Patient’s Age: 75-years-old
Admission Date: 2/18/19
Admitted From: Stony Brook University Hospital
Discharge Date: 3/28/19
Discharged To: Friend’s House
Length of Stay: 39 days
Reason for Stay: Right artificial hip joint replacement, pneumonia and generalized muscle weakness.


Details of Experience:
Ms. McCarthy is a 75-year-old female who was admitted to The Hamlet Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center at Nesconset on February 18, 2019, after her stay at Stony Brook University Hospital for a right artificial hip joint replacement and pneumonia. After her hospitalization, Ms. McCarthy needed inpatient rehabilitation to safely perform functional transfers with minimal assistance, increase the dynamic standing balance to normal in order to facilitate safe functional mobility without loss of balance and to walk 200 feet.

Within the first hour of her admission, Ms. McCarthy was seen by valued members of the team who welcomed her. Within the first 12 hours, Ms. McCarthy was evaluated by Occupational and Physical Therapy. Ms. McCarthy was able to safely ambulate on level surfaces 60 feet using the rolling walker with minimal assistance, as well as perform stand pivot transfers with modified independence.

In her Physical Therapy sessions, Ms. McCarthy worked on activities and exercises centering on ambulation, transfers, and balance to increase mobility and functionality, while decreasing required assistance. After one week, she was ambulating 75 feet using the rolling walker with contact guard assistance. After three weeks, Ms. McCarthy was able to walk 150 feet with supervised assistance and maintain good standing balance without the support against moderate resistance. Through the use of therapeutic resistance exercises, progressive resistance exercises, quad sets, ankle pumps, neuromuscular re-education, and gait training therapy, she was able to perform numerous techniques. These included safety sequencing techniques, proper body mechanics, position maneuvers, safety precautions, and energy conservation techniques in order to facilitate improved functional abilities. In her Occupational Therapy sessions, Ms. McCarthy worked on performing good hygiene and self-feeding tasks, bathing, toileting, and upper and lower body dressing.

After achieving continued progress and nearing her much-anticipated discharge date, Ms. McCarthy was able to meet her goals of feeding, hygiene and upper body dressing independently. She does need minimal assistance with lower body dressing, bathing upper and lower body as well as toilet transfers. At the time of discharge, she was able to ambulate 200 feet.

Through the teamwork and cooperation given by the entire interdisciplinary team, Ms. McCarthy was able to enjoy another pleasant stay at The Hamlet Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center at Nesconset. As Ms. McCarthy was leaving, she shared that she was a little sad to be leaving the people who made her stay so comfortable.

We wish Ms. McCarthy a safe, healthy discharge to her friend’s home and wish her continued success.