Patients Age: 36-years-old
Admission Date: 05/28/20
Admitted From: St. John’s Riverside Hospital
Discharge Date: 08/21/20
Discharged To: Home
Length of Stay: 3 months
Reason for Stay: COVID-19, UTI, polyneuropathy, respiratory failure, muscle weakness, and difficulty walking
How did this patient hear about Sans Souci Rehabilitation and Nursing Center? Hospital recommendation

Details of experience:
Mrs. Josefina G. arrived at Sans Souci Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on May 28, 2020 from St. John’s Riverside Hospital. Prior to coming to Sans Souci, Mrs. G. had been diagnosed with COVID-19, UTI, polyneuropathy, respiratory failure, experienced muscle weakness, and difficulty walking. Also, prior to her hospital stay, Mrs. G. was living independently with her family and required no assistive devices. Mrs. G. was referred to Sans Souci to begin receiving PT, OT, and nursing care.

Upon admission, Mrs. G. was greeted by multiple members of the Sans Souci interdisciplinary team. The team welcomed Mrs. G. to our community and conducted evaluations to custom tailor Mrs. G.’s stay. Mrs. G. was non-ambulatory at the time of admission and required a wheelchair.

Mrs. G. began working with our Physical Therapist, Cynthia Antoine, DPT, and Occupational Therapist, Cheryl Matthews, OTR/L, to regain functional independence.

Josefina was nervous at the beginning of her stay that she would never fully recover and be able to walk and stand again. The Sans Souci interdisciplinary team worked to motivate Josefina that she had the capability to return to her prior functioning level. The staff moved Josefina to a room with a larger window, where her family was able to visit regularly and provide words of motivation and inspiration in chalk on the concrete path her room overlooked.

Upon evaluation, Mrs. G. required total dependence with standing, ambulation, transfers, and activities of daily living. Mrs. G.’s initial physical therapy short term goals were to complete bed mobilities with moderate assistance, functional transfers with total dependence, and ambulate 10 feet on level surfaces using a rolling walker. Her long-term goals were to complete bed mobilities supervised, perform functional transfers with contact guarding assistance, and ambulate 100 feet using a rolling walker with minimal assistance. Mrs. G.’s occupational therapy goals were to perform eating tasks, dressing, grooming, and ADL’s with maximum assistance. Josefina received wound care to treat the ischemia to her fingers. The nursing care provided helped heal Mrs. G.’s wounds and allowed her full use of her hands again.

One month into her stay, Josefina was upgraded to requiring moderate assistance for bed mobilities. She could ambulate 10 feet with a rolling walker and moderate assistance and perform functional transfers using contact guarding assistance. Josefina also was upgraded to moderate assistance for most ADL’s. Mrs. G. was motivated by the staff and her family to persevere. She developed a very close relationship with our recreation therapist, Omar Garcia, who would visit her daily to provide entertainment, a listening ear, and reassurance that she would be able to make a full recovery.

Two months into her stay, Mrs. G. had made significant strides in her therapy. Josefina was now able to perform bed motilities with moderate independence. She could perform functional transfers with supervision and could ambulate 50 feet on level surfaces using a rolling walker. Mrs. G. was also upgraded to minimal assistance for most ADL’s. By the beginning of August, Mrs. G. had progressed so much that she could now ambulate distances of 150 feet with supervision. The rehab team began stair training with Josefina. She safely navigated 12 steps on the community stairs with stand by assistance. Two weeks prior to discharge Josefina was ambulating distances of 300 feet with a rolling walker and began training with a cane.

The week prior to discharge Josefina was ambulating unlimited distances with a rolling walker and could use a cane for ambulating shorter distances. She could perform all bed mobilities, functional transfers, and ADL’s independently.  Upon discharge Josefina shared, “every staff member at Sans Souci motivated me to keep pushing forward.  I came in unable to move and mostly bed bound and am leaving here walking! The happiest moment was walking again for the first time as it was then that I knew I could accomplish anything and would return to my old self. Thank you to everyone that works at Sans Souci from housekeeping, dietary, nursing, recreation, and rehab everyone was truly amazing and motivated me to keep going and moving forward!”