Angelica: Motivated to Recover

Angelica, 27, lived at home with her parents and two sisters and worked as a secretary. At the end of 2009, she underwent gastric surgery at a short-term acute care hospital after months of abdominal pain, poor appetite and stress.

After her surgery, Angelica’s doctors transferred her to Kindred Hospital San Gabriel Valley for wound care, IV antibiotics and rehabilitation.

When Angelica arrived at Kindred, she was extremely withdrawn. She required extensive assistance just to move in bed and received all feedings by tube. With all of her complications, Angelica was discouraged and preferred to stay in bed, seemingly catatonic. The Kindred rehabilitation team was determined to improve Angelica’s strength.

In early March, the team began an intense regimen of physical, occupational and speech therapy. As Angelica started to get stronger, she started to participate more. Along with therapy, Angelica received treatment from the wound care team for her surgical incision.

With continued encouragement, Angelica made significant improvement with her functional mobility during her stay at Kindred. Having required total assistance on admission for all tasks, by discharge Angelica was independent with her self-care and mobility. She eventually regained her ability to walk without assistance as well as her sociable, talkative nature and the ability to eat on her own.

Having made tremendous progress, Angelica was discharged home with her sister March 26. Refusing her wheelchair en route to her family’s car, Angelica walked out of Kindred Hospital San Gabriel Valley and back into her life. Angelica credits much of her recovery to the Kindred staff who nurtured her back to health with their treatment and expertise, but also with their commitment to her wellness.

“A caring hospital motivates a patient,” she says.