Success Stories

Did you know we see pediatric patients for Outpatient Therapy at Ivy Hall? We see patients of ALL ages for Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy through our Outpatient Services.  

Riley White was born with a congenital deficit that has resulted in multiple surgeries throughout her life. The surgeries have left her with pain and weakness in her leg. When her doctor recommended Physical Therapy to strengthen her leg, her family called Ivy Hall. 

Riley comes in for Therapy twice a week. She keeps her Physical Therapist very active with her energy and desire to keep moving throughout her entire session. During her time here she not only gets stronger, but she also brightens everyone’s day with her cheerful smile and laughter. Riley’s energy and interaction with our inpatient residents lifts everyone’s spirits. Riley loves to show off her new skills of balance and strength which helps to motivate our patients working alongside her. 

We are enjoying watching Riley get stronger and love being a part of her successful journey in healing!

Ed Sparks and his family decided to start looking for a skilled nursing facility that could meet Ed’s needs after a long battle with illness and weakness that resulted in hospital and short-term rehab stays. He came to Ivy Hall after experiencing significant weakness and becoming wheelchair bound and unable to care for himself at home. After a short time with our Nursing, Dietary, and Therapy staff, Ed experienced an amazing turn around in his strength and health!   

Immediately upon admission, our Rehab Director and Resident Liaison worked with his insurance to obtain a Therapy contract that would meet his needs. He started an intense program with Physical and Occupational Therapy. For the first time in a long time, Ed is transferring from his bed to wheelchair, walking short distances, and completing self-care activities with minimal assistance.  

His wife reported that Ivy Hall has been such a blessing for Ed. When she was faced with the decision of placing him in a facility, the admissions director was the sweetest person she had ever worked with and helped her feel secure and confident in her decision. She is incredibly pleased with his progress in Physical and Occupational Therapy. And she noted that on every visit the facility is spotless, and the food is just as good as any restaurant.  

We are so happy to have Ed join our Ivy Hall family and feel blessed to be able to take care of his needs!

We are proud to introduce our Student Clinician, Aubrey Johnson.  

Aubrey is a student at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC and is completing her final field work rotation to complete her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.  While Aubrey is learning hands on clinical skills from our very seasoned Therapists, she has been contributing evidenced based practices from her recent studies to our facility. She is pictured with an activity board she created for our residents. The board can be used in a seated or standing position to allow patients to work on sequencing, matching, thought organization, and fine motor skills while establishing standing and sitting balance.  

Aubrey intends to use her degree to serve the adult and geriatric population. She loves the family atmosphere Ivy Hall has to offer and the opportunity to connect with residents. She hopes to find a career that allows her to grow and learn the same way she has at Ivy Hall!

Dorothy McLain is a long-term resident of Ivy Hall. Just shy of her 100th birthday, Dorothy experienced a medical issue that required hospitalization and extensive rehabilitation.  

Upon returning from the hospital, Dorothy completed 60 days of therapy to regain her strength for walking independently and completing her normal activities of daily living. Dorothy worked hard with the Physical and Occupational Therapists to achieve her goals of independence.  

Following Skilled Therapy, Dorothy entered our Restorative Nursing Program to maintain her strength and endurance for full independence. Dorothy recently celebrated her 100th birthday and is walking laps around the building keeping our Restorative Nurse Aid very busy!  

We are so proud of Dorothy for her level of participation, endurance, strength, and overall success! We wish you many more birthdays and continued progress toward your goals!

Linda Brewer came to Ivy Hall following a hospitalization that left her unable to return home independently. She was excited to come to Ivy Hall because she had the opportunity to room with one of her friends from the community. Having a friend at Ivy Hall helped Linda jump right into facility activities and therapy. 

She attended Occupational and Physical Therapy to regain her strength for walking long distances and taking care of her daily activities independently. In a very short while, She was able to walk to the Therapy Gym and back to her room without any difficulty. Since receiving Skilled Therapy, Linda has been spotted making her own bed, taking herself to activities and chatting on her cell phone.  

