Concierge Director: Jonathan Berger
Patient: Margareth (Maggie) Garcon
Patient age: 67
Admission date: 2/7/23
Admitted From: Mather Hospital
Discharge date: 6/29/23
Discharged to: Home
Length of stay: 4.5 months
Reason for stay: Rehab for a tibial plateau fracture
How did the patient hear about Water’s Edge? Margareth was aware of Water’s Edge because she is from the area, as well as because she used to work in our community as a CNA!

Details of Experience:

Maggie Garcon was admitted to Water’s Edge Rehab & Nursing on February 7th, 2023. She came to us from Mather Hospital, located locally here in Port Jefferson, NY. She came to us with a diagnosis of a tibial plateau fracture that occurred from a fall she endured, which required intense physical therapy.

Upon arrival, Maggie was a little down about being admitted to a rehab facility and was more quiet. But after meeting with her physical therapy and nursing teams, as well as the Director of Concierge Services, she quickly realized that there was no reason to be sad since her goal was to get better and knew this was the place to accomplish that. Being a CNA (Certified Nurse’s Aide) at Water’s Edge many years ago also helped her get acclimated to her surroundings since she had familiarity with our community.

Before she fell, Maggie performed all her daily activities completely independent of others, such as driving, walking, etc. About six years ago, she had her left leg amputated, but before her fall, she used her prosthetic all the time. For the first three months of her stay, she could not bend her knee or put any pressure on her leg, which presented a challenge for her rehab team.

At the end of May, she had another setback which caused an additional challenge. She needed to have two fingers on her right hand amputated, making her unable to grab the handles on her walker while being active in therapy. But due to her unwavering commitment, super positive attitude, and drive to get past these roadblocks, she was able to make significant strides in a short period of time and is back to walking with her prosthetic as well as on the injured leg.

When she initially came in, she was wheelchair bound, but now she is walking distances of between 40-50 feet, with a one-person assist, whereas originally she needed two-person assist and someone trialing behind in a wheelchair, just in case. In addition to her physical and occupational therapy teams, Maggie had the pleasure of working with Todd S. and Dennis O., founders of the Amputee Walking School and Directors of CARP (CareRite’s Comprehensive Amputee Rehabilitation Program) and Paralympic Track and Field gold metal champions. CARP is CareRite’s in-house amputee mentoring and training program, designed specifically for patients who come to us as amputees, helping them get acclimated to their new circumstances and go above and beyond what they thought could ever be possible, and that is walking again with their own independence.

Maggie was discharged from Water’s Edge back to her home on June 28th, 2023, where she will continue her recovery and rehabilitation with homecare and outpatient therapy. The physical therapy team trained her family on how to transfer her from surface to surface so that her transition back home goes as smoothly as possible. As much as we will miss having Maggie around, we know she is thrilled to return to her life as the strong and independent woman she is.

We wish Maggie nothing but the absolute best in her future and in her continued recovery.