The Westchester House helps Curd recover from heart attack

Gordon Curd had a heart attack and a hip fracture, which sent him to the hospital.

Curd came to The Westchester House in Chesterfield, Missouri, for rehabilitation on Sept. 7, 2017. When he arrived, he was unable to put weight on his right leg while his hip healed, which meant he couldn't walk. He needed extensive assistance to balance while standing or sitting, as well as to sit up in bed. He also needed assistance with daily activities like getting dressed, bathing and grooming. His cognition was also affected.

"I came in needing help with everything and thought there was no hope," said Curd.

There was hope, however. Physical, occupational and speech therapists started working with Curd, and soon he was making progress toward independence. The physical therapy team helped him with mobility, starting with small gains in strength and balance and getting up to the point where Curd was able to use the Omnicycle^™ exercise machine and the Kinesis^® One weight training system. Eventually, he was even ready to practice walking up and down stairs.

Occupational therapists focused on restoring Curd's self-care abilities, and speech therapists helped him get his thinking skills back to normal.

"Gordon achieved the results using adaptive equipment, determination and motivation, practicing the techniques given by the therapists," said Tiffany Ellis, occupational therapist assistant.

"Now I can do anything necessary to help myself," said Curd. "I felt secure during my 40-day stay. The certified nursing assistants and nurses couldn't have been kinder to me. Overall, if you have to be in rehab, I highly recommend The Westchester House."

Curd returned to his home in Waterloo, Illinois, with home health on Oct. 27, able to walk with a walker, transfer from one surface to another with supervision and mostly take care of himself independently.