Recovering with Short-Term Therapy: Patient Success Stories 2024 (7th edition)
Life Care Center of Elkhorn

Recovering with Short-Term Therapy: Patient Success Stories 2024 (7th edition)


Seeing our short-term therapy patients meet their recovery goals never gets old!

And we love to highlight these individuals as much as possible to celebrate our patients and inspire anyone who may be considering inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation for themselves or a loved one.

If you are wondering if short-term therapy would benefit you and your family, take a look at the following success stories!

Cyril at Life Care Center of Seneca

When Cyril first arrived at Life Care, he needed a lift for transfers and was unable to walk. He also required assistance with self-care and used a back and neck brace. On top of the physical challenges he faced, Cyril was also managing symptoms from a stroke he'd experienced a couple of years prior.

After admission, Cyril began physical and occupational therapy programs that required sessions five days a week. The sessions focused on increasing his strength, balance, and endurance. Cyril also participated in speech therapy four days a week. Cyril was always willing to work hard during his therapy sessions, and he met many impressive goals. Despite the challenges he faced, Cyril remained positive, motivated, and grateful, and even treated the staff with candy bars!

The staff was so proud of Cyril and excited that he's finally returning home with his wife.

Life Care Center of Seneca

Amy at The Oaks

Amy came to the Oaks following a revision of a total right hip replacement.

Upon arrival, Amy was dependent with all lower body functional tasks and required total assistance with bed mobility. But she was fearful and refused to receive assistance with these tasks.

Because of Amy’s anxiety, the therapists's first goal was help her build her confidence and  and her trust in them. It wasn’t long before Amy overcame her fear and became determined to get better.

After six weeks of therapy and a thorough home evaluation, Amy progressed from a fearful patient in need of maximal assistance and encouragement to a confident woman who has reclaimed her independence. She returned home to her dog, Lizzy, needing only supervisory care.

The Oaks is proud of Amy's hard work, determination, and bravery. She will be greatly missed.

"I did it! Now let’s take a group picture with all my friends."

–– Amy

The Oaks

Joyce at Heritage Healthcare

Before coming to Heritage, Joyce experienced a stroke that resulted in cognitive impairment, specifically an inability to understand spoken words or form speech.

She could not say simple words or phrases, and she could not writer her name, which was a great source of frustration for her.

After her assessment, Joyce began speech therapy program. She used a picture communication book to help her communicate with staff and other residents. Her therapists employed evidence-based speech therapy techniques, such as melodic intonation, semantic feature analysis, script training, and copy and recall treatment. These modalities addressed her difficulty with word retrieval so that she could write her name and express her needs.

After just a few months, Joyce can once again say and write her own name! She has expanded her vocabulary to a variety of different word categories, such as food and drinks, body parts, and important items. Her communication with the staff has improced, and she is smiling much more than before.

The therapy team at Heritage Healthcare is proud of Joyce's continued progress and will continue to work with her to further improve her speech and language skills.

Heritage Healthcare

Life Care Center of Elkhorn

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Life Care Center of Elkhorn


(402) 289-2572

20275 Hopper St., Elkhorn, NE 68022

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