Success Stories

A few days later, Michael experienced a major cardiac arrest and had to have a device implanted in his heart. Unable to breathe on his own, Michael was also placed on a ventilator and given a feeding tube. He then remained at the acute care facility for nearly two months before he was able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central.

After a long period of bed rest and immobility, Michael was extremely weak and couldn’t lift his head, legs or arms. He began to receive aggressive respiratory therapy and was placed in the early mobility program, where his physical and occupational therapists began to help him regain his range of motion and strength, working with him seven days a week. The diligent efforts of his entire team of caregivers started to show results as Michael made steady progress day by day until he was finally able to be taken off the ventilator.

Michael then would go on to receive help from his speech pathologist to relearn how to swallow safely and he was then cleared to start to drink and eat a regular diet. He also continued to make excellent gains with his physical and occupational therapy and by the time he was ready to be discharged from Kindred to continue his journey to recovery Michael was able to stand with assistance and continued to get stronger every day.

At the acute care facility, physicians determined that he needed five arterial stents placed and he underwent surgery, but unfortunately developed numerous complications, including kidney and respiratory failure and anemia. He required emergency blood oxygen infusion therapy in addition to being placed on a ventilator and Donald would go on to remain at the hospital for a prolonged period of time before being brought to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central for respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. He was immediately started on proven respiratory therapies and made quick progress which allowed him to be taken off the ventilator completely. This milestone was followed by another major success when his speech pathologist was able to help Donald regain the ability to swallow and speak and he was able to begin to drink and eat again. Donald also progressed very rapidly with his physical and occupational therapists and was up on his feet and walking with minimal assistance by the time he was discharged. He had also regained his independence over the activities of daily living and was looking forward to continuing his recovery. “I am so glad to be off the ventilator and feel so much better without the breathing tube,” Donald expressed. “I just want to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone for all y’all have done for me.”

Although the procedure went as planned, he developed acute respiratory failure and had to be placed on a ventilator and given a feeding tube. He also developed acute kidney injury and began his recovery in a delicate condition in the hospital.

When Alvaro was stable enough to be transferred he was brought to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central to begin respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. Although he had been weaned from the ventilator, he still had the breathing tube in place and was very weak. With his wife at his bedside, Alvaro began to receive diligent care from his team at Kindred and started to make significant steps toward recovery.

His physical and occupational therapists helped Alvaro regain his strength and mobility and he progressed from being bed-bound to being able to walk with the assistance of a walker. After the breathing tube was removed he was assisted by his speech pathologist to regain the ability to swallow safely and he was able to begin to drink liquids and eat a soft diet, enabling the feeding tube to be removed.

Just before he was discharged, Alvaro was happy to be moving on the last step of care before returning home and was very encouraged by the progress he had made. Now able to get up, walk and take care of all his daily needs, Alvaro was nearly independent in all areas and grateful for the care he had received.

Ondra’s kidneys started to fail and she was also found to be severely malnourished, a condition that had led to her developing swelling in her brain, muscle loss and a bacterial infection.

At the hospital, physicians had to place Ondra on a ventilator to support her breathing and managed to stabilize her condition; however, they weren’t able to wean her from the ventilator. Ondra was then transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas to receive advanced respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. When she first arrived she was very weak and required intensive care from all her caregivers. Ondra’s respiratory team worked to strengthen her lungs and restore normal breathing. Her nutritionist ensured she was getting everything she needed to help her regain her strength, while her nurses and assistants administered to her daily needs, comfort and medication management.

As Ondra made progress, she became more engaged and participated more actively in her recovery. Although her stay at Kindred was nearly three months long, Ondra was able to overcome several setbacks and was successfully weaned from the vent and then cleared to swallow liquid and food by her speech pathologist. Her physical and occupational therapists made excellent progress restoring greater range of motion and increasing her strength.

“I am truly grateful for the care everyone provided me,” Ondra shared before she was discharged. “I am very glad that I came here to Kindred.”

Physicians were able to arrest the development of her illness, but they were not able to wean her form the ventilator. As Barbara was also experiencing serious malnutrition she was given a feeding tube and when she was sufficiently stable was transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central for respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.

When she arrived at Kindred, Barbara was extremely weakened by her illness and malnutrition. She required full assistance from her caregivers but even though she was unable to communicate she was determined to recover and she had strong family support. Her respiratory therapists immediately began to work with Barbara to strengthen her lung function and she started to make progress. She also received daily therapy sessions from her physical and occupational therapists and she was soon able to start getting up and sitting up in her bed.

Once her lungs were strong enough, Barbara was able to be weaned from the ventilator and she was also able to begin walking with assistance and support from a walker. By the time she was ready to be discharged from Kindred, Barbara was looking forward to going home soon and she praised her caregivers for the care and attention she received.

“I am thankful for all the staff that took care of me and helped me get better,” Barbara shared. “I am so glad to be off the machine and able to breathe and talk on my own again.”

Physicians were able to stabilize Charles’ condition and he was transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central for therapy and rehabilitation. When he first arrived he was completely dependent on his team of caregivers for all his needs as his mobility was severely impaired, but right away he was placed in the “Move Early” program designed to get patients up and out of bed. Charles was also disoriented and was having difficulty with comprehension and problem-solving skills as a result of the injury to his brain from the stroke and encephalopathy.

A multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurses and physical, speech and occupational therapists worked together to help Charles on his journey to recovery. With his wife at his side providing support and a positive outlook and motivation, Charles began to make progress quickly and he eagerly participated in all his therapy sessions.

By the time he was discharged from Kindred, Charles was walking with minimal assistance and a rolling walker. He was also well on his way to regaining his independence, able to do the tasks of daily living with minimal to no assistance and his cognition and communication skills had improved significantly as well.

Once she was stabilized and able to withstand a transfer, Chayadevi was brought to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central to receive advanced respiratory treatment and rehabilitation with the hope of returning home with her husband. When she first arrived, Chayadevi was very weak and dependent on the ventilator for oxygen and a feeding tube for nutrition, and her team of caregivers and nurses for all her daily needs. Her respiratory therapists began to strengthen her lungs as her physical and occupational therapists assisted her with regaining her mobility and overall strength.

Chayadevi responded very quickly to her treatment plan, and with great support from her family who were always at her side was soon weaned successfully from the ventilator. In the rehab gym she also did very well and was soon walking without assistance and able to resume activities of daily life.

In less than a month, Chayadevi was able to be discharged from Kindred to return home with her husband. She was pleased to have been able to overcome her health challenges and looked forward to continuing on her journey to recovery.

Unable to eat or drink and severely weakened by his condition, Hunter also required the placement of a feeding tube to administer nutrition. When he had been successfully stabilized, he was brought to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central for respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.

With strong family support at his side and a positive attitude, Hunter began to make progress toward recovery. His respiratory team helped him regain most of his lung function as he also began to do physical and occupational therapy, and although he was still relying on partial ventilator support, his speech therapist was able to help Hunter communicate with a speech valve and also to begin drinking and eating a modified diet.

By the time he was discharged from Kindred, Hunter was closer to meeting his goal and become fully independent again. He was able to walk with minimal assistance and do many of the activities of daily living and he looked forward to completing his journey to recovery and returning home again.

When he arrived at Kindred, Scott was extremely debilitated from extended bed rest and inactivity. He was also still dealing with cognitive issues brought on by swelling of his brain. Scott also was completely dependent on his care team for all his needs and mobility, and although his condition was very serious, he had great support from his family and friends who provided encouragement every day for him to participate in his physical and occupational rehabilitation.

Scott made excellent progress under the guidance of his team of caregivers and he was able to regain the ability to breathe on his own, make substantial progress toward recovering his independence by performing the simple tasks of daily living, and was soon able to walk with the aid of a walker before leaving Kindred.

After he had been stabilized at the general hospital, James was brought to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central to receive advanced respiratory care and rehabilitation. When he first arrived, James was unable to sit up on the side of his bed or walk. His respiratory therapists worked diligently with James on a daily basis to improve his lung strength and he made excellent progress – from being totally dependent on the ventilator to successfully being able to wean from mechanical support and breathing on his own.

James was now able to begin participating in daily physical and occupational therapy sessions in the rehab gym and was able to make significant progress toward regaining his independence. Everyone on his care team was always impressed by his positive attitude and his contagious smile, and he readily inspired other patients with his energy and encouragement.

By the time James left Kindred, he was able to stand up and walk with minimal assistance and was looking forward to continuing his journey to recovery.

Doctors had to place her on a ventilator to support her breathing and Mildred also needed a feeding tube as she was unable to swallow. At the hospital, Mildred remained on the ventilator as physicians were unable to wean her from the vent.

Mildred then came to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central for advanced respiratory care and rehabilitation. When she arrived she required full assistance and was unable to take care of her daily needs. She began to make progress under the care of her team of respiratory therapists, and she was eager to participate with her physical and occupational therapists to regain her mobility and independence through the Move Out of Bed Early program.

As soon as Mildred was able to wean from the ventilator, she made excellent progress in all other areas of her recovery and was soon walking the hallways at the hospital with minimal assistance and the aid of a walker. Her speech therapist helped her regain the ability to swallow and Mildred was able to begin eating and drinking again.

“My daughter and I are both very pleased with the care I received while here at Kindred,” Mildred shared before she was discharged. “I have never been at another facility where everyone – no matter what department they were in – would stop by and say hello and greet me on a daily basis.”

When her condition had stabilized, Ronda came to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central for advanced wound care and preparation for the placement of a graft to seal the site of her surgery. At the beginning of her stay, Ronda was extremely depressed by her new diagnoses and her large and complex wound. But with the aid of her team of caregivers and support from her family, she rallied, complying with new dietary restrictions and participating in physical and occupational therapy.

She returned to the general hospital for a couple of days to complete the skin graft surgery and then came back to Kindred to continue her recovery and receive dedicated wound care. Her wound site improved rapidly and she was nearly healed by the time she was discharged from Kindred.

“I didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel when I first got here,” Ronda recalled. “If y’all hadn’t been so positive and supportive, I don’t know if I could have done this without you. Thank you!”

His care team of nurses, therapists and physicians worked together to help Keith in all aspects of his recovery and, as he began to get stronger, his motivation to participate in rehab increased. He participated in the Early Mobility and Cardiac Rehabilitation programs and started to make significant progress.

Within a short time, Keith was able to walk with minimal assistance and the aid of a walker. He also regained a great deal of his independence and was soon able to perform activities of daily living with help from his occupational therapists.

In a short time, Keith was able to go from Kindred to a rehab facility to continue his journey to recovery and return home with his family.