Where to Get Well

Following a surgery or illness, patients often hear, “Get Well Soon.” While the expression is meant to be encouraging, the reality is that many people need extra help to achieve their maximum potential.

Seniors, in particular, often find that a hospital discharge is a mixed blessing. Being well enough to leave the hospital may be cause for celebration, but older adults often need more time and assistance to fully recover than hospitals can provide. These patients need to know where to really get well—and soon.

That is where short-term rehabilitation facilities come in. Short-term rehabilitation programs can help patients get back home and back to the lifestyle they were living.

Integrace is one of the local leaders in the shortterm rehabilitation field. A forward-thinking, non-profit organization, Integrace strives to ignite in all people the passion for meaningful living. The organization oversees retirement communities throughout Maryland, including Bayleigh Chase in Easton; Buckingham’s Choice in Adamstown; Fairhaven in Sykesville; and Copper Ridge in Sykesville, which provides support for residents with all stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Integrace communities provide a continuum of services to support both residents and the greater community, including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and shortterm rehabilitation. Both Bayleigh Chase and Copper Ridge also offer an innovative neurocognitive-focused rehabilitation program.

Whether they come to Integrace’s short-term rehabilitation program from the greater community or their on-campus residence, guests find the world-class support they need to get better. Each guest benefits from personalized recovery goals and unparalleled Physical, Occupational, and Speech

Language Pathology services. Rehabilitation guests can also take advantage of the vast array of amenities available at Integrace communities—everything from salon services and bistro dining to a wide range of engaging activities.

A Sudden Illness
Anne DeMarco woke up before dawn to head to her job as a payroll assistant for a construction company. She immediately noticed some numbness and tingling in her lower extremities. While at work, the tingling continued to worsen and her arms started to feel numb as well. At the urging of her co-workers, Anne returned home. Later, her husband, Jerry, rushed her to the hospital.

After five days of tests in the hospital, Anne’s doctors still did not have a definitive diagnosis for her sudden illness. However, as she was no longer able to walk unassisted, they recommended that she be released to a rehabilitation facility. When the hospital social worker mentioned Fairhaven as one of the options, Anne immediately knew that is where she wanted to go.

“I knew how nice Fairhaven was,” Anne recalled. “We had been there to visit friends, and I knew it had to be the best.” From her first moments at the community, Anne realized how right she had been. “There was immediately this welcoming feeling; it is a warm environment, with everyone smiling.”

Anne started a twice-daily rehabilitation routine, which continued for three weeks. “They helped me to be mindful of where I was putting my feet and to regain my confidence in walking,” she said. “We also did lots of occupational therapy, working on everyday tasks like washing dishes.”

With the help of her therapists, Anne was able to walk again and has recently resumed driving. While she never received a diagnosis, the staff at Fairhaven helped her to cope with her condition and to regain her independence.

“Everyone at Fairhaven is so caring. They took their time with me and were always willing to chat,” Anne said. “Actually, when I went home, I really missed the people a lot. It was such a special experience.”

Two New Knees
A former military spouse, Barbara Bodie moved twentysix times in twenty-one years. She also raised four children and had a successful career in the intelligence field. After marrying her second husband, Jeffrey, who also worked in intelligence and retired as a Commander after a successful naval career, Barbara settled in Maryland.

While Barbara continued to travel extensively and enjoy an active life, her chronic knee pain was steadily getting worse. “I knew I was going to have to get both knees replaced,” she said. “We were in a three-story house and that just wasn’t going to work, so we started looking around at retirement communities.”

The Bodies looked at ten different places before selecting Integrace Buckingham’s Choice. Knowing that she would need two major surgeries in the near future, Barbara focused on the on-campus rehabilitation program, which would allow her to get the support she needed and still be near her husband. The couple moved into a cottage at Buckingham’s Choice a little over two years ago.

“After my first surgery, they brought me to the rehabilitation center by ambulance, and I was immediately welcomed by all the staff,” Barbara said. “The greeting was so nice that the ambulance driver thought I was somebody special, but I told him this is just that kind of place.”

Barbara remained in the rehab center for two weeks and received daily physical therapy. Just six months after her first surgery, she returned to have her second knee replaced and followed the same recovery regimen.

“I am doing incredibly well, and most of it is due to the rehab that I received here,” Barbara explained. “I had several sessions each day, and I also used a Controlled Resistance Movement machine for six hours a day.”

The intensive rehabilitation program has not been easy, Barbara admits, but it has certainly been worth it. She is now able to do all the activities she loves without worrying about her knee pain.

Not surprisingly, Barbara has become an integral part of the community at Buckingham’s Choice. She serves as a Cluster Chair, representing her neighbors, and is also one of the community’s Resident Ambassadors. “I love it here. I have lots of friends. I’m very active, and I know everybody,” she said.

With two new knees and a new home in a vibrant community, Barbara has a new lease on life and is not wasting a moment.

A Life Without Pain
A native of Caroline County, Carter Jump spent much of her adult life in California before returning to Maryland.  While she had several careers, she retired as a parole and probation agent for the state of Maryland.

Carter had suffered with knee pain for years. Finally, she realized that the only way to get relief was a total joint replacement. Since she did not want to be home alone during her recovery, Carter planned to move to a rehabilitation center following the procedure.

“Bayleigh Chase was recommended to me by a friend, and it was the best recommendation I could have received,” Carter said.

Three days after her knee replacement, Carter moved into Integrace Bayleigh Chase, and she lived there for almost three weeks. During her stay, she received physical therapy daily. “The physical therapy was excellent. I had a therapist who really knew what she was doing, and she paid a great deal of attention to what I was doing and how I was progressing,” Carter recalled.

After returning to her home, Carter was able to continue her physical therapy on an outpatient basis. “I think I have recovered so well because of the care I got at Bayleigh Chase,” she said. “The physical therapists are great, and they seem to have an inexhaustible amount of patience while working with residents.”

Get Well Here
Recovery is a journey, and the road to recovery is rarely without bumps. However, finding the right place to get well makes all the difference. At Integrace communities, residents and guests alike find the expert assistance and personalized support they need to reach their potential and to get well—and get home—sooner.

By Christy Brudin

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