Moving On

Sometimes it is time to move on.

When Judith Stout moved to FutureCare Homewood, she was barely moving. Today, she is running a volunteer program and working out three days a week. She is moving on.

Judith is a native Marylander who lived in Dundalk for 49 years. She and her husband, Larry, raised two sons in their home in Dundalk. After her kids grew up, Judith got a job with Hallmark, stocking cards in stores. She worked for the greeting card giant for 18 years before retiring.

When her husband passed away, Judith continued to live alone for over a decade. She is a proud breast cancer survivor. Several years ago, she also had a hip replacement surgery to address longstanding joint pain. Her surgery and her recovery went smoothly.

“I was living in my house after the surgery, but my son wanted me to move to a place that was one level, so he found a senior living community near his home,” Judith recalled. She moved into independent living at Brightview Severna Park in 2013.

Since moving, Judith has enjoyed a much more active social life and participates in regular exercise classes. She also gives back to her community, serving as the coordinator of a volunteer program. To help residents who don’t have family members to take them shopping, Judith established a small grocery store with snack items and household products at Brightview.

Judith’s active lifestyle was nearly sidelined when she developed a staph infection in her replacement hip socket. Although her doctors were unable to pinpoint the cause of the infection, they quickly realized that she would need a second surgery. She also needed an aggressive course of antibiotic treatment to address the infection and prevent a re-occurrence.

Following her second hip replacement, Judith’s daughter-in-law, Deana, recommended that she move to FutureCare for short-term rehabilitation. “Deana is a Vice President at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, and she wanted me to have surgery there and then come to rehabilitation at FutureCare. She wanted me close by, and she wanted to know that I would be well taken care of,” Judith explained.

Judith moved to FutureCare for six weeks after her surgery. During her stay, she received intravenous antibiotics and intensive physical therapy. Judith participated in FutureCare’s comprehensive, short-stay rehabilitation program called VitalStrong. VitalStrong is designed to get patients home faster and stronger. The program provides state-of-the-art clinical and rehabilitation services and includes progressive technology and clinical oversight by a physiatrist.

VitalStrong encompasses a suite of programs targeted to address speci c conditions including HeartStrong for cardiac rehabilitation, BreatheStrong for pulmonary rehabilitation, WalkStrong for orthopedic rehabilitation and CAMPStrong for comprehensive amputee rehabilitation. Every FutureCare location employs a team of physical, occupational and speech therapists dedicated to helping patients reach their speci c rehabilitation goals.

“Ms. Stout participated in our WalkStrong program for orthopedic patients. Each patient gets a specialized exercise regimen and an individualized program designed to get them home faster,” explained Director of Rehabilitation at FutureCare Homewood Jessica Sobul.

From day one, Judith fully committed to FutureCare’s program, and she quickly realized results. “Ms. Stout is a modern-day wonder woman,” Jessica said. “She has the energy of a 40-year-old. When she came to us after her second surgery, she couldn’t even put weight on her hip, but she worked very hard. She never said no; she never gave up.”

Every morning for six weeks, Judith participated in two hours of physical therapy. Her regimen included learning how to safely navigate stairs and working with a model car to practice getting in and out of a vehicle independently. Much of the physical therapy program at FutureCare focuses on functional fitness, helping patients relearn how to perform daily activities without assistance.

At FutureCare, Judith was able to improve her abilities and her quality of life. She benefited from daily access to modern equipment and helpful in-house therapists.
“Everybody at FutureCare was very friendly. They were always willing to help me in any way they could. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the care I got,” she said.

Judith emphasized that traditional perceptions of nursing homes no longer apply. “My experience could not have been nicer,” she said. “Nursing homes have changed a lot from what we used to think of. The rehabilitation helped me so much.”

Judith was determined to make a full recovery and return to her full social calendar. And she did. She is once again working out regularly and coordinating a volunteer program at her retirement community.

"I am very social and active," Judith said. "My community has a lot of acitivities, and I get out and do things.  I'm very happy!"

The care the Judith received at FutureCare not only helped her get back on her feet, it has also helped her maintain her physical health.  "I still do the bed exercises they taught me here every morning.  I also do some band exercises and use some of the same equipment, " she said.  "By doing these exercises and walking.  I can keep my leg from getting stiff.  I have to keep moving."

For Judith, FutureCare provided the care and encouragement she needed to keep moving.  Now she is moving on from her hip replacement to a full and active life.

By: Christy Brudin

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