Roxanne Robinson recovers from fracture, COVID-19 at Life Care of Elkhorn

On March 19, 2020, long-term resident Roxanne Robinson started rehabilitation at Life Care Center of Elkhorn, Nebraska, after breaking her femur in a fall.

When she started therapy, she was unable to walk, move around in bed, bathe herself or even wheel herself in a wheelchair. She needed extensive assistance to get in and out of bed, feed herself, get dressed and take care of daily grooming tasks. She also had a decrease in cognition and difficulty with finding words.

Unfortunately, Roxanne contracted COVID-19, which set her back on her strength and communication skills. She survived, but the disease left her weak. Therapists worked with her to not only recover from the leg fracture but also from the weakness left by the coronavirus experience.

Therapists worked with Roxanne on activity tolerance, standing tolerance, upper- and lower-body strength, hand strength and fine motor skills for increased independence with self-feeding and walking distance and tolerance.

“I like everything in therapy, and it makes me stronger,” Roxanne said. “Sometimes it is hard, but that is OK.”

Roxanne is now at a supervision level for walking, transfers and self-feeding, and she balances well. She needs minimal assistance with bed mobility, grooming and dressing, and her cognition and language have improved as well.