The Westchester House helps Catlin recover from broken leg

A fall resulted in a broken femur for Norma Catlin, who then had to have surgery.

Catlin came to The Westchester House in Chesterfield, Missouri, for rehabilitation on Aug. 3, 2017. When she arrived, she needed extensive assistance to get dressed and moderate assistance to get in and out of bed, balance and bathe. She needed minimal assistance with walking and daily grooming tasks, and her cognition was slightly altered.

Each therapy discipline worked with Catlin to help her recover and get home. While speech therapists helped her get her thinking skills back to normal, occupational therapists worked with her on the functional skills she would need at home, and physical therapists focused on helping her with mobility, balance and strength. They used a variety of exercises, including some that Catlin could do seated and others she performed standing.

"Therapy helped me see that I will walk again, and doing the work with a sense of humor really helped the road to recovery," said Catlin.

"Norma approached therapy every day with a positive attitude, worked hard despite her pain and had determination to get back home," said Catherine Schneider, physical therapist assistant.

Catlin did indeed return home on Sept. 1, able to walk with a walker and independent in most of her activities of daily living. She only needed supervision with bathing.