Success Stories

Robert, 80, was living life to his fullest before having difficulties breathing. He visited a local hospital where he was diagnosed with respiratory failure due to having COVID-19 and pneumonia. When Robert first arrived, he needed assistance getting out of bed and would fatigue quickly once out of it, requiring supplemental oxygen.

Insistent on getting better, Robert started out with arm and leg exercises. As his endurance and strength improved, he began to work on standing and walking. When he was able to handle all the daily tasks of his life, Robert was released to return home to finish his recovery. “I loved my experience at Kindred. My goal was to walk and I was able to accomplish all my goals. I felt that everyone treated me with respect and provided a warm and inviting atmosphere.”

He began treatment and was successfully stabilized and then transferred to Kindred Hospital El Paso to receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. Weak and easily fatigued by any level of exertion, Victor depended on his caregivers for all his needs and began respiratory therapy to strengthen his lungs. His rehab therapists helped him recover his strength and mobility and Victor made steady gains toward his goal of returning home. By the time he was ready to be discharged to continue his journey, Victor was well on his way to reclaiming his independence over the daily tasks of life and was back on his feet and walking with the help of a rolling walker.

“Faith heals all,” Victor shared before he left Kindred. “Put God in your heart and see his miracles.”

When she first arrived, Melissa was extremely weak and depended on a ventilator to support her lungs and on her caregivers for all her needs. Her respiratory therapists began to work with her and Melissa responded well to her treatments, reaching her first milestone when she was successfully weaned from the ventilator. She was now able to work with her rehab therapists who helped her regain her strength and mobility, and she progressed from being able to only do rehab in her bed, to doing her therapy sessions in the rehab gym. Always positive and motivated, Melissa never let her situation overwhelm her and worked hard every day to get better. By the time she was discharged to return home to continue her recovery, Melissa was able to stand with assistance and do more of the tasks of daily life.

“I am grateful for the care I received while at Kindred,” Melissa shared. “The staff attended to all my needs, treated me with respect, and provided a warm and inviting atmosphere in which I could recover.”

He was started immediately on IV antibiotic therapy and placed on a ventilator when his lungs failed. Once he was stabilized, Kiengsak transferred to Kindred Hospital El Paso where he could receive ongoing medical care, respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. From the beginning of his stay Kiengsak was alert and oriented, although he still depended on the ventilator and required significant levels of assistance from his caregivers. He rapidly improved as his respiratory team worked together with his rehab therapists to strengthen his lungs and help him get back on his feet. In just one week after he was admitted Kiengsak was successfully weaned from the vent and able to speak with a voice valve. He then had the breathing tube removed and regained the ability to speak normally and begin a regular diet. Once he was independent again with the tasks of daily and walking with a rolling walker, Kiengsak was ready to go home.

“I am very grateful for the care that was provided to me by the entire team at Kindred,” Kiengsak shared before he was discharged. “I appreciate that everyone pushed me to get better, and because of my team I was able to go home again.”

He was successfully stabilized and was taken off mechanical respiration before he was transferred to Kindred Hospital El Paso. Jacob was still dependent on a high volume of supplemental oxygen when he first arrived and would tire quickly with even moderate activity. With help from his respiratory and rehab therapists, Jacob improved his strength and mobility and was able to walk and take care of the tasks of daily life with minimal assistance before he left the facility.

“You guys have been fantastic – thank you for everything!” Jacob shared before going home.

He was diagnosed with COVID-19 and placed on a ventilator. Luis began to receive treatment at the acute care facility until he could be transferred to Kindred Hospital El Paso. When he first arrived, Luis was dependent on the vent and on his team of caregivers for all his needs. His respiratory and rehab therapists worked to help him regain his lung strength and mobility. Luis steadily began to improve, progressing until he was able to be taken off the vent and needing only supplemental oxygen. In addition to therapy, Luis learned energy conservation techniques to help him reclaim his mobility and independence and he made great strides. Now able to transfer in and out of bed and do more of the tasks of daily life, Luis was able to be discharged to continue his journey to recovery.

