April 19, 2016
Physical therapist Jagbir Mudharh and therapy assistant Melissa DeMille keep a close eye on Janet Schlinker as she works on going up and down stairs.
Story and photo by Heather Kipling
To see Janet Schlinker out and about today, you’d never guess that just last year there was doubt that the Drumheller woman would ever walk again.
Schlinker underwent lengthy surgery late last spring to remove an 11-in. tumour that had wrapped itself around her spinal cord. Thankfully the tumour turned out to be benign, but there were unexpected complications from the procedure that caused nerve damage, hampering her ability to walk.
“They weren’t sure if I would ever be able to walk again, and that if I could, it might take two or three years to be able to do it,” she recalls.
Following her surgery, Schlinker became one of the first patients admitted to the Drumheller Health Centre’s new Restorative Care program.
Restorative Care focuses on rehabilitating patients with the goal of being able to return to their own home or transition to the most independent level of care possible. It is designed to help patients, particularly seniors, regain or retain their maximum level of physical function, independence and comfort following serious injury or illness.
“It’s a very intense program,” explains Jagbir Mudharh, physical therapist with the Restorative Care and Home Care programs, who has helped Schlinker every step of the way since she came to the program.
“We see patients in the program twice a day, six days a week. They’re only in the program for 30 days so we get working on their goals right away and reassess their progress weekly to make sure we’re moving forward.”
When patients begin the program, they are assessed by physical and occupational therapists, who design their rehabilitation. Therapy assistants facilitate the day-to-day rehabilitation and support patients in reaching their goals. In Schlinker’s case, her goal was to be up and walking by Christmas.
“I worked every day with the staff to get better,” Schlinker says. “Jagbir really helped keep me positive and encouraged me every day. I was very fortunate this program was here. I know it helped me get where I wanted to go, faster than I expected to get there.”
Mudharh says they started with small steps.
“We started working on standing first; that was the first step,” says Mudharh. “Then the next week it was to stand for a bit longer, and then longer. Then we started working on taking small steps using the parallel bars to help rebuild strength and her confidence. It was a challenge but Janet worked hard.
“It’s very rewarding to see how far she has come. She came in in a wheelchair and couldn’t even stand. To see patients who had lots of impairments leave smiling and able to get around independently is a great feeling.”
Four beds at the facility are dedicated to the program.
“This program is an important part of delivering the right care in the right place and it’s a great complement to the acute and long-term care we provide,” says Sterling Martin, Site Manager at the Drumheller Health Centre. “We’re able to help many patients rehabilitate closer to their home and to their families.”
Schlinker spent a month in hospital in the program before returning home, and says her hard work paid off.
“Here I am, walking,” she says emotionally. “I still use a cane but I’m working on do it without any assistance.
“Everything about my experience was excellent. It took a lot of hard work but I had the full support of the staff at the hospital, and my husband behind me.”
Schlinker’s husband Paul agrees.
“This program has made such a huge difference for us and our family. Because of it, we figure she jumped ahead in her recovery by eight months at least,” Paul says. “Because it was available right here, I was able to see her every day and I could see her getting better.
“I know I put on a brave face for a while, fearing the worst after her surgery, but to then see her do so well because of a program like this was like a miracle. She’s proof that these kinds of programs work.”
