New life after rehabilitation

September 16-22, we celebrate National Rehabilitation Awareness Week. This week was established by the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation to "educate people about the benefits and impact of rehabilitation, develop programs which aim to increase opportunities for the nearly fifty million Americans with disabilities, and help those who are disabled live up to their fullest potential."

One resident who recently experienced the power of rehabilitation was Kay Benjamin. After falling and breaking her hip in April, she feared she would never regain her independence and would require a higher level of care. Her daughter, Susan Suzuki, was astounded at how well Kay did through the rehabilitation efforts of the Aegis team and our PATH (Post Acute to Home) program.

“As fragile and frail as she was, I thought there was no way she would recover from this. She was wheelchair bound, couldn’t do anything for herself, and slowly but surely, she improved. I have been blown away. She’s been able to return to her apartment and maneuver around really well!”

One thing Susan noticed about the care Kay received in the rehabilitation program is how thorough the whole process is, from beginning to end.

“They really monitored her food, and she’s gaining some weight back. She’s all around in better health than before she fell. I’m literally blown away by the level of care she received. It’s so individualized, and they didn’t push her too hard, but they did push her.”

Thanks to Kay’s hard work and the expertise of the Aegis team, she’s enjoying life back in her independent living apartment.

“My mom just adores them, and she’ll really miss Emily, her physical therapist. Emily taught me, she said, ‘Give your mom a chance, I think she’ll blow you away.’ And she was right! She’s done so well. I honestly didn’t think she’d survive it. I thought, ‘Is this the end for my mom?’ And it wasn’t. It was far from it.”

Kay and her husband Dick have lived at Aberdeen Village for three years, and Susan doesn’t think they could be in a better place.

“Even though she’s back in her apartment, she still has access to caregivers who can come help so she doesn’t have any setbacks. Thank God for housekeeping and prepared meals and thank goodness for people who give extra help. We’re so overwhelmed by the personalized care. How they work with us on scheduling around doctor appointments, etc., it’s fantastic! And everyone was so encouraging and kind.”

PHOTO: Kay and her husband, Dick, in their apartment, are enjoying more freedom independence with Kay’s improved health following a broken hip and participating in the PATH rehabilitation program at Aberdeen Village.

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