Our bodies are remarkably resilient. They can thrive beyond surgery, beyond injury and the unavoidable impact of aging knee and hip joints. We can minimize these effects through safe strength-building rehabilitation such as physical therapy. That may not be shocking news, but is it surprising to discover this kind of treatment can be successful in 20 short days?
Nathan Lipari came to RoseCrest Lutheran Homes one day unable to walk. He described himself as a “sniveling baby” upon his arrival at the facility.
“I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to engage with life again,” he said.
Within 19 days, Lipari walked home with a renewed sense of purpose. Part of that purpose led him to become a volunteer at RoseCrest, where he reclaimed his quality of life – investing in others’ recovery with the same care that transformed him.
Twenty days is the average length of treatment or stay for rehabilitation patients at RoseCrest, which offers a range of benefits as a continuing care retirement community: wound care, lab work, X-rays, individualized wellness plans and more. Short-term rehabilitation can be either inpatient or outpatient.
“Inpatient should not be interpreted as going into a home,” said Sherry Gibbs, community outreach director at RoseCrest Lutheran Homes. “It’s a ‘transition home,’ where we gauge their readiness for an active life in order to get them home.”
Everyone is anxious to get home after undergoing surgery or suffering an injury, but treatment should never be postponed for the sake of leaving a facility sooner than later. For starters, for the Medicare program to pay for rehab, treatment must begin within 30 days of a hospital stay, said Gibbs.
Financial reasons aside, serious ramifications can take place in the body if therapy is not begun immediately. Tendons tighten with inactivity and surrounding muscles will compensate for the weakness, causing additional injuries and extending the recovery time.
Patients may require rehab after surgery or injury, but there are other reasons why facilities such as RoseCrest can play an important role, especially for senior citizens.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that “one-third of all people over the age of 65 fall every year.” Hip fractures are serious business, and preventing a fall with balance therapy can keep patients independent and productive.
As people age, they should have the opportunity to take advantage of the tools available at homes such as RoseCrest, that equip seniors to live better and stronger than the previous generation.
For more information about RoseCrest Lutheran Homes, visit www.rosecrest.org or call 864-599-8600.
by Davina Black