Success Stories

He was cared for by a team of doctors, respiratory therapists, nurses, and physical and occupational therapists who helped him recover his lung strength, mobility and independence. Just recently, Kevin surprised the team when he dropped in for a visit to share his appreciation with a delicious tray of cookies, and to show everyone how well his recovery has progressed.

“After I was discharged I was fully prepared to continue my recovery and I am now able to walk and get around without assistance. I thank everyone at Kindred for everything! I graduated from my outpatient therapy program and recently went to my doctor for a check-up and my lungs checked out perfectly!”

She was diagnosed with acute coronary and vascular disease and had to undergo heart bypass surgery. Unfortunately she developed complications after the procedure that included sepsis and respiratory failure, requiring the placement of a breathing tube and ventilator. Maria also experienced acute cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated, remaining in a delicate condition until she could be transferred to Kindred Hospital New Jersey – Rahway. Under the care of an interdisciplinary team, she began to receive aggressive respiratory therapy and wound care, as her extensive surgical site and additional wounds were not healing. Maria responded very well to her treatments and made rapid progress as her lungs became stronger and her infections began to clear up. Once she was weaned from the ventilator Maria began to work more actively with her rehab team and regained more strength and mobility, allowing her to get back up on her feet, walk with a rolling walker and take care of her daily needs. By the time she was ready to be discharged Maria’s major surgical wound was nearly healed and all the other wounds were resolved.

“I am very happy knowing I’ll be going home soon,” Maria shared. “Thank you to everyone at Kindred for everything! I am very grateful.”

He was taken to an acute care hospital, where he began to receive intensive care and had to be placed on a ventilator when his breathing failed. Hans was started on antibiotic therapy for a serious infection as well as pneumonia and remained in critical care until he was able to be brought to Kindred Hospital New Jersey – Rahway, where he could receive aggressive respiratory therapy and begin his rehabilitation. Although Hans was not yet in control of his mental faculties at the beginning of his stay, his respiratory team and speech therapist worked together to liberate him from the ventilator and help him begin to use his voice. As his alertness returned, Hans became even more positive and engaged with his recovery. He went from one success to another with his rehab team, regaining his mobility and independence as his ribs healed and his normal lung function was restored. Now able to start walking with a walker and doing the tasks of daily living, Hans was ready for one more step in his journey to recovery before going home at last.

“Thank you to everyone at Kindred for helping me and getting me off the ventilator,” Hans expressed before he was discharged.

She was diagnosed to be suffering from respiratory failure and acute cardiogenic shock – a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood throughout the body. Jo-Ellen was placed on a ventilator to support her failing lungs and started on medication to stabilize her condition. She was also given a feeding tube as she was unable to take anything by mouth.

At the general hospital Jo-Ellen was not able to be weaned from the ventilator successfully and she was transferred to Kindred Hospital New Jersey - Rahway to receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. Her team of caregivers started her on the respiratory failure and early mobility program and Jo-Ellen began to make rapid progress. Jo-Ellen was motivated and had a positive attitude that contributed to her recovery. And she never stopped working on word search puzzles to keep her mind sharp as she got better.

Her respiratory team successfully liberated her from the ventilator and breathing tube and she also made excellent gains with her physical and occupational therapists, progressing to being able to walk with the aid of a walker and recovering her independence over the activities of daily life.

“My advice to others is that with determination and faith, you can do it,” Jo-Ellen shared just before she was discharged from Kindred to continue on her journey to recovery. “Listen to what your doctors say – I didn’t want to leave my children. And I just want to say that I’m very grateful to the team here at Kindred.”

Although she has experienced and overcome health issues in the past, she most recently had to be admitted to the hospital when she started having severe difficulty breathing that led to multi-organ failure. She was placed on a ventilator and given a feeding tube and started to receive treatment to stabilize her condition.

