Lewandowski improves balance at The Westchester House

Bernard Lewandowski experienced repeated falls at home and came to The Westchester House in Chesterfield, Missouri, for help with his balance and activities of daily living.

Arriving on Jan. 5, 2018, Lewandowski did physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions five times a week.

Speech therapy addressed his cognitive skills and his progressive supranuclear opthalmoplegia, a progressive brain disease. They were able to help improve his cognition.

Physical therapists focused on improving Lewandowski's balance, strength and endurance. When he arrived, he needed assistance to transfer from one surface to another and to balance while standing or sitting, and PT helped him regain independence in those areas. They used several exercise machines, including the Omnicycle^™ and Nustep^® cardio machines and the Kinesis weight machine.

Occupational therapists did their own training with Lewandowski. They worked on helping him recover his self-care abilities, such as grooming, getting dressed and preparing meals. He was also able to regain his independence in these areas.

"Therapy helped me have a positive attitude about what I need to do," said Lewandowski. "It has taught me that safety is the most important. The staff were nice and attentive – nursing and therapy were helpful and therapeutic."

On Jan. 24, Lewandowski returned home.