Life Care Center of Jacksonville helps Janet Gavin recover from COVID-19

Janet Gavin is a 75-year-old long-term care resident of Life Care Center of Jacksonville, Florida, who tested positive for COVID-19.

Prior to COVID-19, Janet walked with a rolling walker 350 feet with supervision. She needed standby assistance with transfers and bed mobility. She was independent with wheelchair propulsion around the facility and to any activity of her choice. Her level of assistance for self-care tasks such as dressing was supervision.

Janet had a severe decline in her functional mobility and self-care after acquiring COVID-19. She was very weak and had difficulty getting out of bed. She needed maximum assistance with personal hygiene and dressing and moderate assistance with transfers. As far as ambulation, she could only take four steps, and that wiped her energy.

Physical and occupational therapists did not give up on her. They worked with her almost every day for three weeks to get her strength and energy up. Physical therapy worked on her walking and transfers, and occupational therapy worked on her upper-extremity strength and self-care in order to achieve her prior level of function.

Slowly but surely, with the help of the nursing staff, Janet’s condition started to improve. Janet is back on her feet walking with her rolling walker around the unit with supervision. She is now able to perform her dressing with standby assistance.

She expressed that she truly enjoyed her therapy.

“The people treated me like a human being,” Janet said. “They are wonderful people.”