Success Stories & More

Earla (Lou) and Wayne Laws do everything together including rehab. This couple came to Ivy Hall Rehab for 20 days for skilled therapy and recently graduated and returned to their home independently. 

While at the facility, the couple participated in several group therapy sessions including ice cream making, falls prevention and discharge/community reintegration. The Laws are pictured at our photo booth celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day.

Carolyn Campbell came to Ivy Hall for rehab after suffering an injury at home. She received Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy. Carolyn was very motivated and when she wasn’t in therapy, you could find her walking with her family in the hallways and doing everything she could for herself to progress physically.  

She progressed quickly with the interventions provided and was able to return home with family to continue her recovery with home healthcare. Carolyn was well known to all the staff at Ivy Hall because she was working as a nurse here before her injury. Pictured with Carolyn is Zack Feathers, DPT.

Sandra Eller came to Ivy Hall after a total knee replacement. She received Physical and Occupational Therapy each day with the goal of returning home independently. Sandra was extremely motivated and never missed a therapy session. Her therapy was specifically tailored to her specific diagnosis and prior level of functioning. Sandra stated “You all have a good thing going here. I will be back when I get my other knee done.”  

Her favorite activity at home is going out with friends for lunch which she will be able to do without any problems after completing her rehab successfully. Pictured with Ms. Eller is Paige Hensley, one of our wonderful Certified Nurse’s Aides.

Arnold Thomas came to Ivy Hall for rehabilitation after a total knee replacement. At admission, 

he needed extensive assistance with walking, transferring, and performing activities of daily living.  

Mr. Thomas worked with Physical and Occupational Therapy each day and quickly recovered.  

He was able to go home using a walker for walking and balance. He is now receiving Outpatient Therapy here and has just progressed to using a cane. Mr. Thomas affectionately refers to the therapy department as “The A Team” because of the excellent care he received at Ivy Hall.

Ivy Hall Nursing Home welcomes a new Rehab Director. Scarlett Anderson, a lifelong resident of Carter County, has been a Physical Therapist for 25 years.

Scarlet received her degree from ETSU, graduating in their first class back in 1997. She has over 20 years of management experience in the long-term care and skilled nursing setting and has certifications in Lymphedema Management (CLT) and Resident Assessment (RAC-CT). She will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Rehab Department at Ivy Hall. Welcome Scarlett!

Lois Donnelly came to Ivy Hall with two fractures in her arm. She was seen by Physical and Occupational therapy daily to regain strength and her ability to care for herself at home. At admission, she required assistance of two people to perform most activities of daily living safely.  

Today, she is able to do those tasks independently. She is walking well with a platform walker to support her fractured arm. Lois was able to return to her own home at discharge. She stated “Everyone at Ivy Hall was very helpful and good to me." Lois attended the Valentine's Day Party at the facility and is pictured in the photo booth created by the therapy department.

Looking for a new Career? We would love to have you join our Team as a CNA! Sign up for one of our CNA Classes!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 - FRIDAY, MARCH 31
First Week: Wednesday, March 1- Friday, March 3
Following Weeks: Mondays - Fridays
DAY CLASSES, 9:30am - 2:30pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 11 - FRIDAY, MAY 12
First Week: Tuesday, April 11 - Friday, April 14
Following Weeks: Mondays - Fridays
DAY CLASSES, 9:30am - 2:30pm

Click Ad to the left to Register or
Call (423) 542-6512 for more information.

Celebrating Woodrow Buchanan

One of our long-time fellow residents, Woodrow Buchanan, was honored with a 50th year Vietnam Veteran Anniversary Pin Friday January 27, 2023. Local Vietnam Veterans presented Woodrow with his pin at Ivy Hall during a beautiful ceremony to mark the occasion.

We are so proud to know Woodrow and honored to care for him at Ivy Hall. Woodrow has utilized Nursing and Therapy services over the years at Ivy Hall to maintain his best quality of life. We enjoy his sense of his humor and listening to his stories from the past. It was an honor to witness him receive the appreciation he deserves!

Grace Lepkofker recently required surgery that left her in pain and with limited mobility. Having stayed at Ivy Hall before, she happily selected Ivy Hall for her Inpatient Rehabilitation needs. Grace required Physical and Occupational Therapy to improve mobility and independence while reducing her level of pain for completion of activities of daily living. 

Physical and Occupational Therapy assisted Grace in reducing pain to enhance her quality of life while giving her the exercises and tools to become stronger for independent walking. Within 2 weeks, Grace regained most of her independence and is walking greater distances with minimal assistance. 

When asked about her favorite part of Ivy Hall, she replied that the food was wonderful and that she couldn’t ask for better help. She said the nurses and CNAs always responded immediately when she asked for help. 

Grace will continue her Rehabilitation journey with as an Outpatient in our Therapy Outpatient Program. We are so proud of Grace’s success and look forward to working with her as she continues her healing journey!

At Ivy Hall, our Wound Care Program identifies residents at risk for skin breakdown and/or wounds who may benefit from alternative therapy approaches. Pictured is Sydney Jones, RN from nursing and Zack Feathers, DPT and Kristie Roberts, OTR from Therapy who are vital to our Wound Care Program.

Sydney Jones, RN is responsible for our Wound Care program at Ivy Hall. With the help of the Interdisciplinary Team she is able to identify and treat wounds on site or make the appropriate referrals as needed. 

Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapists along with Nursing provide an interdisciplinary approach to treatment, assist in wound prevention, skin integrity, positioning, wound care, hydration, swallowing, weight loss, nutrition, and cognition to aid in the prevention of skin breakdown and wound healing. Non-healing wounds can lead to further complications impacting overall health and rehabilitation progress. Therapists serve a vital part of the interdisciplinary team to identify root causes of wounds and make recommendation for overall resident safety. 

