Patient’s Age: 76-years-old
Initial Admission Date: 11/16/20
Admission (re-entry) Date: 10/16/2020
Admitted From: Morristown Medical Center
Discharge Date: 12/13/20
Reason for Stay: Elevated INR, venous stasis
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills? Granddaughter is on staff at Chatham Hills

Details of Experience:
Leroy dedicated his life to helping others, along with his wife. He served as a police officer for Chatham Borough and his wife as a nurse for Morristown Medical Center. After both retired, they dedicated their lives to helping each other. With nursing experience, Leroy’s wife helped him tremendously at home. One day, however, he experienced such severe pain and he needed further help. With a history of health complications in the last year, Morristown Medical was ready to assist.

After being cared for at Morristown Medical, Leroy was recommended to pursue subacute rehabilitation to further assist in his healing process. When given a choice of rehabs to choose from, Leroy, his wife, and his daughter knew they wanted him to go to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center, where his granddaughter Kathleen is the Director of Concierge Services.

Upon admission to Chatham Hills, he was welcomed by the admission and nursing teams, and he shared that at home he could not ambulate for several months due to his osteoarthritis and was dependent for most ADLs-(Activities of Daily Living). The therapists created a set of goals for him to achieve while he was in the community. The focus of therapy was strengthening and practicing transferring.

Leroy was very motivated to begin his journey in therapy, especially with his granddaughter cheering him on. He participated in therapy five to six days a week. Upon therapy evaluation, he was completely dependent on staff for transfers, presenting with increased weakness and suffering from a right hip wound. He was unable to transfer even with assistance, so his therapists tried another way of transferring, the sliding board. The sliding board method was much easier for him, especially considering his wounds.

While receiving nursing and therapy care at Chatham Hills, he also received special wound care from the same nurse practitioner who treated him in the hospital. As time continued, his nurse practitioner reported how well he was healing! He was able to put more effort into his exercising without that pain. His therapists were so proud of him, as they watched him successfully use the sliding board with set-up assistance.

Once he met most of his goals, therapy continued to work with him to maintain his strength and keep him active in preparation to discharge home. Leroy has a wonderful support system with his family, and he was excited to return home to his beautiful wife! Leroy shared, “The therapy team at Chatham Hills worked very hard with me. I have not walked in months but with them, I was able to conquer what I could! My advice to anyone going to Chatham Hills is to not be afraid, as long as you listen to your therapists. They will get you through anything! We love the concierge, and she will always come through!”

Team Chatham Hills is so proud of Leroy’s commitment and motivation to get to the point of strength that he was at upon discharge! Congratulations to him and his family!

Patient’s Age: 76-years-old
Initial Admission Date: 10/01/2020
Admission (re-entry) Date: 10/16/2020
Admitted From: Overlook Hospital
Discharge Date: 10/30/2020
Reason for Stay: Weakness, UTI. Re-Admit: Post joint replacement surgery
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills? Online research

Details of Experience:
Mary S.’s life before coming to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center seemed simple, at best. She loved to go antiquing, painting, and gardening. Once quarantine began, her outdoor activities were limited, but she enjoyed relaxing at home and reading. There was only one problem; Mary was unable to walk fully without experiencing pain. She had a scheduled surgery to take place, finally, after multiple reschedules. She knew she was going to need subacute rehabilitation after her surgery to further heal. Being proactive, Mary did some research, saw Chatham Hills Subacute online and was in contact with Helyne, our Director of Admissions.

Mary could not handle the pain any longer. She called Helyne to set up an admission until she was cleared for surgery. She required assistance with all activities of daily living and simply was in too much pain.

Mary was admitted to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center from home initially on October 1, 2020. She was diagnosed with weakness and suffering from a urinary tract infection. Upon admission to Chatham Hills, Mary was greeted by several of our interdisciplinary staff. She was welcomed at the door by our Director of Admissions and receptionist before being escorted to her room.

The day following her admission, Mary was evaluated by physical and occupational therapy. Mary was scheduled for a hip arthroplasty multiple times, but unfortunately had to be rescheduled due to a UTI onset. With her therapists present, they set goals and plans to get her back home safely!

During her initial assessment, she presented with decreased mobility and pain due to arthritis in her right hip. She was only able to ambulate 40 feet with supervised assistance, unable to support herself standing and overall difficulty with her activities of daily living. She was unable to return home, as she has stairs to climb and has been having increased difficulty. The Chatham Hills team was there to help. When asked, “what is your goal for therapy, while you are here in our community,” her response was, “That after my surgery, Chatham Hills will help me become more mobile, and walk up and down my stairs independently.” Her therapists knew she had a planned surgery and were dedicated to getting her as strong as possible beforehand.

