partners
TOGETHER
A Tale of Two Sisters
Barbara Blatt, PT, Preferred Therapy Solutions
The COVID-19 pandemic shattered
health care like nothing we have
ever seen before. It spread at an alarming
speed, leaving a devastating trail of
destruction in its wake. This virus cast
a wide net, but its greatest impact has
been on the post-acute care industry.
Our geriatric and frail skilled nursing
facility (SNF) residents are by far the
most vulnerable and at-risk population.
The challenges SNF providers and this
susceptible group face continue to be
formidable.
The Preferred Therapy Solutions
COVID-19 Recovery and Treatment
Program highlights the physiological
impact of COVID-19 on the body
systems of the elderly. Patients with
COVID-19 have demonstrated a host
of pulmonary, cardiac, neurological and
psychological issues such as intense
inflammatory responses, increased
tachycardia, coronary spasm and
cerebrovascular accident. Thousands
have succumbed to the virus and lost the
battle. Yet, as we embark on the journey
to recovery, there are positive results and
achievements as well. While the facts and
stories surrounding this virus have been
disheartening and inconceivable, there
are also an emerging number of success
This virus cast a wide net, but its greatest
impact has been on the post-acute care industry.
stories. Two sisters from Long Island, NY
have one such tale to tell.
Mary P., an 86-year-old SNF nursing
supervisor, and Patricia D., her
84-year-old sister, both contracted and
remarkably beat COVID-19. Just days
apart, Mary and Patricia developed
shortness of breath (SOB), cough and
weakness. They battled together (yet
apart) through thick and thin, as sisters
do, at the hospital and then in a SNF.
Against many odds, they recovered and
returned to the home they share.
Before the virus ravaged her body, Mary
was fully independent, working, driving
and cooking. She even went to the gym
several times a week! One evening, Mary
left work early due to a dry, hacking
cough and complaints of feeling winded,
The patient presentation is key to
understanding how the COVID-19
patient can react to even low-level
functional mobility.
chilled and zapped of all strength. She
reported that it was as if something
was taking over her body and holding
her hostage. Mary tested positive for
COVID-19 and was simultaneously
diagnosed with severe bilateral
pneumonia, acute respiratory distress
and rapid atrial fibrillation.
Mary spent more than two weeks in the
hospital with unresolved pneumonia,
difficulty breathing, extreme lethargy
and dizziness. She was on four liters of
continuous oxygen and was in a fragile
state. A combination of prednisone
and other medications facilitated the
improvement of her lung capacity. It was
amazing that she did not end up on a
ventilator. Mary was finally discharged
to the SNF where she worked and was
welcomed back with open arms, albeit as
a resident.
Patricia describes a similar series of
events and sentiments. Before her
hospitalization, she was very energetic,
loved to dance and go bowling and was
an active member of the community.
Prompted by the worsening of her
symptoms, Patricia went to the
emergency room and tested positive for
(See A Tale of Two Sisters on page 25)
24 Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Summer 2020