“You are officially off of therapy. Congratulations.”
Those words are always great for guests at St. John’s Rehabilitation Center to hear. For Wilhelmina Henderson it was even more gratifying to hear Morgan Dunn, a physical therapist assistant with whom she had worked with throughout her stay, confirm that her rehab had been completed ahead of schedule.
There are many different scenarios that can result in guests coming to St. John’s for short-term rehabilitation. For Wilhelmina—or “Willie” to her friends—her early October 2024 stint was a planned one. After two previous knee operations Wilhelmina knew she would require therapy and nursing support for a scheduled hip replacement surgery.
The day after surgery Wilhelmina and her family were given their choice of a few skilled nursing homes in the area where she could continue her recovery. Her daughter Tanya, employee health manager at St. John’s, knew Wilhelmina would do well in the supportive environment that St. John’s Rehabilitation has provided for over 50 years. When Wilhelmina’s expected timeline actualized and she was ready to leave the hospital 60 hours after surgery, she was discharged directly to St. John’s Rehabilitation.
Wilhelmina values the independence she enjoys at home and was determined to complete her recovery as quickly as possible. “I tried not to depend on a lot of the aides (certified nursing assistants) and do things myself,” says Wilhelmina, knowing she would need to be able to complete these tasks successfully once back at her home in Rochester’s 19th Ward. “If I needed help, I would ask. But I would say ‘let me try it first.’”
Wilhelmina found the physical therapy schedule she followed at St. John’s Rehabilitation challenging; although she approached each exercise as an opportunity to inch closer to her return home. She also benefited from the expertise of the occupational therapy team at St. John’s to help ensure that she would be able to perform daily activities like cooking and laundry comfortably and safely upon her eventual return home.
During her final physical therapy session Wilhelmina demonstrated just how far she had come during her short stay at St. John’s. She moved about the Reservoir 5 neighborhood under the careful eye of Dunn and went up and down the stair climb in the small rehab gym several times independently. Wilhelmina then travelled downstairs to the large therapy gym, where she practiced getting in and out of the car. “I can still drive,” explains Wilhelmina, “so it is important that I can continue to do that independently.” Dunn also guided Wilhelmina across a couple of different walking surfaces—ones she may encounter while outdoors. She carefully made it across each surface with confidence.
Wilhelmina was discharged back home on October 16–a couple of days earlier than initially expected. She credits the hard work she put in to meet and exceed therapy goals as well as utilizing staff resources for “a little help” along the way.
“It was a good experience,” says Wilhelmina. “I think all of the staff here were phenomenal.”