Success Stories

When Stacy first arrived, she was completely dependent on her team of caregivers for all her needs as she was extremely weakened by her condition and prolonged period of bed rest. She required maximum assistance for all her needs and was unable to move without help from her team, but she soon began to make progress as her respiratory team helped her regain her lung strength. As she improved, her motivation also improved and she applied herself more enthusiastically to her recovery until she no longer needed to be on the ventilator and was able to breathe on her own.

Her speech pathologist then helped Stacy regain the ability to swallow safely and she was able to begin to drink and eat a regular diet. She also made good progress with her physical and occupational therapists and reclaimed a good portion of her independence over the tasks of daily living, needing only minimum assistance with dressing and bathing. Stacy was also able to get up on her feet again and was walking with the aid of a walker before she was discharged to continue her journey to recovery before going home again.

Upon admission, Mr. N began immediate treatment not only for acute respiratory failure, but also for a bad case of recurring cellulitis in his lower right leg. He was monitored daily by a primary care physician, a pulmonologist and the wound care team.

In just three weeks, Mr. N was weaned off the vent. By the end of his stay, his required oxygen level was down to 30%.

Mr. N also received IV antibiotic therapy and topical medications as part of his wound care treatment program. Within only 14 days, his painful cellulitis and ulcerations had vastly improved.

With his wounds significantly healed and his new independence from the ventilator, Mr. N began working diligently with Kindred’s rehabilitation staff to get back on his feet.

After just six weeks of medical treatment and physical rehabilitation at Kindred, Mr. N. left breathing on his own and able to walk. Having made huge strides toward recovery at Kindred Hospital, Mr. N was transferred to a skilled nursing facility for continued rehabilitation in the hopes of an eventual return home.

He was immobilized with broken bones, fractured ribs and a punctured lung. “Somehow I was able to wiggle around and get the cell phone out of my pocket,” he said. He called his wife, and within an hour a medical helicopter was taking him to a short-term acute care hospital. He stayed there in the Intensive Care Unit for seven weeks and was then admitted to Kindred Hospital. “Really, by that point he was still in critical condition,” his wife said. “He was totally dependent on a ventilator to breathe. The people at the hospital had done everything they could – we just needed to go somewhere where they had expertise in caring for vent patients.” Almost immediately, the caregivers at Kindred Hospital began rehabilitation therapy and the process of weaning John from the ventilator. “He had been on his back for seven weeks, and gradually they kept having him do a little more at a time,” his wife said. “The walking helped him strengthen his lungs.” “I felt like I was making progress, absolutely,” John said. “I’d heard of Kindred before, but I didn’t really know what they did.” Six weeks later, John was released to home care to fully recover. “By the time we left, he was walking, breathing, swallowing and eating,” his wife said. “And it was the teamwork that was great.” “The care was excellent,” John said. “Everybody knew what they were doing and everybody worked together.” “Just excellent.”