Patient’s Name: Benny R.
Patient’s Age: 81-years-old
Admission Date: 01/08/19
Admitted From: Good Samaritan Hospital
Discharge Date: 04/03/19
Discharged To: Home
Length of Stay: 91 days
Reason for Stay: Syncope

Details of Experience:
Benny R. is an 81-year-old male who spent some time in Good Samaritan Hospital with an admitting diagnosis of syncope. He has a history of dehydration, failure to thrive, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sepsis, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and congestive heart failure. Benny was on continuous oxygen via nasal cannula at four Liters.

Upon his arrival to The Willows, Benny was welcomed by the director of concierge services and was shown to his room. The nurse from his unit evaluated him and physically and reviewed his medication. After he settled in he was greeted by our therapy team.

Physical, occupational, and respiratory therapy reviewed his chart and evaluated for therapy. A plan with goals was set to help facilitate his return back home. Upon entering The Willows, Benny was very compromised and had little to no exercise/activity tolerance. He was unable to do much for himself as far as dressing and self-care. He was on four liters supplemental oxygen. He wasn’t able to walk and standing was difficult for him.

During his beginning therapy sessions, Benny was struggling to complete the sessions and was not in the best mental state. When he did attempt to do an activity or an exercise he would only be able to do it for a short amount of time.

The saving grace, which leads to eventual progress with rehabilitation, was the fact that the therapy team remained consistent with Benny each day. This was important because a relationship and a sense of comfort were built and progress was made. Just as progress was moving forward, he had his first of many setbacks in the form of syncope episodes, which sent him to the emergency room and re-admission to the Good Samaritan Hospital.

After a short admission, he returned to our community with a slight decline due to his inactivity. The therapy staff worked with him diligently and patiently every day. Slowly, one day at a time, he started making progress with activities, exercises, and standing. Also, a bigger focus was put on his ADL’s (activities of daily living). Morning routine and dressing were a main focus and progress was being made. Unfortunately, he had another syncope episode that required another ER visit and re-admission to the hospital. Just like the last visit, with his return to our community, there was a decline in his levels.

Therapy continued and progress was made at a greater rate as he had started being more compliant with therapy sessions. Weaning off of oxygen soon began with good progress every session. As he progressed sessions became more productive. He was able to do activities and exercises longer. The quality of the work was proportionate to the level of his mental status on that day. As we started making bigger strides, Benny had two more syncope incidents that sent him to the ER and admission to the hospital for quick stays.

Great progress was made to wean him off the oxygen completely during this time. Also during this time, his ambulation distances started to improve. Occupational therapy was also making progress with dressing and ADL’s with a better quality of work and less supervision.

As Benny’s physical condition and his rehabilitation outcomes improved, talk and focus were put on returning home. Ambulation distances increased to the level of household distances. He was able to be more independent with his morning care and dressing and family training began with Benny’s son and wife. A focus was put on walking the stairs safely due to the fact he had several steps to get in and out of their house.

A large focus was put on patient safety and monitoring since Benny has a history of being impulsive. During these last couple weeks, Benny had one last emergency room visit for chest pain but unlike the last time, this visit didn’t set back his progress.

Inside the last two weeks, he was making great progress with the stairs and ambulation. His family was able to demonstrate their competence with walking him on the stairs, dressing/ADLs, and ambulation. Also, time was spent discussing with the family strategies, directions, training, and tips for his return back home. All staff involved felt confident in Benny’s return home is a safe and happy one.

A big part of Benny’s recovery was his family devotion. His wife and son were bedside 24/7 as an extra comfort to his recovery. His wife was very diligent with all facets of his care. She constantly followed up with his doctors and nurses to keep on top of his progress. The concierge checked in daily with Benny and his family and built a close relationship with his family to help facilitate a comfortable and satisfying stay.

Benny’s time here at The Willows was filled with many ups and downs with many setbacks and victories. In the end, the teamwork demonstrated by all involved helped to move him toward his goal of returning home with his wife and son. Benny’s journey is a great example of how perseverance through hardships can result in great things!