Laticia: Continuing to Heal
Laticia, 39, is a mother of three who lives in a small
town. She had a history of morbid obesity, congestive heart failure,
hypertension, and sleep apnea requiring BiPAP at night. On February 17, she became very short of breath and
went to a local community hospital to seek medical help. They attempted to
relieve her distress by placing her on BiPAP, but her respiratory failure
continued with her PCO2 levels rising to 127. She was intubated and placed on a
ventilator. Attempts to wean her were unsuccessful and a tracheostomy was
performed, anticipating a prolonged period on the ventilator.
On March 4, Laticia was admitted to Kindred Hospital Ontario
for ventilator weaning and treatment of a urinary tract infection, MRSA in the sputum,
malnutrition, and fluid overload increasing her congestive heart failure.
Upon admission to Kindred Hospital,
a Passy Muir valve was utilized, allowing Laticia to talk for the first time in
two weeks. The weaning process began immediately, her blood pressure balanced
out within two weeks, and March 16 she was weaned from the ventilator.
When Laticia was admitted, she was primarily bed bound
and non-ambulatory, requiring a wheelchair for any out-of bed ambulation or
movement, and weighed 375 lbs. Rehabilitation therapists worked on increasing Laticia’s
strength. On March 26, her tracheostomy tube was removed completely.
By the time of her discharge, she was walking 100 feet
four times per day, was eating by mouth, weighed 325 lbs., and was anxious to continue
with her healing in the home care setting. Social services worked Laticia her
to determine a safe discharge plan. Laticia felt that her health was not strong
enough for her to live alone, so she made arrangements to move in with her
sister until she could make a full recovery. Laticia discharged to her sister’s
home on March 30, stating that she loved the care she received at Kindred Hospital.
Kindred Hospital Ontario’s success is apparent in
stories like these as well as in our quality scores – our patients and families
rate our quality of care at over 95% and 98.8% would recommend Kindred.