Eddie W
He survived COVID-19 – now is going home to his family.
Eddie lived at home with his family until he became seriously ill and had to be hospitalized, where he was found to be suffering from COVID-19. As his condition worsened, he had to be placed on a ventilator and given a feeding tube to supply his body with nutrition.
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He remained in a critical condition in the acute care setting as his body fought off the infection. Only when he began to show signs of recovery was he then able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Chicago Northlake where he could receive advanced respiratory therapy and rehabilitation with the goal of getting Eddie back home with his family.
Still very weak and completely dependent on his caregivers for all his needs, Eddie began to receive respiratory treatments to help his lungs recover. His nurses and assistants administered to his daily needs and care, and Eddie started to make visible gains toward his recovery as he regained his strength and cognitive abilities. He was successfully liberated from the ventilator and then cleared to start a regular diet by his speech pathologist, who also helped Eddie regain his voice and aided in his neurological recovery after being on mechanical ventilation for so long.
Encouraged by his bedside caregivers and remotely by his family, Eddie continued to progress amazingly well. As his strength came back he received diligent physical and occupational therapy, which helped Eddie regain his mobility and independence. Within just two weeks after coming to Kindred he was able to get up from bed, stand and walk with the aid of a walker, and take care once again of his daily needs.
On the day that Eddie was discharged to return home with his family, his caregivers shared the pride that they all felt in being able to be a part of nothing less than an amazing recovery – and also how proud everyone is of Eddie for standing strong and never losing sight of his goal.
Gerane
Journey to Recovery Leads Back Home
Gerane was admitted to a general hospital for treatment to address multiple serious medical issues, including sepsis, respiratory failure and acute kidney failure. When she had been stabilized she was transferred to Kindred Hospital Chicago Northlake to continue treatment and receive advanced respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.
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When she first arrived Gerane was still dependent on the ventilator and feeding tube and on her caregivers for all her needs. She started to make progress under the care of her respiratory team and also began to participate in physical and occupational therapy while still on mechanical ventilation. Gerane made progress daily and was able to use a speaking valve even before she was taken off the ventilator to communicate with her family who were a constant presence at her side.
When she was finally able to breathe without assistance she was taken off the ventilator, needing only supplemental oxygen to support her recovery. She continued to make excellent progress with her physical recovery as well and reached a major milestone when she finally had the breathing tube removed and then was cleared by her speech pathologist to swallow safely. Now able to drink and eat a regular diet, Gerane regained even more strength and ability, including her independence over the activities of daily living, and she was able to be discharged to return home with her family.
Karen
Her Journey to Recovery Leads Back to Home
Karen had been admitted to a general hospital where she developed respiratory failure and had to be placed on a ventilator. She was then transferred to Kindred Hospital Chicago - Northlake for ongoing respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.
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When she first arrived, Karen was weakened by her condition but determined to recover. She immediately began to receive respiratory therapy and started to make progress, as her lungs strengthened and her breathing improved. Her physical and occupational therapists also began the early mobility program to help her regain her independence with the goal of being able to return home.
When Karen was able to be taken off the ventilator completely, this milestone marked a significant moment in her journey to recovery. She was next able to be helped by her speech pathologists who cleared her to begin drinking and eating again and she was able to have the feeding tube removed.
Her daily therapy sessions in the rehab gym led Karen to regain her independence over all the activities of daily living and she was able to walk with lonely the assistance of a walker. By the time she was ready to be discharged, Karen was looking forward to spending time with her husband and getting back to a normal life.
Maria
Looking Forward to Going Home Soon
Maria was admitted to a general hospital with several life-threatening complications, including metabolic encephalopathy, critical care cardiomyopathy and bacterial peritonitis requiring ongoing IV antibiotic treatment. Maria was also suffering from severe deconditioning and weakness as a result of her condition.
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She was admitted to Kindred Hospital for continuation of care that had begun in the general hospital and for rehab and physical therapy. At first she required complete assistance with all her mobility and daily needs, and also needed to be fed through a tube as she was unable to eat or drink by mouth.
Her care team worked with Maria every day to help her regain her strength through occupational and physical therapy and she started to make significant gains in all areas in just a couple of weeks. During the last week of her stay at Kindred she was able to manage basic transfers from bed to chair and was able to walk with assistance for support. She was also able to begin eating a regular diet and regained a much of her lost independence in managing her daily needs.
