Mary: A Return to Buster
Returning home to care for herself independently felt far off for Mary, 60, after having complications with her knee replacement. It seemed impossible after complications compounded into aspiration pneumonia with VRE, eventually requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation – until her pulmonologist suggested Kindred Hospital.
Her doctor was very familiar with Kindred and knew that they were the largest provider of post-acute care services in the area and could provide high-intensity medical care for her extended hospital stay. Kindred’s goal was to make sure Mary’s dream of returning home to her dog, Buster, came true.
In April, Mary’s was transferred to Kindred Hospital Dallas, where a team of physicians, nurses and therapists coordinated a specialized treatment plan to wean her from the ventilator, improve her nutritional status so that her feeding tube could be removed and treat the infection that had caused complications following knee surgery.
The Kindred respiratory team began the weaning process immediately and aggressive weaning protocols were implemented. Within 15 days, Mary was off the ventilator and her tracheostomy tube removed. The daily IV antibiotic therapy cleared away the infection in her knee, allowing her to begin physical therapy after being bed-bound for over two months.
Kindred’s speech therapist worked daily with Mary as she became proficient in swallowing and eating again which allowed her PEG tube to be removed.
Shana, Director of Therapy, was amazed at how fast Mary’s mobility improved.
“At the time of Mary’s transfer to Kindred, she did not believe she would ever return home again,” she said. “Now she is talking on the phone to her friends, a simple pleasure she had not been able to enjoy in a long time due to her respiratory failure, and making plans to go out for dinner with her son.”
On June 17, after receiving Kindred’s unique specialized care, Mary was able to walk out of the hospital and return home to Buster. She said that she loved the care she received and was very thankful her dream of returning home came true.
Kindred Hospital Dallas’ success is apparent in stories like these as well as in our quality scores – over 93 percent of our patients and families recommend Kindred.