OGDENSBURG – This past
winter when Roger Shoen slipped on some ice and broke his leg, he was not
worried about whether or not he would walk again, rather Mr. Shoen said his
main concern was whether he would be able to return to work.
Mr.
Shoen said he was in the middle of his route delivering prescription medication
for a local pharmacy when he fell on the ice outside Belmont Courts in
Ogdensburg. Luckily, he had his grandson with him.
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| Physical Therapist Brett Amo looks on as Roger Shoen exercises |
“I
yelled for help and my grandson came to pick me back up. A woman who lives in
one of the apartments came to her door too and asked if I wanted her to call
the rescue squad, but I told her no. ‘I said this ice is too cold, I’m not
going to lay here and wait for an ambulance,”’ he recalled.
With
the help of his grandson, Mr. Shoen said he was able to make his way back to
his vehicle. He then finished his shift before going to the hospital.
“I
got back to the van and thought, this doesn’t feel too bad, I might as well
finish my shift,” Mr. Shoen said, explaining he drove from house to house,
sending his grandson to the door with each person’s medication. “I worked for
two hours before going to the hospital.”
Once
at the hospital though, Mr. Shoen said his suspicions were confirmed, “I knew I
broke my leg because I heard it snap,” he said. Following surgery and his
release from the hospital, Mr. Shoen spent the next five weeks at RiverLedge
Health Care & Rehabilitation Center in Ogdensburg.
“Nobody
can say anything bad about this place,” he said. “The nursing care and therapy
I received were perfect. I would recommend them to anyone for a long-term or
short-term stay.”
Mr.
Shoen’s stay included both occupational therapy and physical therapy.
Occupational
Therapist Alycia Dezell said that when Mr. Shoen first arrived at RiverLedge
she helped him regain the strength needed to bathe and get dressed on his own.
Noting that he enjoys cooking, Ms. Dezell said they also spent a lot of time
working in the kitchen located in the therapy suite.
Following
his discharge, she continued seeing him on an outpatient basis. “When he
started doing outpatient therapy, he was still using adaptive equipment
(occupational therapy tools designed to assist with everyday tasks, such as
putting on socks), but he wanted to stop using those,” she said. “Now he’s back
to doing everything on his own.”
“The
fact that I was able to continue seeing the same therapist after being
discharged was great,” he said.
Physical
Therapist Brett Amo also worked with Mr. Shoen, noting when your outpatient and
inpatient therapy are in the same place, recovery can be just a bit easier.
“He
was already set up for outpatient before he even went home. It was a seamless
transition, and that’s not something everybody can offer,” Mr. Amo said.
Mr.
Shoen has also expressed an interest in continuing to exercise at RiverLedge,
even following the conclusion of his therapy.
“I
thought that was something I would have to pay for, turns out I don’t. That’s
one of the benefits they extend to their patients,” he said.
As
for Mr. Shoen’s work plans, he said he has returned to his delivery route on a
substitute basis and is planning to drive taxicabs a few days per week.
“It’s
not like I’m starving or anything, but I like to keep busy. To me, work is my
hobby and United Helpers has helped me get to a place where I can continue
doing what I love,” he said.
For more information on therapy services at RiverLedge in
Ogdensburg, contact (315) 393-0730. For information on therapy services at
Maplewood Health Care & Rehabilitation Center in Canton, contact (315)
386-4541. You may also like United Helpers on Facebook or visit www.unitedhelpers.org.