Maria was discharged to a rehab facility to continue working towards her goal of returning home with her family very soon. All of us at Kindred are proud of Maria’s determination to recover and hope that she is able to go back home as soon as possible.
Juan
Back Home with His Family
Juan developed multiple symptoms from a series of medical issues including abdominal abscesses, severe de-conditioning and critical protein calorie malnutrition.
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At a general hospital he began IV antibiotic treatment and had multiple drains placed in his abdomen to help his recovery.
He transferred to Kindred Hospital to continue his antibiotic treatment and begin physical and occupational rehabilitation. On arrival, Juan was able to do minimal activities such as bed transfers, but he was extremely weak and unable to walk more than 10 feet without full assistance. He also required full assistance with all his personal needs.
Juan began to make rapid progress, however, and he was soon able to participate fully in his rehab sessions, which in turn helped him regain more strength and increased his desire to work harder towards a full recovery.
At the time of his discharge to return home with his family, Juan was able to complete all the activities of daily living and was also able to walk independently and walk up flights of stairs with minimal assistance. Everyone on staff was proud of Juan’s accomplishments and we want to take this opportunity to wish him all the best as he continues on his journey to recovery.
Eddie
On the Road to Recovery
Eddie was admitted to a general hospital for major surgery to remove a left temporal brain tumor and treatment for an abscess. His surgery was complex and required a craniotomy (removal of a flap of bone from his skull) to access the mass that developed on his brain and placement of an EVD (extra ventricular drain) to relieve pressure on his brain.
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When he was admitted to Kindred Hospital Eddie was very weak and required maximum assistance for all his needs and activities of daily living.
He was unable to communicate with his voice or eat by mouth - requiring a tube to administer his nutrition. His multidisciplinary team developed a plan to help him regain his mobility and strength and soon Eddie was able to participate in rehab therapy a few days each week.
As Eddie recovered and his alertness improved, he was able to begin daily rehab and begin eating a modified diet. He also began to communicate his wants and needs with his care team and required only modified assistance with mobility and daily needs. Eddie was able to begin walking with a rolling walker and was able to transfer to an acute rehab facility to continue his journey to recovery - his goal is to return home to his family as soon as possible.
All of us at Kindred wish Eddie the best and hope that he is able to make a full recovery!
Julian
Closer to Going Home
When Julian sustained a serious fall he fractured his 6 th cervical vertebra and had to be rushed to the ER. At the hospital he had to be given a tracheostomy so that a mechanical ventilator could support his breathing. Once he was stabilized he transferred to Kindred Hospital to continue his recovery.
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When he arrived Julian still had a trach collar and a feeding tube to administer his nutritional needs, as he was unable to feed himself. He required full assistance with all his daily needs and for mobility but soon began to participate in a daily rehab program and made remarkable strides.
Within a matter of a few weeks after admission Julian was able to begin communicating through a speaking valve and regained the ability to swallow. He also was able to stand again and began walking with moderate assistance and a rolling walker. Julian made such great progress at Kindred that he was able to discharge to a rehab clinic to continue gaining strength and healing.
Julian - everyone at Kindred wishes you the best as you continue to recover and hope that you're able to rejoin your family at home very soon!
Tracy
Able To Return Home
Tracy was admitted to a general hospital following recent rapid weight loss, pneumonia, and pneumothorax - a serious condition in which air invades the space between the chest cavity and the lungs, causing them to collapse.
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He was given a tracheostomy so a ventilator could support his breathing and he began treatment with antibiotics for his pulmonary infection. He was also given a feeding tube to treat his severe malnutrition.
When his condition stabilized, he was transferred to Kindred Hospital to begin the process of weaning from the ventilator and feeding tube and to begin rehab therapy. At first, Tracy was extremely weak and required complete assistance with all his daily needs and mobility, but as he regained his strength his recovery progressed quickly. Soon Tracy was able to be weaned from the ventilator; he began to eat a regular diet and was able to have the feeding tube removed as well. He began to do therapy in earnest and by the time he was able to be discharged to his home, Tracy was fully able to walk independently and required only moderate assistance walking up several flights of stairs.
All of us at Kindred wish you the best, Tracy! We hope that you continue to regain your health and consider coming by for a visit to say hello when you've completely recovered.