Patient’s Age: 83-years-old
Admission Date: 11/02/19
Admitted From: Morristown Medical Center
Discharge Date: 12/01/19
Length of Stay: 29 Days
Discharged To: Home
Reason for Stay: Right Humeral Fracture
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills? Hospital referral.
Details of Experience:
You would never think a simple act of kindness of visiting a loved one in the hospital could lead to becoming a patient in that same hospital. Our Celebrity of the Month, Grace, experienced this sadly ironic situation on October 29, 2019, when she fell in the lobby of Morristown Medical Center, being saved by, as she stated, “a superhero security man swooping me off the floor”. Grace said the one positive thing about the situation was that she didn’t have to wait for an ambulance! She was admitted to the hospital and immediately taken to surgery for a right arm fracture. After being properly treated for, her team at Morristown knew she was going to need extensive subacute rehab before returning home.
Grace was admitted to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center on November 2, 2019. Upon admission, she was greeted by our highly trained teammates who were expecting her. Grace’s goals upon admission were, “to walk around, be able to drive her own car again and be independent.” Grace met her incredible main therapists, Sara and Archie, who were extra motivated to get her to those goals!
Grace was finally ready to put an end to this chapter of her life. Upon evaluation, Grace was only able to ambulate 5 feet using a short based quad cane and required maximum assistance with all Activities of Daily Living. She participated in therapy six days a week, consistently practicing dressing and bathing techniques, walking up and down the stairs and training in our ADL Suite. Grace shared that she was a waitress for over 43 years, therefore she is used to being on her feet and multitasking. Years ago, she broke her wrist and still went to work that same day for a 10am-4pm shift with a full arm cast on! Grace continued to have that dedication and motivation throughout her stay at Chatham Hills.
Grace did not just receive regular therapy while she was in our community. She was able to participate in our Group Therapy, which combines both therapy and recreation staff for a fun-filled treatment time, without noticing they are in treatment! Group Therapy is a perfect opportunity for social interactions, teamwork amongst Patients and Residents, cooking activities and competitive games. She also participated in Therapy Without Borders. Therapy without Borders in Chatham Hills is a perfect opportunity for our Patients to not only be comfortable with being in the gym but throughout our whole community. Within this program, our Patients can complete treatments in our dayrooms, their bedrooms and all hallways with varying floor surfaces. Nursing gets to be involved and aware of their patients’ therapeutic status. It also promotes social interaction during treatment.
With her discharge date approaching, Grace has renewed strength and gained her independence back. She is now able to walk over 250 feet while maintaining a good, steady balance! We are so proud of all the progress she has made thus far! Grace stated, “I have a great, caring crew of people around me at Chatham Hills. The therapy team here is hands-on and gentle. The whole staff definitely have great patience, they’re pleasant, they talk to you instead of at you and are all very sweet. The people here have shared stories with me that brought so much comfort. They realize the situation you’re in and are there for you no matter what. Thank you to Chatham Hills for having my back… and shoulder… and legs!”
Team Chatham Hills would love to congratulate our Celebrity of the Month, Grace, on her accomplishments and hard work!