Linda is now ready to return home independently. She will be greatly missed by her Ivy Hall family and her roommate. We wish Linda the best of luck with her return home!

Kathy and Bobby Garst chose Ivy Hall as a long-term placement solution for Bobby in November 2021. Kathy has always visited daily and is a familiar friendly face in our facility. Recently, she required a knee replacement that left her unable to return home independently. We were so happy to have her come stay with us for Inpatient Rehabilitation until she was able to get back on her feet.  

Kathy jumped right into Physical and Occupational Therapy side by side with her husband. While he focused on goals for improving posture and independence, Kathy worked to regain strength and mobility to help her stand and walk independently. She also worked on compensating for her knee with the use of trained techniques and adaptive equipment to maintain independence while waiting for her knee to fully recover.  

Kathy enjoyed her time at Ivy Hall. She was able to relax between therapy sessions to allow for a full recovery and she was able to spend precious time with her husband. We are honored to be a part of Kathy and Bobby’s life and assist them with their health care needs!

Ms. Cleda Lingerfelt suffered an incident that left her unable to utilize her left arm. Following her hospitalization, she selected Ivy Hall for her Inpatient Therapy and Nursing needs.  

She spent two weeks working with Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy to improve her ability to return home independently. Physical and Occupational Therapy worked on strength and coordination and implemented adaptive equipment that assisted Ms. Lingerfelt in completing activities of daily living without the use of her left arm. Speech Therapy completed cognitive testing and training to make sure she was able to maintain her ability to live independently.  

Ms. Lingerfelt successfully completed all her therapies and was able to return home with adaptive equipment and Home Health. When asked what her favorite part of her stay was, she said “everything!” We love hearing that our patient’s needs are met on every level. We wish Cleda the best as she continues to regain use of her arm and succeed at home!

Barbara Lane came to Ivy Hall with a deep connection to the facility. Barbara was born in the original building when it was still St. Elizabeth Hospital. Growing up, her father was a physician in the hospital. She grew up in the surrounding area and has always felt like she was connected to the Ivy Hall family.

Following an illness that left her unable to walk or care for herself, Barbara was admitted for inpatient rehabilitation. She immediately started Physical and Occupational Therapy 6-7 times a week to regain her strength for transfers, ambulation, dressing and activities of daily living. Barbara made significant gains with her Therapy program and is now dressing herself and walking long distances with the use of her walker. 

Barbara is awaiting an opening at a local assisted living facility. In the meantime, she is enjoying her stay at Ivy Hall with the new friends she has made. When asked what her favorite part of her stay is, she said “everything and everybody!” Barbara, we are so proud of your success and your independence!

Ethal Hardin chose Ivy Hall for her Rehabilitation needs to regain her strength and balance to reduce her risk for falls at home. She participated in Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy to ensure she was able to return home independently. 

Physical Therapy targeted strength, coordination, standing, transferring, and walking longer distances. Occupational Therapy worked on Ethal’s ability to safely dress herself, bathe and move around safely while completing daily activities. Speech Therapy focused on cognitive testing and training to make sure Ethal’s cognitive skills were appropriate for independent living.

Ethal’s dedication to her therapy and hard work paid off. In just two short weeks, she made significant progress and was able to discharge back to her home independently. Ethal was a wonderful addition to the Ivy Hall family in her short time here. She brought so much love and joy to those around her. We are so proud of her success and wish her the best of luck back at home!

Mr. Hardin was admitted to Ivy Hall following a hospitalization that left him unable to care for himself independently. He immediately started a therapy program that included Physical and Occupational Therapy to get him back on his feet so he could return home independently. 

Skilled Occupational and Physical Therapy helped Mr. Hardin go from requiring moderate assistance with transfers, walking, dressing and other activities of daily living to becoming independent. In two short weeks, Mr. Hardin no longer required skilled inpatient services and discharged home with the help of Home Health Therapy and Nursing services.  

The staff reported that Mr. Hardin was one of the most pleasant and polite patients they had worked with, and that he will be greatly missed. Everyone truly enjoyed watching his progress. We wish him the best of luck at home with his continued success!