Progressing the best she could in therapy, it was finally the day of Mary’s surgery! On October 14, 2020, she was directly admitted to Overlook Medical Center. After a successful surgery, Mary could now participate in therapy to her full extent. She was evaluated back into therapy on October 16, 2020. She made progress the first time with us, but still could not ambulate without pain or attempt stairs. Her therapists were eager to work with her again because they were familiar with her routine. She was motivated and ready to fully heal!

Throughout her stay and before her anticipated discharge, Mary was pleased with our staff and the care we provided her. She described them as, “miraculous.” She stated, “everything is going really well. I am really amazed at how well I feel, and I contribute that to the therapy, here, at Chatham Hills”.

When her discharge date was approaching, Mary could officially walk up and down a total of 8 steps, compared to the 0 steps when she was admitted, and can stand without pain, transfer and walk over 100 feet!

Team Chatham Hills was excited to congratulate Mary on her amazing progress and ability to rehabilitate, rejuvenate, recover, and return home!

Patient’s Age: 86-years-old
Patient’s Name: Larry
Admission Date: 07/22/2020
Admitted From: Morristown Medical Center
Discharge Date: 09/30/2020
Reason for Stay: Cellulitis of right upper limb, muscle weakness
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills? Recommendation from outpatient therapist

Details of Experience:
Larry’s health concerns all started at the beginning of summer. While home, he was having trouble walking and was very weak. He was admitted to Morristown Medical Center knowing there was something very wrong. His doctors discovered that he had a spinal compression fracture. A recommendation was made for Larry to receive subacute therapy to return to his prior level of function.

Larry was admitted to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center initially on July 22, 2020. Upon admission to Chatham Hills, Larry was greeted by several of our interdisciplinary staff. He was welcomed at the door by our receptionist and was escorted to his room. Larry was ready to start his journey to return home.

Larry was also evaluated by physical and occupational therapy. Together, they set goals and plans to get him home with his wife as soon as possible. The Chatham Hills team was there to help.

When asked, “What is your goal for therapy while you are here in our community,” his response was, “That Chatham Hills will help me get stronger, walk better and return home.” Per his therapists, Larry demonstrated good rehab potential as evidenced by his ability to follow one-step directions with a fully supportive staff. During his initial assessment, he presented with weakness, inability to perform daily living tasks, and inability to walk more than 10 feet. Larry came to Chatham Hills requiring maximum assistance for all of his daily life functions. Larry worked hard with his therapists by ambulating on level surfaces, performing transfer training, endurance training, and dressing.

At discharge, he was able to ambulate over 300 feet, compared to the 5 feet he was admitted with, and was able to independently stand, transfer, bathe, dress, and regain his independence. Team Chatham Hills was excited to see Larry graduate from our Rehabilitation Program. A celebration was held for him on his date of discharge, even including a graduation cap and a Certificate of Achievement.

The team at Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center wish him all the best.

Patient’s Name: Monika
Patient’s Age: 71-years-old
Admission Date: 06/13/2020
Admitted From: Overlook Medical Center
Discharge Date: 06/25/2020
Reason for Stay: Pneumonia, weakness, syncope
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills? Online Google search

Details of Experience:
On a normal Friday morning, Monika woke up confused, not knowing how she ended up on the floor. She sat up and realized that she had fainted. She had a familiar feeling of low blood pressure and was able to call 911 to receive the help she needed. After presenting to Overlook Medical Center with pneumonia, Monika was admitted to the hospital for 2 weeks. If having pneumonia was not unfortunate enough, she also presented with an intestinal bleed. Before she could go back home, she was informed she required subacute rehabilitation to further assist in her healing program. As her daughter had already researched and loved all the facility had to offer, Monika knew she wanted to come to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center.

Monika was admitted to Chatham Hills on June 13, 2020, where she was greeted by our receptionist and manager on duty to settle into the community. She had been completely independent prior to admission and was driving, running errands, and living alone. She knew if she wanted to return to her former independence she would have to stay motivated and work hard, but that she wasn’t doing it alone! The Chatham Hills team was there to help. When asked, “what is your goal for therapy while you are here in our community?”, her enthusiastic response was, “That Chatham Hills will help me get back to my grandchildren who are five months old and seven years old! I can’t wait to get back to them.”

During her initial assessment, she presented with weakness, inability to perform daily living tasks, and inability to walk more than 30 feet. The incredible Chatham therapy team knew that she would benefit best from a personalized physical and occupational therapy plan, and coordinated with her nurses to create the proper treatment plan for her needs.

Monika was a highly driven patient, who had therapy exercises six days a week, and in her time with Chatham Hills, had made quick strides towards recovery. She is now able to ambulate over 300 feet, compared to the 30 feet she was admitted with, and is able to stand, transfer, bathe, dress, and more modified independence.

