Patient’s Age: 66-years-old
Admission Date: 12/28/18
Admitted From: Sumner Regional Medical Center
Discharge Date: 3/15/19
Discharged To: Home
Length of Stay: 78 days
Reason for Stay: Left Ankle Fracture
How did this patient hear about Gallatin Center? Referred by Hospital

Details of Experience:

Delores Waters was not able to bear weight on her right lower leg due to a left ankle fracture caused by a fall at home, this led her to enter our community, Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing.

Delores loves to spend time with her many friends and family members (three kids, eight grandkids, and six great-grandchildren). With her injury occurring just before Christmas, she had not planned on spending her holidays in the hospital. After consulting with the staff at the hospital- she knew she would need extensive therapy and rehabilitation.

When arriving at Gallatin Center, Delores was impressed with our private single rooms and the cleanliness of our community. She noticed that the staff were very nice and welcoming. Her only apprehension was the therapy itself, as many patients are once they are faced with their rehabilitation journey. Delores was afraid and did not want to aggravate her injury, which was very severe. However, after being around our therapy department for a short time, she changed her mind and knew she was in the right place.

Initially, when she arrived at Gallatin Center, her pain level was an 8 out of 10 and she had limited passive and active range of motion due to weakness. Following the plan of care, her therapist, Robert, began treating her with seated exercises and static standing for approximately the first week. Delores began progressing with standing tolerance and active range of motion exercises.

The second week, her therapist began implementing ambulation on her lower right leg with a platform rolling walker- requiring maximum assistance to improve gait independence and increase right lower leg strength.

In week three, Delores had progressed to five minutes of static standing tolerance continuing non-weight-bearing status on her lower left leg.

By week five, Delores’ doctor cleared her to remove her immobilizer boot for exercise and light range of motion for movement. On week six, her doctor lifted the non-weight-bearing precautions and cleared Delores to ambulate weight-bearing as tolerated on the left lower leg. Delores progressed to standing exercises, mini squats, heel-toe raises, static marches, and single leg stance training.

By week seven, Delores was ambulating with and without a regular rolling walker with a pain level of 1 out of 10, requiring standby assistance.

Delores was intimidated with the therapy at first. Her therapist, Robert, was very thorough with her rehabilitation process. Delores went on to say that over time, Robert’s patience, direction, and firmness started to pay off!

All of the instruction and explanations Robert had given started to come together and built up her success. Every exercise led to her being able to do more and more.

Here at Gallatin Center, we are proud of all of our therapists like Robert that make an effort to guide our residents through very tough times, and to create an encouraging environment for them to grow and get stronger.

During her stay, Delores has endeared herself to the residents and staff. She has gotten used to the routine of therapy and has come to enjoy all of the wonderful staff and friendships she has developed.

The staff of Gallatin Center will miss Delores but are also very proud to return her to her home. Delores said when she goes home she will open all of her Christmas presents she missed out on!