“I am grateful to my therapists for helping me achieve my goals,” Luis shared. “The friendly environment and their encouragement to put effort into the hard work required made coming to therapy enjoyable and really was the only way for me to get better.”

He had to be admitted to a general hospital and was placed on a ventilator when he developed acute respiratory failure. He remained in a delicate condition until he was transferred to Kindred Hospital El Paso where he could receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. At the beginning of his stay Rafael was severely debilitated and dependent on the ventilator and on his caregivers for all his needs. As his respiratory therapists worked with him, he began to recover and steadily improved until he was weaned from the ventilator, needing only supplemental oxygen. His speech pathologist helped him regain his voice and the ability to swallow, and Rafael began to make excellent progress with his rehab team. As his strength and mobility returned, Rafael improved day by day until he was able to begin walking with moderate assistance, and reclaim his independence over the tasks of daily life.

“I am thankful and appreciate that everyone treated me well and looked out for my best interests and recovery,” Rafael said before he was discharged to continue his journey to recovery. “I always looked forward to going to my therapy sessions!”

When she arrived at Kindred, Melissa was fully dependent on the ventilator, and due to her status as a quadriplegic patient, also required maximum assistance from her team of caregivers. Her respiratory team began to work with her and overcame several setbacks until Melissa was finally able to be weaned from the ventilator and required only supplemental oxygen. With constant support and encouragement from her team, Melissa’s outlook improved and by the time she was discharged she had become very attached to everyone who cared for her.

“I really appreciate it when staff would take the time to do my hair and help me put on lipstick,” Melissa shared before she left. “I really don’t want to leave – I love you guys!”

After surgery and when his condition was stabilized, Ramon came to Kindred Hospital completely dependent on a ventilator for breathing assistance. He was extremely weak and unable to move on his own, requiring maximum assistance from his care team for all of his needs. His multidisciplinary team developed a plan to wean him from the ventilator and begin rehab with the goal of progressing to a lower care rehab facility and then home to his family.

Within a matter of days he began to make progress and Ramon was able to begin communicating with a speaking valve. He started a course of rehab therapy to improve his strength and mobility. Over the course of a few weeks he went from being unable to move on his own to being able to transfer from his bed to a wheelchair and to walk on the parallel bars with assistance. Ramon was also able to completely wean from the ventilator and, with his voice intact, he began to sing songs and have conversations with family and staff.

“I’m extremely thankful to everyone who cared for me,” Ramon said as he was discharged to a rehab facility to continue on his journey to recovery. All of us at Kindred wish Ramon the best and have no doubt he will be able to recover his health and quality of life.

Within one week of working with our staff at Kindred Hospital El Paso, Billy was able to perform vent trials during the day. During the second week we worked to get him mobile since he required 10-15 liters of supplemental oxygen. Soon Billy was able to discontinue his tracheotomy and only needed oxygen and Bi-PAP at night. Initially he required maximum assistance with all activities of daily living, including getting in and out of bed. After several weeks of working with our therapists, Billy was able to sit in a wheelchair independently and walk 100 feet with a walker. By the end of his stay at Kindred, Billy was independent with self feeding/grooming and hygiene, and needed only minimum to moderate assistance with dressing. After only 28 days with us, he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility to continue his rapid recovery.

Laura came to Kindred Hospital for treatment of respiratory failure and to wean from the supplemental oxygen on which she was dependent. She was very weakened by her condition and required full assistance with all her daily needs. Her team of respiratory therapists and nurses helped to reassure Laura and her family, who were very apprehensive at first. But within just two days Laura was able to be weaned from the oxygen completely, and just two days after that she was able to have her tracheostomy removed. She continued to do respiratory therapy to improve her lung function and to participate in physical and occupational therapy as well to regain her independence. Laura made great progress and at the time of her discharge to her home with home health she was able to walk with the assistance of a walker. When she first came to Kindred Laura thought that she would never be able to walk again. “This is the best place anyone could be to get the medical, physical, spiritual and emotional uplifting care that is needed,” Laura said. “I thought I would never walk again.”