Our Director of Concierge Services visited Monika to tell her that she was our chosen ‘Celebrity of the Month’! Monika shared, “when I was first admitted, I thought Chatham Hills was a great setting. My physical therapist, Mr. Steve was wonderful. We worked so well together. The staff was absolutely lovely! I even loved my room; I got to see deer come up to my window to nibble on the birdfeeders. Chatham Hills is overall wonderful; it’s just short of a country club! Thanks to the staff, I am now able to walk without my walker and get back to my life!” Team Chatham Hills is thrilled to congratulate Monika on her amazing progress with us and are excited that she gets to be back with her beloved grandchildren again!

Patient’s Age: 89-years-old
Admission Date: 05/06/2020
Admitted From: Overlook Hospital
Discharge Date: TBD
Discharged To: Assisted Living Facility
Reason for Stay: COVID-19+, Hyponatremia
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills? Prior patient

Details of Experience:
Prior to COVID-19, Flora’s everyday life was simple. She went to poetry classes, art, and crafts classes enjoyed different activities and went to see musical performances. Flora was transferred to Overlook Hospital on April 30, 2020, with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and very low blood sodium. After her positive diagnosis and need for reconditioning, her medical team at Overlook recommended extensive subacute rehabilitation to regain her strength. As a prior patient, Flora selected Chatham Hills Subacute Center as her choice for rehabilitation.

Flora was admitted to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center on May 6, 2020. After two weeks of recovery, Flora was ready to start her therapy program. Flora’s goals upon evaluation were, “to regain my strength and get back to my basic levels of function”. The patient was reintroduced to her therapists, Leslie and Sara, who had cared for her during her last stay and were motivated to support her in achieving her goals.

Upon evaluation, Flora was able to ambulate five feet and required maximum assistance with all activities of daily living. She participated in therapy six days a week, consistently working on dressing and bathing techniques, strengthening exercises, and beginning to wean off of oxygen.

With her discharge date approaching, Flora has renewed strength and has been able to get a sense of her previous life back. At discharge, she was able to walk 35 feet with a rolling walker and completed her activities of daily living with minimum contact assistance. Flora stated, “I haven’t been in a position where I can do regular activities like I used to do a lot. I want to get to that point again, so I have been participating in therapy here at Chatham Hills. My therapists here have been very good. They encourage me and make sure I do everything right. This whole COVID-19 illness wiped me out, it has not been easy for me. Doing the therapy here really helped me get through this disease.” The team at Chatham Hills congratulates the Celebrity of the Month and COVID-19 survivor, Flora, on her accomplishments and hard work.

Patient’s Age: 80-years-old
Admission Date: 03/28/2020
Admitted From: Robert Wood Johnson Hospital-New Brunswick
Discharge Date: Pending
Discharged To: Assisted Living Facility
Reason for Stay: Fractured arm, fractured pelvis, fracture in spine
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills? Nurse navigator referral

Details of Experience:
It was a normal Tuesday in March when Mary was at home, going about her day as usual. She did not expect an accident to occur that would turn her day stormy. She was walking down her front steps when she took a hard fall. Her neighbor found her face down on the pavement before they rushed to call 911. She was admitted to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital on March 24th with a fractured arm, fractured pelvis, and a small fracture in her spine. While under great care, she required surgery to have two plates and screws put in her left elbow due to the compound fracture. It was also revealed that she had developed COVID-19.

While healing, she was informed that she required subacute rehabilitation before returning home.

Mary was admitted to the dedicated observation unit at Chatham Hills on March 28, 2020. She was greeted by the skilled nursing staff to get settled in her room. Mary was completely independent prior to admission and knew she was going to have to work hard. Her goal upon admission was, “to get stronger and walk”. After evaluation, the Chatham physical and occupational therapy teams formed personalized plans for Mary to assist in her recovery while also treating her for COVID-19 per the guidance from the Department of Health and CDC.

Although it was not the ideal situation for Mary, there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Because she was not participating in therapy for fifteen days, her bones had time to heal quickly. She was picked back up on her therapy program on April 22, 2020, after being clear of COVID-19. She improved very quickly which made reaching her therapy goals that much more obtainable. Mary is now able to ambulate over 100 feet, perform her activities of daily living just with supervision, and has regained her independence.

The Director of Concierge Services visited Mary to see how her stay has been thus far. Mary shared, “My group of staff that I have had have been great. It felt like it had been a long journey for me until all of a sudden these girls came floating along. My therapist, Michelle, and Concierge, Kathleen, literally make my day every day. I love when they come around, they add a lot to the atmosphere, and I look forward to seeing them. I love that I can walk around the halls now just with my cane and say hello to everyone else. I can’t wait to go back to where I was before this whole thing.” Team Chatham Hills is thrilled to congratulate Mary on her amazing progress and wish her the best.