From ER to ICU to rehab - Continuum of care
After an unexpected admission to Capital Hospital for an abscessed tooth, Patsy Mavraedis discusses her recovery experience during her inpatient stay at the Rehabilitation Center.
80-year-old, Patsy Mavraedis arrived in our emergency department for severe swelling and infection from an abscessed tooth. She was sick and in pain. She was swiftly admitted to the 8th floor and on day three of her stay she suffered a stroke. She was promptly transferred to the ICU.
As her health worsened Dr. Saurabh Sheel, ICU intensivist decided that intubating her would be the best course of treatment. Over the next few days, she would suffer seizures and blood clots in her brain. As time went on, Patsy began to improve and she was successfully extubated. After nine long, harrowing days as an inpatient at HCA Florida Capital Hospital, she was referred to HCA Florida Capital Hospital‘s Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, where she spent more than two weeks.
When she arrived to the rehabilitation center she was foggy headed, had trouble lifting her leg, had low strength and was slightly cognitively deficient. The team laid out a treatment plan and they knew that they needed to get her back to her basic daily functions, to be able to walk unassisted and regain her strength.
Patsy says about her therapists, “They are outstanding, beautiful people, so professional and genuinely cared about me and my progress.” She goes on to say that the nurses were responsive and took such great care of her. Daily, she worked in the physical therapy gym increasing her strength and working on activities, such as counting out her medicine for the day as well as practicing other daily activities that would assist her when she got home. “I felt the team was very organized, strategic and they always had something new for me to do to help me get better.”
Her daughter Lisa says the treatment she received in the hospital and at the rehabilitation center was excellent. “At the rehabilitation center, the schedule they posted daily was so helpful and my mother truly enjoyed being there. The team was extremely pleasant — from the physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, physical therapists to food services. We are fortunate to have such a great facility to in our community and I am thankful for the care they gave to my precious mother.”