Jess was admitted to a short-term acute care hospital on November 21, 2010 for chest pain. He had a history of obstructive sleep apnea and had suffered from a heart attack. Jess’s respiratory status deteriorated, and he was intubated for mechanical ventilation to maintain his airway and oxygen levels. A cardiac diagnostic test showed significant coronary artery disease, so Jess underwent a cardiac stent procedure to improve blood flow to the heart.
Although his acute cardiac condition was stabilized, he continued to fail weaning trials from the ventilator, resulting in a tracheotomy. He developed MRSA pneumonia, confusion, and renal failure. Doctors at the short-term acute care hospital realized that for Jess to recover completely, he would require ongoing ventilator weaning, pulmonary care and medical management in a long-term acute care setting. Jess transferred to Kindred Hospital Louisville on December 16 for continued care.
Upon admission to Kindred Hospital, Jess was evaluated by our interdisciplinary team, who began a treatment plan tailored to his complex medical needs. With respiratory therapy, Jess was successfully weaned from the ventilator. His chest x-rays, mental status and renal function gradually improved, and antibiotic regimen was completed. Jess became awake and alert, and did quite well in rehabilitation therapies.
No longer requiring high intensity medical care but not yet ready to return home, Jess continued his journey along the Kindred continuum of care, transferring to Kindred’s Northfield Centre for Health and Rehabilitation on January 25, 2011.
Jess worked daily with physical, occupational, and speech therapists to improve his strength, mobility, activities of daily living, and swallow safety. Jess and his wife were very motivated to learn and participated fully with therapy, resulting in phenomenal outcomes.
Due to his prolonged oral and tracheal intubation, Jess had trouble swallowing. At Northfield, Jess benefited from a unique swallowing treatment called VitalStim, where electrodes are placed over the tiny muscles in the throat to strengthen them.
The entire therapy team at Northfield was proud of Jess’s progress and happy to see him return home on March 29, 2011.
In the Louisville/Southern Indiana area, the Kindred network consists of two long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals, seven nursing centers, a subacute unit and outpatient rehabilitation services. Together they offer an uninterrupted spectrum of care for post-acute and subacute patients.