Kay
"This was a long journey."
Kay had endured a long waiting period for a heart transplant as her birth heart was failing. When she was finally able to have the transplant performed at the beginning of the year, she unfortunately developed multi-organ failure and numerous complications, including acute respiratory failure.
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Her physicians worked hard to stabilize her condition and finally managed to wean her from the ventilator nearly a month after her transplant. Kay was able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central where she would begin to receive additional respiratory therapy to strengthen her lungs, and rehabilitation to enable her to reclaim her independence and return home.
Kay was completely dependent on her team of caregivers for all her needs as she was extremely debilitated and couldn’t even lift her arms or legs on her own. She was guided by her physical and occupational therapists who worked with her seven days a week until she was finally able to stand and walk on her own and take care of her daily needs. Her speech pathologist helped her reclaim the ability to speak using a voice valve at first and then, when the breathing tube had been removed, Kay was able to once again speak with her own voice and begin to drink and eat a normal diet.
“This was a long journey,” Kay shared before she was discharged. “I had to fight confusion and depression along the way, but I’m grateful for the care I received and for having the support of my husband and daughter every step of the way.”
Hillary
“When I first came to Kindred I could hardly reach my head.”
Hillary was admitted to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central for respiratory therapy so she could be weaned from the ventilator. She also had pressure wounds from prolonged bed rest, was extremely weak and malnourished, and was completing a course of IV antibiotics to treat her pneumonia.
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At the beginning, Hillary was unable to lift her arms or legs and required complete assistance from her caregiver for all her needs; but she was motivated and engaged and began to make progress with her respiratory therapists, and was able to be taken off the ventilator successfully.
She then was able to have the breathing tube removed and her speech pathologists helped her regain the ability to swallow so she could begin to drink and eat a nourishing diet guided by her nutritionist. Her wound care team helped to resolve her wounds and Hillary also made great strides with her physical and occupational therapists and was soon up on her feet once again and walking with minimal assistance. Hillary enjoyed the time she spent in the rehab gym and was glad to start reclaiming her independence before she was discharged from Kindred to continue her recovery. “I’m grateful to everyone but my favorite therapist is Dennis,” Hillary said about her certified occupational therapy assistant. “He created an exercise plan that allowed me to get back the strength I need to brush my own hair. When I first came to Kindred I could hardly reach my head.”
Donna
Donna overcame respiratory failure to be able to return home.
Donna was admitted to a general hospital when she developed shortness of breath that progressively became worse.
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She was intubated and placed on a ventilator to support her lungs and increase her blood oxygen levels. Once she was stabilized she was transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central to begin respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.
At the beginning of her stay at Kindred, Donna was very weak and unmotivated, but as her respiratory therapists made progress and she became more alert and oriented, Donna became more engaged in her recovery and was able to be weaned from the ventilator. Her physical and occupational therapists played a significant role in getting Donna back up on her feet and able to care for her daily needs. Her speech pathologist was able to guide Donna to regain the ability to swallow safely and she was soon able to begin drinking and eating a normal diet.
After being at Kindred for just a few days over a month, Donna reached her goal of being independent in all areas of self-care and mobility and was able to be discharged home to continue her recovery.
Julian
"The staff here are very, very good and nursing was amazing."
Julian has been battling with cancer since he was diagnosed many years ago and most recently underwent a major treatment, which unfortunately caused him to have a cardiac arrest that led to respiratory failure.
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Julian was placed on a ventilator and remained in a critical condition until physicians were able to stabilize his heart and other functions, allowing him to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas Central to receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.
Julian was immediately started on the respiratory failure program and began to make excellent progress, leading to him being weaned completely within a matter of a few days, and then successfully having the breathing tube removed. Julian also made significant progress in all other areas of his recovery, helped along by a positive attitude and steady determination to recover his health. By the time he was discharged from Kindred, Julian was well on his way to being able to reclaim his independence and get back to enjoying life and his retirement.
“I was very satisfied with my treatment and recovery,” Julian affirmed just before he left Kindred. “The staff here are very, very good and nursing was amazing – polite and professional.”
Alvaro
His journey to recovery is nearly complete.
Alvaro lives at home and was active in his life and at work until he became unconscious due to dangerously low blood pressure. He was admitted to a hospital and was diagnosed with coronary blockage and had to have a triple vessel bypass surgery.
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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.