Mr. Pearson’s story: The importance of personalized care and motivation

At Consulate Health Care, we recognize that team work, clinical collaboration, and multifaceted care are vital to successfully accomplish our mission of “providing service with our hearts and hands.” Our skilled staff works tirelessly to ensure our residents’ needs are being met. With the understanding that each individual has different needs, our team works collaboratively to build a care plan that best attends those.

The team at Consulate Health Care of Safety Harbor had the pleasure of having an extraordinary patient in their care during the last months of 2020. Kenneth Pearson was hospitalized before entering the center due to a fall from his bed at home, one of many falls he had sustained. Due to poor kidney function and overall worsening condition, he had been receiving hospice care services for a while. He had become less mobile, functionally bed-bound, and had lost hope of being able to do things independently again. After his admission to Safety Harbor, the therapy department was presented with the challenge of reversing his relative immobility condition.

Upon arrival at the center, Mr. Pearson had already accepted he would never walk again and was very depressed with the situation. However, the nursing and therapy team were committed to helping him. He had heard from many people that he would never get out of bed again, and that was his fear, having his world limited to that.

A collaborative effort between the different teams at the center was needed. Aggressive exercises, E-stim modalities, joint mobilization, and good old-fashioned team effort were required to assist him in being able to stand once again. With progress by Occupational Therapy, he began using a bedside commode and dressing himself, regaining his dignity in the process. Physical Therapy  was able to help him achieve his first steps in the parallel bars, with the staff physically lifting his leg during the initial sessions.

As the weeks went by, Ken, as the staff at the center used to call him, was finally able to let his personality come out, signing, making jokes, and telling everyone his favorite stories. With a unique voice that could be heard from anywhere in the building, he became a completely different person, a happier one. When he realized what he was able to do and that his world was not only the bed, he was able to live again and start making plans for the future, such as finally going to the YMCA pool.

Mr. Pearson started performing transfers independently, walking up to 75 feet with a walker and even ascending three steps at the time of discharge. The steps were especially meaningful to his wife, who accompanied him every step of the way, being able to cheer his every accomplishment. Although his journey was not easy, his motivation was the key factor in accomplishing what he did. “You guys helped me to light that fire that I knew was still inside me,” Pearson told the staff.

A few months after starting his journey at the center and after all his progress, Mr. Pearson was discharged and moved into an Assisted Living Facility (ALF). “It was a very joist day when he was discharged. I got emotional when he came to us and expressed how grateful he was for all our help and commitment,” said Jesse, one of the staff members that helped with his recovery.

Mr. Pearson’s wife said he is doing well at the new facility and is grateful for all the staff’s hard work and commitment to helping him. He was even able to enter and exit the pool at the ALF he is in. Mr. Pearson’s success is a true reflection of our staff’s creative, determined, and collaborative nature. We are thrilled to be able to tell stories like this one, thanks to our compassionate team.