We are thankful for out team and everything they do!

Norma Carter was recently seen by our Occupational Therapy Department for wheelchair management. Occupational and Physical Therapists are often key members of the wheelchair seating evaluation team. Seating interventions, including pressure management, seated angles, and strategies to address common positioning challenges are addressed by the team to help our residents function at their highest comfort level.

She received special attention for cushions and foot positioning to allow her to utilize her chair throughout the day as her main source of seating and transportation. Norma enjoyed working with her therapists and felt that she had achieved an enormous improvement in her comfort level.

We are so glad to see Norma comfortable and happy with her wheelchair accommodation!

Thank you for making us the Best Nursing Home in our area for 2022!

Roxie Simerly was admitted to Ivy Hall for Rehabilitation following an illness that left her unable to return home safely. At the time of her admission, she required moderate assistance from caregivers to complete activities of daily living and required a softer diet to improve nutrition and hydration. Roxie participated in Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapy to address her deficits. She made progress in her physical and mental function as well as improved nutrition and hydration. 

Although Roxie made significant progress with her physical ability, she has decided to stay at Ivy Hall for continued medical care to maintain a safe and happy quality of life. Ivy Hall offers a Restorative Therapy program for patients to maintain the progress made from Skilled Therapy and to help patients continue to thrive in their new living environment. 

Due to Roxie’s progress with Therapy, she can function in all activities of daily living with minimal assistance. She enjoys her independence and is experiencing increased opportunities to be social. She will continue with our Restorative Program to help make a seamless transition to a longer stay at Ivy Hall. We are so proud of Roxie’s success and look forward to caring for all her needs!

Interested in becoming a CNA or know someone who is? Register for our CNA Class to be held on January 17 to February 14 at Ivy Hall. Click the link below to Register.

Linda Payne was admitted to Ivy Hall for rehabilitation following an injury that left her unable to take care of herself at home. She immediately began an Inpatient Program with Physical and Occupational Therapy that was tailored to her specific needs to regain her strength and independence.

Linda’s injury left her unable to bear full weight on her leg and required special training to adapt to her injury so that she could maintain independence. Therapy targeted activities of daily living while following her weight bearing status along with strengthening exercises to improve her transfers and ambulation. 

Linda has made excellent progress in her Therapy Program. She progressed from completing simple activities in her room to walking all the way to the Therapy Gym. She will soon be ready to discharge home to continue her healing and rehabilitation. We are so proud of Linda and wish her the best with her continued success!

Sherry Perrigan is full of life and ready to get back to some of her favorite activities. She came to Ivy Hall with significant weakness and required maximum assistance for most of her activities of daily living. Sherry participated in a lengthy 2-month intensive Skilled Therapy Program to improve her general strength, ability to transfer, communicate clearly and eat safely. She worked diligently toward her goals and made excellent progress resulting in increased independence in functional activities and “just for fun” activities.  

Sherry is reaping the rewards of her hard work in her Restorative Therapy Program. Restorative Therapy helps her maintain her skills and apply them to everyday tasks. Sherry is pictured decorating a cake with Chelsea Rose, RNA. She used to love decorating cakes and now she can enjoy this activity once again! 

We are excited to see what the future holds for Sherry and with her the best wish her continued success!

Pictured are two long-term residents, Barbara Fox and Alvin Whitehead, decorating one of the many Christmas Trees at Ivy Hall. Both Barbara and Alvin have benefited from skilled therapy as long-term residents. Through various Therapy Programs, they have achieved higher levels of independence. The Therapy Department and the Nursing Department continuously monitor all residents for changes in function and intervene with Therapeutic Interventions to help our residents function at their maximum level to maintain their highest quality of life.

Due to their success in Therapy, Barbara and Alvin are enjoying everyday holiday tasks such as decorating Christmas trees. Decorating Christmas trees at Ivy Hall is an enormous task as there are already 7 trees up with more to follow! Our facility, staff, and community donate trees and decorations. We are blessed this year to have the family of Dorothy Oaks and two local schools participate in our tree donations and decorations. 

Later this holiday season, our residents will get an opportunity to gather together and judge their favorite tree while enjoying treats and Christmas caroling. We are thankful for the health of our residents, our staff, and community this Holiday Season!

Ken Howerton was admitted to Ivy Hall with considerable weakness. He required the use of a mechanical lift for transfers and was unable to walk. He required extensive Inpatient Rehabilitation to regain his strength.

Upon admission, he started Physical and Occupational Therapy. At first, Therapy addressed exercises that targeted Ken’s ability to simply get up and down and move more independently. After a couple of weeks, Ken was able to transfer without the use of a mechanical lift. Since then, he has progressed to transferring with only a 1-person assistance and he’s walking up to 50 feet with the assistance of his Therapist. 

Ken continues to make progress and he will continue to work with Therapy to increase his independence. We’ve enjoyed watching Ken get stronger and we are so proud of his success!

Teresa Teague was admitted to Ivy Hall for In-patient Rehabilitation following a brief hospitalization. At the time of admission, she suffered from severe pain and required moderate assistance for transferring, walking, and activities of daily living. She started a Physical and Occupational Therapy Program that targeted strengthening exercises, walking, activities of daily living training, and pain management. 

Teresa demonstrated a strong will to overcome her deficits and made rapid progress toward her goals. In just a little over a wee, she progressed to walking long distances independently with her walker. She will transition home with Home Health Therapy to continue her progress.

We loved watching Teresa’s rapid progress and wish her the best of luck with her continued success!