After a lengthy stay at the acute care facility and after several failed attempts to wean her from the ventilator, Wanda was transferred to Kindred Hospital New Jersey - Rahway to receive respiratory therapy, wound care, ongoing medical management and rehabilitation. Although she was weakened from her illness and prolonged period of bed rest and completely dependent on her caregivers, Wanda was always motivated, positive and engaged in her recovery. With diligent care from her respiratory therapists, Wanda accomplished the first objective in her treatment plan, which was to successfully liberate her from the ventilator. She then was guided by her speech pathologist to swallow safely, allowing her to begin to drink and eat a regular diet and for the removal of the feeding tube.

Her physical and occupational therapists worked with Wanda to help her get back her strength and mobility as well. And although she still wasn’t able to get up on her feet and walk before she was discharged from Kindred to continue her journey to recovery, she continued to improve day by day and her wound care team was instrumental in healing her pressure ulcers. “I am grateful for the people who helped me get to this point,” Wanda expressed. “If it hadn’t been for Kindred, I wouldn’t be where I am. I am looking forward to being able to walk again and will try – no matter how hard it is.”

He remained at the general hospital until he was stable enough to be transferred to Kindred Hospital New Jersey - Rahway to begin respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. He was started on the ventilator weaning program and quickly began to make progress until his respiratory therapists were able to liberate Anthony completely from the ventilator. Under the guidance of his physical and occupational therapists and an abundance of motivation and positive energy, Anthony progressed from being bed-bound to being able to get up from bed, walk and take care of all his daily needs, continuing to get stronger in his quest to return home and back to a normal life.

“The knowledge of Kindred’s staff is mind-boggling!” Anthony affirmed before he was discharged to continue on his journey to recovery. “Everyone is very knowledgeable and their care and expertise gave me a great deal of comfort during this time of great uncertainty. I’m amazed how quickly everything happened – one day I was with my family, and the next day I was in the hospital and couldn’t even talk.”

After he had been stabilized, Anthony was transferred to Kindred Hospital New Jersey - Rahway to begin respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. He was immediately started on the respiratory and early mobility program and quickly began to show major signs of improvement. With his wife at his side and buoyed by a positive attitude, Anthony was very motivated to get better and he was soon able to be taken off the ventilator completely. He also regained greater strength and mobility with help from his occupational and physical therapists and his medical condition improved greatly as well. He completed his antibiotic therapy and improved in all areas of his recovery.

“Anthony and I are very grateful to his team here at Kindred,” his wife affirmed just before he was discharged to continue with his journey to recovery. “We are both looking forward to the next stage and to him returning home soon.”

Once Aniano was stabilized and taken off the ventilator, he was transferred to Kindred Hospital New Jersey - Rahway for ongoing medical management to prevent blood clots, resolve his pneumonia, and receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. At the beginning of his stay he required maximum assistance from his caregivers for all his needs, but quickly began to improve and was soon able to have the breathing tube removed. Aniano’s speech pathologist helped him regain the ability to swallow and use his voice and he was able to begin drinking and eating again. Aniano always maintained a pleasant and positive attitude throughout his stay at Kindred and he worked hard with his physical and occupational therapists to get back his mobility and fine motor skills. By the time he was discharged from Kindred, Aniano was well on his way to recovery and he had the support of his cousin, who is also a psychiatrist. Aniano was able to be released from Kindred to continue his recovery with his cousin, who will help make sure Aniano gets to all his follow-up appointments and continues to improve. “I am thankful to all that took care of me,” Aniano affirmed just before he left Kindred and shared one of his favorite sayings; “If a man gets paid for that day, his pay should be equal to the services he renders.”

The respiratory team at the hospital immediately began working with Lalita and she made great progress, reaching a point where she was able to breathe on her own without the ventilator. She next worked with her speech pathologist to regain the ability to swallow, speak and begin to eat and drink a simple diet again. Lalita maintained a pleasant and positive attitude throughout her stay at Kindred and her caregivers helped her keep her spirits up as she made continuous progress. In the rehab gym she worked hard with her physical and occupational therapists and regained more strength with each passing day as well as the motor skills to take care of the activities of daily life. Lalita was able to be discharged from Kindred to continue her journey to recovery and looked forward to going back home to a normal life, tending to her collection of plants and watching her favorite cooking shows again. “I am very grateful to live to be able to live and tell of another day.”