Life Care of East Ridge helps brain bleed patient make remarkable recovery

It’s been a long medical journey for Danny Williams.

It started in September 2020 when a craniotomy developed a subdural hematoma, or bleeding inside the skull. Danny then developed an infection and went into respiratory failure, requiring a ventilator, tracheostomy and feeding tube placement.

After Danny was weaned off the ventilator, he still needed extensive rehabilitation before he could go home to his wife, so on Jan. 21, 2021, he came to Life Care Center of East Ridge, Tennessee.

Danny started off needing total assistance for many everyday skills: bathing, getting in and out of bed, standing, walking and even using a wheelchair. He still needed extensive assistance for sitting, grooming, getting dressed and feeding himself. He was experiencing confusion and had a difficult time speaking and swallowing.

All three therapy disciplines worked with Danny to get him home. Physical therapy worked with him on lower-body strength and walking, helping him progress from parallel bars to a rolling walker to stairs. PT and occupational therapists worked with Danny on balance, and OT taught him how to use adaptive equipment and compensatory strategies for dressing and bathing. OT also helped him with fine motor coordination and strengthening his hands for self-care.

Speech therapy worked with Danny on cognition and swallowing. He was able to get off the feeding tube and eat and drink a normal diet again.

“When I arrived, I had very little physical function,” said Danny. “The staff helped me walk again, learn how to dress myself, transfer from a wheelchair to a variety of surfaces, be independent and get my life back. The food is outstanding.”

Danny is now independent in his bed mobility, sitting balance, hygiene, cognition, self-feeding, communication and swallowing. He is at a supervision level for walking, transfers, standing, bathing and dressing.

Best of all, he was finally ready to make a safe transition home with his wife!