Success Stories

Makala had to be admitted to an acute care hospital when she developed severe respiratory failure which required her to be placed on a ventilator.

Her condition and recovery was complicated by additional health issues that included congestive heart failure. Her physicians were successful in stabilizing her condition, and once she was able to be transferred Makala came to Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area to receive aggressive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. At the beginning of her stay, Makala was extremely weak and needed full assistance from her caregivers for all her needs. She communicated with a writing pad while she was still on the ventilator, but with help and encouragement from her entire team Makala made steady progress and was successfully taken off the ventilator when her lung function had been restored. She then received guidance from her dietitian about making changes to a more healthful diet and worked with her rehab therapists to regain her strength and mobility. Makala reached all of her recovery goals at Kindred and was able to be discharged to return home to her husband to continue with her recovery.

“I want to thank everyone who helped me get better so I could go home,” Makala shared just before she left the facility.

She was still dependent on a ventilator to support her lungs, and relied on her caregivers for all her needs and mobility as she was severely debilitated after prolonged bed rest. Merlina began to receive aggressive respiratory therapy right away and began to make progress, steadily improving until she was able to be successfully liberated from the ventilator. Her next milestones would come soon afterwards, as her rehab team successfully helped her get back her strength and independence. Now able to stand up, walk without assistance, and take care of all the activities of daily life, Merlina was ready to be discharged to return home to continue with her journey to recovery.

“I am happy to be going home, thank you all!” Merlina shared before she left Kindred.

“I don’t remember how it happened or much after that – only that I died two times and had to be brought back,” Efrain recalled. After undergoing surgeries and intensive care and spending nearly three months at the hospital, he was pronounced sufficiently stable to be transferred to Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area where he could receive respiratory therapy, begin his rehabilitation and receive ongoing medical and wound care. Efrain was under a strict order of bed rest to allow his surgical wound the time to recover, and with dedicated attention from his respiratory nursing team, Efrain made excellent progress. He was liberated from the ventilator completely, and although he was frustrated at the beginning that he could not participate in active rehabilitation until he had healed, he maintained a positive attitude and rejoiced in being able to speak with his own voice once again and was able to get back up on his feet.

Efrain was recently discharged from Kindred to continue with his rehabilitation and looked forward to turning the page and getting back to living a normal life. “Kindred has a very good therapy department,” Efrain shared. “I wouldn’t be walking, and that says a lot about the care I got here. I’m sad I’ve got to go but I thank God for Kindred Hospital. They have very good nurses here who made my days go by faster, Joan, my LVN, Fe my CNA, Ray and Van who were my RNs, and Irena my lab tech. Everyone here has inspired me to get back to walking and getting healthy and living life to the fullest.”