Earl's Success Story
From Cornerstone Specialty Hospitals Broken Arrow
Earl was independent and working full-time before developing an infection and pneumonia following his wisdom teeth removal. He was admitted to a local hospital in Oklahoma after having trouble breathing, ultimately requiring ventilation support. During his hospital stay, Earl underwent multiple surgeries to address the areas of infection, and a feeding tube was necessary for nutritional support.
After spending over a month in the local hospital, the medical team made the decision to transfer Earl to Cornerstone Specialty Hospital Broken Arrow for extended medical care. This transfer aimed to facilitate ventilator weaning and provide a comprehensive rehabilitation program, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Upon admission, the interdisciplinary team developed a tailored care plan based on Earl's medical condition.
At the time of his admission, Earl required total assistance for all aspects of his care, including activities of daily living (ADLs). Nevertheless, he remained hopeful with the goal of returning home. Throughout his stay, Earl was closely monitored by the respiratory therapist, who gradually implemented a weaning protocol. This involved gradual reductions in ventilator support and regular assessments of his respiratory status. Earl showed remarkable resilience, and by week three, he was successfully transitioned to high-flow nasal cannula support before being fully weaned off the ventilator after 40 days.
In occupational therapy, Earl worked on tasks to regain his independence in self-care activities, such as grooming, dressing, and feeding. He began practicing these tasks with set-up assistance initially and gradually progressed to completing them independently. Earl's speech therapy sessions focused on re-establishing safe swallowing and communication skills. The speech therapist assessed his swallowing ability and developed a program that included exercises for oral motor strength and coordination. Over time, Earl successfully transitioned to eating and drinking by mouth, which marked a significant milestone in his recovery.
With success over success and passing all goals set in his care plan, Earl was discharged to a lower-level care where he continues his rehabilitation. From the entire staff at Cornerstone, we wish Earl all the success in his recovery.
Care for Complex Conditions
Patients come to our hospitals with serious conditions such as respiratory failure, complex wounds, sepsis, stroke, congestive heart failure, or even a combination of these. Their diagnoses are often complicated by existing health problems like diabetes or COPD. Many of our patients require treatments such as mechanical ventilators, dialysis, or IV therapy.