Case Study: Glengariff Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (June 2021)

Concierge Director: Daniel Mayer
Patient’s Age: 60 years old
Admission Date: 6/2/21
Admitted From: Nassau University Medical Center – MICU Hospital
Discharge Date: 6/30/21
Discharged To: Long Term Care setting
Length of Stay: 29 days (1 recertification)
Reason for Stay: Rehabilitation
How Did the Patient Hear About Glengariff? He was told about our rehabilitation facility by hospital staff while at the hospital.


Details of Experience:
Mr. Pierino Curcio (“Peter”) was admitted to the Glengariff Nursing and Rehabilitation on June 2, 2021. Before being admitted to Glengariff, he was admitted to Nassau University Medical Center in their MICU due to a motor then drove into a wall, sustaining multiple bodily fractures, along with serious abrasions, suffering retrograde amnesia, and a concussion as a result of the event.

His fractures were serious, including an open pelvis fracture, a left distal radius fracture, left big toe, and orbital fractures.  He struggled with seriously impaired balance, decreased strength, functional mobility, and reduced ability to ambulate safely. This host of injuries hampered his ability to walk.  He also endured substantial pain, decreased range of motion, decreased strength, and reduced balance.  They recommended subacute, short-term rehabilitation at the hospital due to decreased strength and functional mobility, reduced ability to safely ambulate, reduced functional activity tolerance, and ADL participation.  Peter lives at home with his family of a wife and three adolescent children.  He lives in a home with 12 steps up to the residence and access to bedrooms without handrails.  For hygiene, he has a walk-in shower.  He was recommended to Glengariff based on our reputation for rehabilitation. Due to Covid-19, no tour was feasible, but instead, the patient chose our community, and arrangements were made for Peter to be transferred to Glengariff. 

When Peter arrived at Glengariff, he was highly concerned about his lack of balance, mobility, and strength.  The slightest movements would prompt shooting pain, and he exhibited little interest in his rehabilitation.  He hoped that our rehab would strengthen him, but he was concerned about his ability to manage any stairs and to be able to care for himself and his most basic needs.  Peter could not walk by himself or slide or roll from side to side in his bed.  He could not support himself standing for longer than 30 seconds.  He did not know if he would ever be able to climb any stairs or even ambulate without the help of a wheelchair. He attempted to stand and could not do so for very long at all.  He attempted to walk and could not. Even sitting up erect in bed created additional experiences of imbalance and over-exertion.  Activities in the bathroom involved complete dependence on the staff and required two staff to assist. Peter even had difficulty maintaining his balance in a seated position and shifting his weight while in bed. Peter was at high risk for recurrent falls.

Within a month after his arrival, Peter started to make strides in certain areas of mobility.  His strength improved, and he was able to attempt transfers from the bed with moderate assistance.  He was able to take any steps and ambulate 100 feet.  He progressed from not being able to stand at all to do so with only supervised assistance.  The length of his standing was still a bit short, however.  He was able to climb 12 stairs with contact guard assistance. He was able to utilize a sliding board with “Contact Guard” assistance.   As the therapy continued, Peter’s goals were reset again, establishing new short-term and long-term goals for him to achieve.

With the staff coming to provide intensive physical therapy and the Concierge team keeping Peter encouraged with ongoing visits with his family, regular package deliveries from friends, and prepared meals, he got stronger and better able with each passing day.  Peter was on the “fast track,” making improvements in his functioning every day.  He was so relieved by this clinical and emotional support, which helped him feel confident about his strides and hopeful about his rehab.  He could focus on getting better and improving his techniques at maneuvering, sitting up in bed, toileting and bathing.  His functional mobility during ADL’s also improved from maximum assist to minimal assistance over just the first month! He could also maintain his balance in a seated position without any support (which he hadn’t been able to achieve when he first arrived). 

Still, there was much work to do, even while he could see the horizon of independence in the distance!

By the conclusion of the fourth week of his stay, Peter could achieve mobility tasks with mere supervision and no actual assistance.  Rolling from side to side in bed and using handrails was also an achievement that month.  Peter was able to push himself up from the arms of his chair with moderate assistance and sit up erect with only verbal cues.  He was making critical improvements toward his recovery.

Peter advanced in the capacity he now had for completing ADLs. He could perform lower body dressing with only “Contact Guard” help up from maximum assistance just 30 days before.  His functional mobility during ADLs and his ability to transfer from bed went from minimal assist to mere Supervision.   He was walking 150 feet and climbing the 12 steps he would need to climb to his home when discharged.

In every single rehabilitation category, Peter had surpassed the short- and long-term goals of his therapists.  He was strong.  He was assured, and he was walking tall!! Recovery from the pelvic fracture of his motorcycle accident was now a distant memory.

Throughout his stay, until his departure nearly about 30 days later, Peter was pleased with our staff and how they cared for him.  He described them as “almost as determined as I was.”  Regarding his care, he could still now recall how many times a week he would receive care packages from the Concierge who could cheer him up.  He felt especially grateful for this ability to rely on the team when others entered the community to see him during his care. 

“I could never have done it without the people at Glengariff.  I feel like a new man.”  He is a graduate of the Glengariff Nursing & Rehabilitation Team.  Ride on!