Zanetta's story
Zanetta Singleton, 95, was living alone and still working two days a week as a funeral director when she took a fall. She was found unconscious on her kitchen floor, bleeding from the right side of her head.
Zanetta – who goes by Ms. Z – was rushed by ambulance to St. Louis University Hospital, where she underwent a CT scan and numerous blood tests. The results showed that Ms. Z was in acute kidney failure and, as a result of her fall, was suffering from a subdural hematoma. This buildup of blood in between the protective layers of the brain is a serious condition that can cause confusion in addition to problems with balance, walking, speech and vision.
Ms. Z spent three days in the hospital. When she stabilized, her granddaughter, Stephanie, pushed for inpatient rehabilitation. Concerned that her grandmother would end up returning home with unsurmountable obstacles, Stephanie chose SSM Health Rehabilitation Hospital – Richmond Heights for the next phase of recovery.
Upon admission to Richmond Heights, Ms. Z was evaluated by her physician-led care team, which included nurses as well as physical, occupational and speech therapists. As a result of her head injury, she was struggling with cognitive, balance and swallowing challenges. Her memory was also impaired, affecting her ability to understand her limitations. Additionally, several days laying in a hospital bed had left Ms. Z with reduced strength and endurance.
Ms. Z was motivated to recover quickly. Her goals were to “to go home and to get back to work.” She was also anxious to reconnect with her best friend Edith. Throughout her recovery journey, Ms. Z could always count on a visit or call from Edith daily.
In physical therapy, Ms. Z and her therapists worked to improve her balance, strength and endurance. She moved from using a wheelchair to standing and taking steps using the parallel bars, progressing to walking short distances by means of a walker. She also practiced going up and down stairs safely. Ms. Z’s therapists noted that she took it upon herself to learn the name of every person in the gym, encouraging her fellow patients and thanking her therapists by name.
Occupational therapists provided Ms. Z with assistance, support and feedback on how to safely shower, get dressed, use the bathroom and move around in the kitchen – all key tasks in order for her to return home. The hospital’s activities of daily living suite provided a home-like setting for her to practice navigating these personal care responsibilities while using a walker.
Ms. Z and her speech therapists worked to ensure she was able to swallow safely, as she arrived at the hospital on a pureed diet. Therapists guided her in swallowing exercises to strengthen her muscles so that she could progress to a diet of solid foods.
Her fall and subsequent subdural hematoma had affected her memory and ability to problem solve. “My memory is not what it was,” Ms. Z said. “I haven’t been to school in years!” Ms. Z also worked with her therapists on activities and games designed to improve her memory and problem solving.
Ms. Z said that she knew she was turning the corner when she was able to start walking to the bathroom with her walker during occupational therapy sessions and began picking out her own clothes while standing at the closet.
After 11 days at SSM Health Rehabilitation Hospital – Richmond Heights, Ms. Z made remarkable progress. Not only was she upgraded to a regular diet with no restrictions, she was able to walk independently using a rolling walker and could complete all of her personal care activities without assistance.
She met her goal of being able to return home, where she planned to have family and friends stop by to visit and help as needed. Ms. Z was planning to continue her recovery at the SSM Health Day Institute and was looking forward to returning to her part-time job at the funeral home.
“Excellent!” is how Ms. Z describes her experience in inpatient rehabilitation. When asked if she learned anything new about herself during the process, she stated, “You’re never too old to learn new things – at least I’m not!”