Life Care Center of the North Shore helps respiratory patient get home

Dwight Barrows had a very lengthy hospital stay for respiratory failure, a torn trachea and atrial fibrillation.

During his time in the hospital, Barrows also developed sepsis, a blood infection. When he came to Life Care Center of the North Shore in Lynn, Massachusetts, on July 21, 2017, he was very weak. He was on high-flow oxygen and a feeding tube. He could only walk 20 feet with two people assisting him and had difficulty balancing while standing. He also needed extensive assistance to get dressed and total assistance to take care of his daily hygiene.

Dr. Maher Tabba, a consulting pulmonologist, worked with Barrows and the facility respiratory therapist to help him breathe better.

Barrows did physical therapy, which focused on restoring his lower-body strength, balance and mobility, and occupational therapy, which centered on preparing him for the tasks he would need to be able to do at home, such as getting dressed, bathing and grooming. Occupational therapists taught him to use adaptive equipment, such as a reacher and sock aide to increase his independence.

"He really came a long way!" said Aaron Pervier, director of rehab. "There was a big improvement from when he came in."

Barrows returned home independent on Oct. 17. He was off the feeding tube and the high-flow oxygen. He was able to take care of himself and walk more than 400 feet with a cane.