Jane: Setting New Goals

Jane lived independently in an apartment in a community north of Seattle and attended the local community college to pursue a degree in business. In her spare time, Jane enjoyed shopping, going to the library, and watching TV. Jane noticed that she was having difficulty breathing, so she went to a short-term acute care hospital for evaluation. Jane was in acute respiratory failure, and was intubated, placed on a ventilator, and admitted to the ICU. After almost a month in the short-term acute care hospital, Jane had been unable to wean from the ventilator.

Jane was transferred to Kindred Hospital Seattle - Northgate for ventilator weaning and continued care.

The Kindred interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, therapists and specialists developed an intense treatment plan tailored to Jane’s specific medical needs. Just 10 days after her admission to Kindred Hospital, respiratory therapy had weaned Jane from her ventilator. In another 10 days, her trach tube was removed. Concurrently to vent weaning, Jane had begun working with a physical therapist on bed mobility and sitting up.

By the time she was discharged, Jane could walk short distances with a walker, was able to get in and out of bed by herself, and could do most of her own grooming and dressing. No longer in need of high-intensity medical care, Jane discharged to a skilled nursing facility for continued rehabilitation services. Jane’s next goal is to return to her apartment independently and continue her education.

“I’m very lucky,” she said.