Karen: Determination Leads to Recovery

Karen works for a construction company as an assistant project manager, working on such large projects as the new City Center and the Palazzo.

In January, she was having difficulty breathing and went to a local short-term acute care hospital.

Karen was admitted with severe respiratory distress. She was placed on a ventilator and admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit.

At the time of her admission to Kindred Hospital Las Vegas – Sahara, Karen was non-responsive. She had a feeding tube through her nose for nutrition and an oxygen mask. She was unable to swallow or hold her head up. She was unable to move her arms or her hands and couldn’t walk or get out of bed. Her husband, Rick, was at the hospital every day.

“I literally couldn’t do anything. I was helpless - totally helpless,” says Karen now. “Rick would sometimes interpret for me when I wanted something that only he could understand.”

Kindred’s interdisciplinary team of nurses, physicians and rehabilitation therapists executed a plan of care specially tailored to Karen’s individual needs.

By the time of her discharge, Karen was breathing on her own with only a little extra oxygen. She was feeding herself a regular diet, and she had taken a few steps on her own in the Rehab Gym.

Karen was discharged to a lower intensity level of care; a rehab facility from which she was confident she would return home to her husband after continued therapy.

“You have all helped us tremendously,” she said. “As hard as therapy was and as stubborn as I know I am, I was finally able to find success!”

Kindred Hospital Las Vegas – Sahara’s success is apparent in stories like this as well as in our quality scores – our patients and families rate our quality of care at 91.8 percent and over 95 percent would recommend Kindred.