Leaving Like a Celebrity

Imagine for a moment; you’ve been away from home for a while now…working on your rehabilitation goals, maintaining your patience and determination, your strength growing. You’ve been looking forward to this moment since you arrived. You open the door, head outside and, much to your surprise, are greeted with a sleek red velvet carpet that begins at your feet and extends to the open door of a gleamingly white limousine.  A smiling man dressed in formal attire opens the door and asks if he may place your bags in the trunk. Sounds like quite the celebrity treatment, right? This is the scene for newly discharged patients at Consulate Health Care’s Magnolia Health and Rehabilitation Center in Sarasota, FL thanks to their “Leaving in a Limo” program. In August 2015, Magnolia Health and Rehabilitation Center partnered with Point North Limousine to take their patients home in a way that made them feel special and rewarded for meeting their rehabilitation goals. “Many of our patients have never been in a limo in their lives,” said Executive Director of Magnolia Louise Merrick, “So we are delighted to provide this premium service and special treat at no charge to them.” The idea for the transitional program came from a previous facility Louise worked at where she was able to witness the program’s success and patient impact first hand. When she started at Magnolia, she spearheaded the program to support each patient’s transition out of the care center in a memorable way. Magnolia uses programs like “Leaving in a Limo” as added motivation for patients to reach their rehabilitation goals, but that’s not the only untraditional incentive they offer. In addition to “Leaving in a Limo,” Magnolia offers “Going Home Gourmet, a program that allows patients to invite two family members to the care center for a meal of their choice – steak, lobster, you name it! These patients can also opt for “Family First Home Care,” a program that provides a helper for everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping and cleaning, which can prove difficult for those who are ready to return home but not yet capable of performing their day-to-day routine. Louise says Magnolia’s goals are always the same: provide compassionate care that will enrich and enhance the patient’s experience at the care center and get them home happy and healthy. “I really feel like this is a useful and worthwhile thing to do for our patients.” The grins on the faces of our patients when they see their limo, receive a helping hand they did not expect, or take their first bite of a favorite meal is what makes each program so worthwhile. Working within our community to make these special moments come to life doesn’t just happen though, that’s why we want to thank Point North Limousine, Family First Home Care and all the staff that help make these programs possible. When you work together with a group of passionate and compassionate people who share a similar goal, doing good for others, it’s amazing to see what happens!