Ethal Hardin chose Ivy Hall for her Rehabilitation needs to regain her strength and balance to reduce her risk for falls at home. She participated in Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy to ensure she was able to return home independently. 

Physical Therapy targeted strength, coordination, standing, transferring, and walking longer distances. Occupational Therapy worked on Ethal’s ability to safely dress herself, bathe and move around safely while completing daily activities. Speech Therapy focused on cognitive testing and training to make sure Ethal’s cognitive skills were appropriate for independent living.

Ethal’s dedication to her therapy and hard work paid off. In just two short weeks, she made significant progress and was able to discharge back to her home independently. Ethal was a wonderful addition to the Ivy Hall family in her short time here. She brought so much love and joy to those around her. We are so proud of her success and wish her the best of luck back at home!

April is Occupational Therapy Month. This April we’d like to recognize Kristie Roberts, OTR. Kristie works hard to keep our resident’s independent and pain free by providing functional exercises, assisting residents in functional activities, evaluating and fitting splints and wheelchairs, and improving positioning for comfort in chairs and beds. 

Kristie is pictured with resident Donald Maloy putting the ‘fun’ in functional activities. She recently assisted Tim Andrews from the Activities Department in an Easter egg dying activity. She helped the residents with coordination and strength to decorate and dye the eggs. The residents love participating in familiar activities during the holidays that they would have been doing if they were home. Kristie makes sure that during every holiday the residents get to fully participate in a fun-filled familiar activities. 

Thank you, Kristie Roberts, for all of your hard work and dedication to Ivy Hall!

Judy Orr is no stranger to Ivy Hall Rehabilitation. Back in 2019, she attended Outpatient Physical Therapy for her therapy needs. This time, she chose Ivy Hall for Inpatient Rehabilitation following a knee replacement surgery.

Ms. Orr participated in aggressive Occupational and Physical Therapy six times a week to regain strength and range of motion in her knee so that she could return home independently. Within a week, she made significant gains and began taking the stairs to the Therapy Gym instead of the elevator! In two weeks, she was ready to return home independently. 

Ms. Orr will return for another round of Outpatient Therapy to continue her rehabilitation on her knee. We are happy to have her return as she is such a joy to work with. When asked what her favorite part of her stay at Ivy Hall was, she said could not separate out a favorite person or thing. It was all wonderful! We are so proud of Judy’s success!

We offer Outpatient Therapy for all Physical, Occupational and Speech/Language/Swallowing needs. Please give us a call at 423-547-3840 to get started with your Outpatient Therapy at Ivy Hall.

Carolyn Childers required a knee replacement following non-surgical interventions which were unable to restore her quality of life. Mrs. Childers chose Ivy Hall for her rehabilitation needs following her surgery. Upon admission, she promptly started a program with Physical and Occupational Therapy to address range of motion and strength in her knee so she could be as independent as possible.

Along with exercises, the Therapy Team also assisted Mrs. Childers in completing activities of daily living such as dressing and toileting while wearing her immobilizer knee brace. The Ivy Hall Medical Team assisted her in following through with doctor appointments and scheduling a fitting with a local ortho company to make a custom knee brace. Due to her level of motivation and participation, Mrs. Childers made excellent progress and was able to discharge home independently. 

We wish Carolyn the best of luck with her continued success and miss having her in the Therapy Gym on a daily basis!

Pansy Rouse selected Ivy Hall for her nursing and rehabilitation needs following an illness that left her short of breath and too weak to ambulate and complete tasks of daily living. Mrs. Rouse required maximum assistance to stand up, walk short distances and complete most daily self-care tasks. She also required extensive Respiratory Therapy services to regulate her oxygen levels for normal activity. 

Upon admission, Mrs. Rouse immediately began working with the Therapy team and the Respiratory Therapist to regain her health and strength so she could return home. She worked with Physical and Occupational Therapy to improve her ability to stand, walk, and perform self-care. She worked with Speech Therapy to improve her breathing and swallowing coordination to reduce her risk of aspiration and reduce her risk of pneumonia. She also worked with Respiratory Therapy to improve her respiration function and to learn how to use her oxygen equipment appropriately to help her maintain oxygen levels needed for daily activity.  

