Director Of Concierge: Daniel Farmer
Patient Age: 61
Admission Date: 08/18/2022
Admitted from: Ms. Sinai St. Luke’s
Length of stay: 43 days
Reason for stay: Therapy for the complications of osteomyelitis
How did the patient hear about the Riverside? A social worker from Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s referred her.

Details of experience:

Sally was admitted to Mt. Sinai – St. Luke’s Hospital due to severe back pain. She was diagnosed at the Medical Center and began treatment for kidney stones. The infection traveled to her spine, which required treatment for osteomyelitis. Due to inflammation, the extreme pain left the patient temporarily paralyzed, where she completely relied on the hospital staff for all of her needs. Sally was placed on an antibiotic regime and was ready to begin her rehab journey.

Sally was admitted to The Riverside Rehab on August 18th and was adamant that she needed support getting back to being with her dog Lucy and cat Mimi. However, the inflammation in her back made it almost impossible for Sally to want to participate in PT and OT sessions. Sally shared that she was constantly in excruciating pain, which she identified as being a 9.5 whenever she moved. Sally recalled the “embarrassment” she felt in the Hospital, being physically dependent on the staff for all her daily life functions, as motivation to try and push through the pain.

Upon Sally’s admission, our Therapy Team diagnosed her condition as a total dependent. It took a few days before the antibiotic was able to reduce the inflammation, and from there, Sally was able to participate in PT and OT sessions, only experiencing slight discomfort. As of September 28th, Sally was downgraded to limited assist and stated that her pain level was a 4.5 when moving. “I feel like a normal human. Yoga hurts more than Physical Therapy now”. The discharge plan for Sally is mid-October, and she could not be more excited to get back to walking her dog Lucy and the other dogs in her neighborhood, as she has become the unofficial dog walker for her community.

The Riverside Team wishes Sally the best wishes on her continuing journey toward better health.