Patients Age: 70
Admission Date: 3/24/2018
Admitted From: Northwest Medical Center
Discharge Date: 6/12/2018
Discharged To: Home
Length of Stay: 73 Days
Reason of Stay: Overall Weakness
How did this patient hear about The Encore: Friends that were at The Encore before (and mother is a resident)

Dr. Sandra Porterfield was admitted to The Encore from Northwest Medical Center for sepsis, which required roughly three months of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. When Dr. Porterfield arrived, she was 100% dependent. She was fragile, as she couldn’t even lift her cell phone. Dr. Porterfield was unable to eat without a peg-tube and needed a Hoyer-lift to be transferred. She felt paralyzed from the waist down. She was suffering from clinically induced depression, which resulted in her often being upset when considering her current state of health. Dr. Porterfield was placed on isolation for her first week. She was very non-cooperative in result of her depression. Her physical therapist, Mical Orrell, and her occupational therapist, Eric Kalina, originally were only able to position her in bed and perform select in-bed exercises and active assistive techniques to begin. In a short amount of time, her therapist asked her sit on a chair after Dr. Porterfield finally agreed to transfer from bed. Eventually, she agreed to come to the gym for therapy. She would only stay for a short time and would go back to her room. With more time, Dr. Porterfield’s therapists had her standing in the standing frame!

Dr. Porterfield shared with our Director of Concierge Services, Michael Rubin, “when noticing myself getting stronger I stopped resisting, I was less depressed and began to have hope. I realized my therapists were right.” A few days after speaking with Michael she took four steps in light-gate, which had officially begun the walking process. The next attempt she took ten steps, then the next time she had walked the full length of the bar in the light gate and back (20 feet)! She was finally strong enough to use a walker for approximately 20 feet of walking while being supported through contact guard assist.

During the rehabilitation process, Dr. Porterfield enjoyed some of the amenities of The Encore such as the musical entertainment, as well as the nursing staff. She stated “I was treated like a princess. Belmante (her nurse aid) acted as my fairy godmother and took care of me like I was her child.”
Her distance progressed over time. She was able to tolerate light standing balance activity, and within a few weeks, she was able to progress to very high-level of balance activities. She was able to perform toilet transfers with a walker alongside a trained aid, which soon progressed to just needing her husband, which eventually progressed further to her complete independence. Dr. Porterfield said, “The effort they had made, made me feel that it was so sincere and personable; I formed a strong bond.”

Eventually, the rehabilitation team recommended upgraded Dr. Porterfield to walking with a cane, but the team did not feel it was entirely safe just yet, so they supported her more through training with the walker for additional balance. Before Dr. Porterfield was discharged, she had progressed to walking stairs as well as car transfers, and was able to go to doctor appointments with her husband. Dr. Porterfield shared one final time as she was beginning to return home:
“It is because of these therapists, how they put up with me and dealt with me. It’s just a wonderful situation how I was able to come back to life. Ever since being able to transfer to the car, my husband and I have been celebrating by getting dinner together. They didn’t give up on me, they always challenged me to progress.”

Dr. Porterfield left The Encore to her home and was very happy. Her goal was to be more independent with a cane alongside home health support. She has since reached out to Michael Rubin stating that she is walking regularly with a cane! We wish her only health and happiness going forward. Dr. Porterfield still comes to visit The Encore as her mother is a resident at The Encore as well.