With the support of her husband and family, Mrs. Rouse dedicated all of her energy to her recovery. She demonstrated the motivation and positive attitude needed for a transformation in her health. After 3 weeks, Mrs. Rouse was able to walk longer distances and complete her daily activities independently. We know she is looking forward to returning home with her husband, but we will definitely miss her smiling face at Ivy Hall. We wish Pansy the best of luck with her continued success!

Mrs. Joyce Drewes had been undergoing several medical issues resulting in increased falls and generalized weakness. She realized she was in need of intensive skilled nursing and rehabilitation services and chose Ivy Hall for her medical and therapy needs. 

For nearly 5 weeks, Mrs. Drewes worked closely and intensely with nursing, therapy, dietary and outside medical appointments to regain her health and strength. Her medical team saw that her needs were being met and she put forth the motivation and effort required to make significant gains in her health. Mrs. Drewes progressed from requiring maximum assistance with walking and most daily activities to being able to transfer and walk with a cane and complete her daily activities independently. 

Mrs. Drewes paid some very nice compliments to the staff of Ivy Hall Nursing Home. When asked what her favorite part of her stay was, she reported that she could not separate favorites. She stated “I would like to thank everyone. They were so nice, gracious, and helpful. I never felt like I needed anything. If I asked, I received.” She also stated that the Therapy Department did more than just Therapy. They were vital in helping her with planning her discharge to home. 

We wish Mrs. Drewes the best of luck and continued success with her health as she returns home!

Jane Cole was admitted to Ivy Hall after suffering a fall that left her non-weight bearing on her left foot. She spent a little over two months unable to bear weight. During that time, she worked closely with the Therapy Department to improve strength, balance, and coordination to make sure she was ready once she was able to start walking again. She also worked closely with the Therapy Department to learn how to complete activities of daily living while unable to bear weight on her foot. 

After two months, Mrs. Cole finally got the all-clear to bear weight on her foot. At his point, Mrs. Cole absolutely took off with her therapy. She was up walking around with minimal assistance in no time. 

Mrs. Cole will soon be returning to her home at a local assisted living residence. She will be greatly missed as she has been a joy to the staff and residents. She can often be found playing cards with her roommate, socializing in the hallway, and joining facility activities. 

We are so proud of Mrs. Jane Cole and will be sending lots of love with her when she returns home!

Mrs. Billie Creasey is a long-term resident of Ivy Hall Nursing Home. Six months ago, she began suffering from medical conditions that made it difficult to sit up in a chair, participate in activities of daily living, and eventually even participate in therapy. 

During that time, she received excellent nursing care to meet her needs. The nurses were very attentive to her needs and changes in her condition and when Mrs. Creasey began making positive changes, they immediately involved the Therapy Team.

She first expressed a desire to make some modifications to her diet. Speech Therapy got involved and in a short time, helped Mrs. Creasey progress from a puree diet to solid food. Speech Therapy was able to improve her attention and involvement in meals and brought in Occupational Therapy to assist with self-feeding, grooming, and self-care. Mrs. Creasey progressed so well with Occupational Therapy that she was able to begin Physical Therapy to work on bed mobility, transfers, and sitting up by herself. 

Mrs. Creasey continues to work with the Therapy Team to manage her pain and regain her independence. We are so proud of Billie’s ability to tolerate simple activities of daily living and ability to progress toward her level of function prior to her illness!

Brenda Stout was admitted to Ivy Hall after a fall that left her unable to move without intense pain. At her time of admission, Brenda was fully dependent on staff for almost all movement and activities of daily living. 

Brenda immediately started an intensive therapy program with Occupational and Physical Therapy 6 days a week. Therapy helped her regain independence and manage her pain with adaptive equipment, compensatory strategies, and strength training. In 3 weeks, Brenda returned to her original physical function and was able to go home. 

Brenda was a treat for the Therapy Department. She brought joy, laughter, hard work, and motivation to the Therapy Gym. She will definitely be missed. We wish Brenda good luck with her continued success!