August 2020 | Page 24

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