Zelma
"I’m grateful to the Kindred staff for their hard work and dedication."
Zelma came to Kindred Hospital Houston Northwest after having been hospitalized for acute respiratory failure. At the time of her admission she was receiving high-flow oxygen, was extremely weak, needed significant levels of assistance and was experiencing high levels of anxiety.
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She started to receive occupational and physical therapy to build up her strength, improve her muscle tone, motor skills and mobility, and with diligent care from her entire team with each passing day she made steady progress toward meeting her goal of recovery.
“When I arrived at Kindred I had already been in the hospital for two weeks,” Zelma shared. “I couldn’t stand much or walk, but after a week of being here I was standing and making steps and I could finally see that I was on a positive road to recovery. Day by day I’m getting better and I’m grateful to the Kindred staff for their hard work and dedication on getting me back to normal as much as possible. I can now move forward knowing that I am prepared and equipped to get back to my everyday life.”
Tina
"My husband and I can’t thank you enough for taking care of me."
Tina was visiting her sister in January of this year when she started to feel like she had a cold coming on. Her condition rapidly worsened and she had to be admitted to a general hospital where she developed respiratory failure and had to be placed in the ICU due to complications from COVID-19. Nearly five months after being admitted, and still experiencing low brain activity after being in a coma, Tina was transferred to Kindred Hospital Houston Northwest.
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With her husband at her side, and a dedicated multidisciplinary team working together to help her recover, Tina began to make small steps and went from being a patient who was not expected to recover to being liberated from the ventilator and talking again. Although her recovery was extremely long, Tina was able to go back to her home state of Vermont to continue her rehabilitation and continued to get better until, after several complications and re-hospitalizations, she was finally able to return home with her husband once and for all in August.
"Although my heart and lungs are still weak and I have to take it slow, I am now able to get around without a walker and my pulmonary doctors are helping me get stronger. I went from almost dying to being 100% independent once again – all thanks to my awesome team of respiratory therapists, nurse, nursing aides and my physicians – especially Dr. Moldovan. My husband and I can’t thank you enough for taking care of me, for giving him hope and for helping me get back home. And next year we hope to travel to Houston once again to personally thank everyone who helped me through my recovery!”
Thomas
"The staff here at Kindred was always upbeat and encouraging."
Thomas came to Kindred Hospital Houston Northwest after having been admitted at an acute care facility for cardiac arrest. Although he was no longer dependent on a ventilator, his breathing tube was still in place to ensure his airway remained clear and he was weak from his ordeal and required substantial assistance from his caregivers for all his needs.
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Highly motivated to recover, Thomas participated enthusiastically with his therapists and began to show signs of progress right away, progressing to the point where his breathing tube was removed and he was able to regain his mobility and independence.
By the time he was ready to be discharged to return home, Thomas had accomplished all of the goals set at the time of admission and was grateful to his team of caregivers for helping him get better so quickly. “I was admitted to the ICU with heart attack symptoms and just a week after my surgery was transferred here,” Thomas shared. “The staff here at Kindred were always upbeat and encouraging – this has been a substantial part of my recovery process.”
Barbara
"I am grateful for the care I received here."
Barbara was admitted to a general hospital for a hernia repair surgery. Unfortunately, during the surgery she had an acute cardiac arrest and developed respiratory failure as well, requiring the placement of a ventilator. Unable to eat or drink anything, Barbara also had to have a feeding tube placed to administer nutrition.
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Nearly a month later Barbara was able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Houston Northwest. When she arrived she was still receiving supplemental oxygen and needed full assistance from her caregivers for all her needs. She started respiratory therapy to strengthen her lungs and reduce her dependence on oxygen and also started to receive occupational and physical therapy to improve her mobility and stamina.
Barbara also was helped by her speech pathologist who guided her through the process of relearning how to swallow and speak after the breathing tube was removed. Her recovery proceeded quickly and without any complications, allowing Barbara to be discharged from Kindred to continue her rehabilitation before going home.
“I am grateful for the care I received here,” Barbara said. “I’m very hopeful that I will be able to go home again very soon.”
James
Remarkable Journey to Recovery
James came to Kindred Hospital Houston Northwest after having been hospitalized for respiratory failure and other complications. Physicians at the facility had placed him on a ventilator to support his lungs and given him a feeding tube as he was unable to eat.
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Not long after he had been admitted, James had to be transferred back to the general hospital for further care before he was ready to return to Kindred to begin pulmonary therapy and rehabilitation. After his readmission, James started therapy with his respiratory team and made excellent progress in a short period of time as he was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation and able to breathe on his own, needing only supplemental oxygen to support his recovery. Then just a few days later after receiving help from his speech pathologist and being cleared to swallow safely, James was able to begin eating and drinking a normal diet once again and the feeding tube was removed.
During his stay at Kindred James made great progress in all areas of his recovery. He went from being unable to sit up or get out from bed on his own and needing maximum assistance from his team of caregivers to standing, walking and reclaiming his independence over the activities of daily living. By the time he was discharged from Kindred, James was looking forward to getting back to a normal life and doing the things he loves.
Pauline
On The Road Again
Pauline is an energetic woman who lives at home with her husband. Despite being on supplemental home oxygen, she enjoyed taking long walks, listening to music and playing with her three grandkids.
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She was originally admitted to a medical center after experiencing respiratory failure which required her to be placed on a ventilator. Pauline was also found to have hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and she had to receive a feeding tube to ensure that she received adequate nutrition.
When Pauline was admitted to Kindred Hospital she required total assistance with all of her mobility and daily needs. She began an interdisciplinary approach to her care which included physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy to improve Pauline's bed mobility, strength, endurance, balance and safety. Her goal was to return home to continue her recovery with home health services.
Pauline improved to the point that she was able to walk, take care of her needs and eat regular meals without assistance - which meant she was able to have the feeding tube removed. On the day of her release she was ecstatic that she was able to go return home so that she could resume the lifestyle that she enjoyed. She was especially looking forward to taking long car rides with her husband to Louisiana and Atlanta, and also to driving the new family car that she had only driven twice before.
Irving
After Two Years On A Ventilator, Irving Is Finally Able To Breathe On His Own
Irving had been struggling with the removal of the mechanical ventilator and tracheostomy that kept him alive for more two years. He had been in and out of the hospital ICU with respiratory failure several times until he was transferred to Kindred Hospital.
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When he arrived he still required continuous oxygen and ventilator support as he was extremely debilitated and unable to breathe on his own. He began a proven multidisciplinary treatment process and the respiratory department started to wean Irving from the ventilator he had been dependent on for so long.
After diligent effort from his care team and determination on his part, he was finally taken off the ventilator and upgraded to a trach collar, which allowed him to finally breathe on his own. He began to participate in the pulmonary rehab program and soon was able to have his trach capped, which is the last step before it is removed entirely.
In addition to respiratory therapy to increase pulmonary strength and lung volume, Irving also did daily physical and occupational therapy to help him regain his overall strength and independence. His dietician monitored his nutrition and his nursing team was instrumental with his daily care, promoting his confidence and reducing his anxiety.
When Irving was discharged to his home to continue his recovery, he had accomplished his goal of regaining independence from a ventilator and beginning to get his health back. Everyone on his care team is proud of Irving's accomplishments and we wish him all the best as he continues to get better!