital based. Oley Foundation Co-Founder Dr. Lyn Howard helped pioneer bringing it into the home setting, helping thousands of people regain their independence.

Feeding Tube Awareness Week is Feb. 6-10.

At the 40th anniversary event, Foundation members from across the country spoke about how their lives changed when they met people like themselves who were living – and thriving – with their chronic illness.

Participants noted how the Foundation introduced them to new innovations like portable pumps and helped them navigate the complexities of living with PN and EN. “You can’t control intestinal failure,” said one member. “But you can control how to live.”

Acknowledging Dr. Howard and the Oldenburg family for their years of support, Executive Director Emeritus Joan Bishop also thanked Albany Medical Center. “We are surrounded by professionals who care for their patients and their employees, and that sets us up for success,” she said.