Reprinted from The Daily News
by Rebecca Berdar
Daily News Staff Writer
February, 2010

County's short-term rehabilitation centers offer peace of mind with recovery

Harold and Peggy Hiling of Smithfield Township were among area residents who didn't know about the short-term rehabilitation programs available in Huntingdon County until early last year when Harold was making preparations for double knee surgery.

He chose the rehab program at Westminster Woods, Huntingdon, and like other residents discovering local services, is thankful for the opportunity to recover close to home.

"He liked it so much that there was no question as to where I should go," said Peggy, who suffered a broken ankle and and leg not long after Harold completed his roughly one month stay. Her injuries, sustained in a fall on cement bleachers, required multiple surgeries and a 16-week stint in rehab.

Peggy says her experience in the short-term program was positive thanks to two key factors - excellent care and proximity to her home in Smithfield.

"Westminster is the next best thing to being at home," she said, noting that her husband was able to visit twice a day, and that she enjoyed a steady stream of other family members and friends - support an out-of-county stay would have deterred.

Lisa Cirignano, director of marketing and admissions for skilled nursing and rehab at Westminster Woods, says she's concerned that Huntingdon County residents aren't aware of the short-term options available to them close to home at places like Huntingdon Nursing and Rehabilitation Center adjacent to J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital  and Woodland Retirement Center, Westminster's sister facility in Orbisonia.

Cirignano said she's learned first-hand from area residents that, when in need of short-term care, they are being directed to facilities in neighboring counties.

That's not surprising, she said, since most of the surgeries which require intensive rehabilitation are being performed in Altoona, State College and other out-of-county locations. So naturally those hospitals are making referrals to rehab centers within their immediate vicinity.

"People have the surgery, but they're not given the opportunity to come home for rehab," Cirignano said. "And that's not necessarily what's best for the patient."

Her advice: "Be an advocate for yourself and for your family."

'Patient's choice'

"Choice" is something Keller and officials at Westminster Woods and Woodland Retirement Center can't stress enough, having heard too often about cases in which local residents spent long and difficult months away from home for services available close to home.

"It's important for families to know they have this choice," said Leslie Barrier, director of marketing and admissions for Woodland Retirement Center. The 125-bed facility offers physical, occupational and speech therapy, just like its out-of-county counterparts. Woodland, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in May, has been offering rehab services since its inception.

A short-term rehab stay at one of the facilities in Huntingdon County means a patient's support network remains strong, as noted by Peggy Hiling and Jerry Justice. Remaining close to home means it's simply easier for family, friends, church contacts, and everyone else a patient is counting on, to deliver much-needed support if that patient is staying in the area.

Barrier said when residents find out too late that a short-term stay didn't need to be long-distance, their reaction is one of frustration.

"Maybe they didn't get to visit as often as they would have liked because of the distance, and they think about the money they could have saved on travel," she said.

Barrier Said Woodland staff shares the frustration.

"This is a problem we've been running into more and more often," she said. "We don't know that a person needs short-term rehab unless we get the referral or happen to hear about it out in the community."

Harold and Peggy Hiling learned about Westminster's program through a family connection. The couple's daughter, Amy Johns, Westminster Woods' human resources manager, suggested her father schedule his rehab stay at the facility.

"He got out, then I went in," said Peggy, who lauded the efforts of all employees, from administrators to maintenance workers, for creating a cheerful atmosphere that softened her and her husband's time away from home. A nurse by trade herself, she says she was wholly impressed by the nurses and therapists who aided in her recovery.

"The therapy department was just wonderful. They clapped when I made improvements, and they cheered. It was just like a social event when you went to therapy. Even though it did hurt sometimes, it was fun. They got me up and walking again."

Just as the staff applauded her gradual recovery, Peggy is now cheering them on by spreading the word about the short-term program. She credits Cirignano for helping arrange her unplanned stay and executive director Debbie Barefoot for helming a competent and caring facility.

"It seems like everyone there helps each other out. All are very caring," she said.

'Getting the word out'

Cirignano said public perception about the range of services available at nursing homes may account for residents' lack of knowledge on short-term options. She explained that places like Westminster Woods aren't on many peoples' radar when it comes to short-term rehab because of the public's limited view of nursing homes as permanent-stay facilities.

She says nursing homes are breaking from long-held traditions by offering in-patient rehab on short-term basis for adult patients of all ages.

Although many local families are finding out too late that inpatient rehab services exist in Huntingdon County, awareness of short-term options is on the rise. Cirignano reports that in 2009, 134 of Westminster Woods' 154 admissons were for short-term rehab. Barrier said roughly 20 beds at Woodland are for short-term rehab patients. Keller said on average 16-22 of HNRC's 93 rehab beds at any given time are occupied by short-term residents.

"Our outcomes are just as successful as acute rehab, especially with senior citizens because they're with peers their own age and they are at home in Huntingdon County," Cirignano said. "If we can't give someone the care they need, we'll be up front and tell them," she said.

These rehab services aren't offered exclusively to seniors. Keller, Cirignano and Barrier say all adults, 18 and older, are welcome, and that services have been provided in response to a variety of scenarios that require inpatient therapy - from elective surgeries to vehicle crashes to logging accidents.

Cirignano continued that short-term rehab centers in Huntingdon County have their own support network to help transition patients back into their own homes.

"We have great agencies, such as the Area Agency on Aging and Home Nursing, who work together to help people succeed in regaining independence and quality of living," she said.

For more information on these programs, contact Lisa Cirignano (Westminster Woods) at 644-257; Tricia Ormsby-Keller (Huntingdon Nursing and Rehabilitation Center) at 643-4210 or Leslie Barrier (Woodland Retirement Center) at 447-0364.