Patients Age: 91
Admission Date: 5/18/17
Admitted From: Local Skilled Nursing Facility
Discharge Date: 7/16/17
Discharged To: Home
Length of Stay: 59 days
Reason for Stay: General de-conditioning due to bilateral osteoarthritis of knee
How did Patient hear about The Enclave at Rye? Local Skilled Nursing Facility

Details of Experience:

Domenic was admitted to The Enclave at Rye Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on May 18, 2017 from a local skilled nursing facility where he spent two weeks recuperating after an inpatient hospitalization due to uncontrolled pain in his knee, which impacted his ability to safely ambulate, contributing to his general de-conditioning. Because the pain to his knee limited his functional mobility, Domenic was advised that he would likely need long term care and recommended to The Enclave for short term rehab, with the possibility of transitioning to long term care.

Upon admission, the interdisciplinary team at The Enclave introduced themselves and worked with Domenic to develop an appropriate care plan that would minimize pain in order to enable him to maximize his time with therapy. The physician, social worker, nurses and therapists all warmly welcomed Domenic, easing his transition to the new environment. Domenic was assessed as requiring extensive assist for ADL’s including hygiene, dressing, toileting, and all functional mobilities including transfers, bed mobility and ambulation. He could walk a distance of 15 feet with a rolling walker and extensive assistance of one.

Our director of therapy, Mylene, introduced a unique modality, diathermy, for the first twenty minutes of every therapy session, to offset the pain and allow Domenic to participate in therapy. She and the nursing team worked closely to ensure that Domenic was experiencing no pain both during and outside of his therapy sessions. With fewer complaints of pain, Domenic flourished in therapy and after three weeks could maintain standing balance for two minutes unaided and could walk a distance of fifty feet with a rolling walker under contact guard assist. Along with strong family support, this initial success raised Domenic’s spirits and expanded goals were set to increase his independence and functional activity tolerance.

In addition to the stellar clinicians overseeing care, Domenic also benefited from the social interactions with other residents and programs within the community. Specifically, as a veteran of the army, he enjoyed the veterans program, including a round table chat with fellow veterans at The Enclave, who shared their stories and perspectives among the select group. The encouragement and inspiration shared by this select club, played a tremendous role in Domenic’s drive to get better and functioning to the best of his abilities.

Upon discharge, Domenic could safely ambulate 350 feet with a rolling walker, could perform transfers and bed mobility independently and could climb 12 steps, surpassing his initial long term goal of eight steps. His standing duration increased from 15 seconds supported upon admission to over 10 minutes unsupported upon discharge, allowing him to perform ADL’s independently, such as toileting, and included additional functions such as meal preparation which he had not been doing in the recent past. Although he would have been welcome for long term care, Domenic was thrilled to be able to return to living with his family and community to enjoy his newfound independence.