Success Stories

You may recognize Bobby from a previous post where he was “fishing” as part of his therapy. We are excited to announce that Mr. Bobby Shanks has graduated from therapy at Durham-Hensley and has discharged to a local assisted living. Bobby worked hard for several weeks with Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy so he could become stronger, more mobile, and able to complete his daily activities without assistance.  

Years ago, Bobby volunteered at Durham-Hensley where he would visit with staff and residents and take part in fun activities. Bobby enjoys reminiscing on these times and even stated, “Who knows, maybe I will be back to visit you all again sometime just like I used to!” We are so proud of you Bobby!

Rebecca Lowe came to Durham-Hensley Health and Rehabilitation after a fall at home resulted in a hospitalization and surgery due to a broken hip. She was having difficulty walking, transferring, completing daily tasks without assistance, and experiencing extreme fatigue with activity upon admission to Durham-Hensley.  

Ms. Lowe worked diligently with Physical, Occupational, Respiratory and Speech Therapy to restore her strength, mobility, and functional activity tolerance. A little over two weeks later, Ms. Lowe discharged home with support of her family and home health services with the ability to walk using a walker, transfer without assistance, and complete her daily tasks with improved independence and activity tolerance. She stated, “The therapy team really worked well with me while I was here and helped me get back on my feet again. I am so glad I get to go back home and spend time with my dog and my grandbabies.” We are so proud of you Rebecca!

Bobby Shanks participates in a fun and creative game made by a member of the Durham-Hensley Therapy Team during his therapy session. This game simulates fishing and allows residents to work on balance, attention, hand-eye coordination, and functional activity tolerance.  

Bobby has enjoyed this game as part of his therapy interventions and each time he plays, he catches more “fish!” We love to incorporate fun and creative interventions with our residents at Durham-Hensley to help them engage and enjoy their therapy. Way to go Bobby!

Phyllis Duffell is a resident of Durham-Hensley who has been participating in Occupational Therapy for the past several weeks. She was having some trouble completing her daily activities due to decreased strength and endurance and started with therapy to increase her independence.  

Phyllis has been making excellent progress with Occupational Therapy. She is increasing her strength, activity tolerance, and learning how to use compensatory/adaptive strategies to restore her independence. She is pictured in this photo completing a flower arrangement activity with Occupational Therapy to enhance her standing tolerance, balance, and coordination. Phyllis enjoys therapy and always works hard to achieve her goals.

Patsy Greene came to Durham-Hensley after a hospitalization for therapy and skilled nursing care. She was having difficulty walking, transferring, and decreased strength and endurance.  

Patsy participated in Physical, Occupational and Respiratory Therapy for a little over 4 weeks to prepare her to return home. She improved her strength and endurance and discharged home able to walk, transfer, and complete her daily tasks without assistance.  

Patsy has been to Durham-Hensley in the past and received therapy and nursing care. She stated, “I knew by coming back to Durham-Hensley I would get the good care I needed to prepare me to go back home.” Congratulations  Patsy on your success!

Teresa Ansboro has been a resident of Durham-Hensley a little over two years. She is well known by the staff and other residents and recognized by her kindness and positive attitude.  

Teresa has been participating in Physical Therapy at Durham-Hensley with the goal to improve her strength and mobility. She enjoys working with the Therapy staff and has personally benefited from Therapy services in the past. She explains, “Therapy is always very helpful for me. I can tell that when I work with therapy, I start to get stronger. I really enjoy it.” Teresa, we enjoy working with you and we know you will work hard and meet your goals!

Ms. Marie Gunter came to Durham-Hensley after she had a fall resulting in a hip injury and a surgery. After her surgery, Marie was not permitted to put weight through her leg while she healed, which made mobility very difficult for her. When Marie first arrived at Durham-Hensley, she could not walk and she could not transfer without assistance . She needed help with her day-to-day activities, required supplemental oxygen, and reported feeling easily exerted.  Marie worked intensely with Physical, Occupational and Respiratory Therapy for approximately 8 weeks with the goal to return home safely. During this time, 

Marie gained the strength she needed to transfer without help, walk with a walker, and complete her daily tasks with independence. Marie also demonstrated improvements with her activity tolerance and was able to return home without requiring oxygen. Marie expressed how thankful she was for the great care she received from all the staff at Durham-Hensley. We are so proud of her success!

Floy Grooms came to Durham-Hensley Health and Rehab after being hospitalized and experiencing weakness, reduced mobility, and reduced ability to complete her daily self-care tasks. She was unable to walk or transfer without extensive assistance after she was discharged from the hospital and was having difficulty with chewing and swallowing.

She received Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy to restore her strength, mobility, independence, and improve her swallow function. After several weeks of hard work, Floy achieved her goals and was able to discharge back to assisted living. She is able to walk again, complete her daily self-care tasks with less assistance, and is able to safely enjoy the foods she loves. She was such a joy to work with and we will miss her and her contagious laugh so much! Congratulations on your success Floy!

We have been celebrating Nursing Home Week all week here at Durham-Hensley!  

Residents and staff wore their Western attire and enjoyed a barbeque lunch for “Western Wednesday.” Sam and Vilas Patton joined in on the fun with their Western attire worn proudly. Sam has been receiving nursing and therapy services at Durham-Hensley and his wife, Vilas, has been along his side daily.  

During his therapy session on Wednesday, Sam’s “boots were made for walkin” as he proudly walked with the therapy staff while his wife cheered him on. We love to put the FUN in functional here at Durham-Hensley and truly cherish our memories with our residents, families, and staff.  

Happy Nursing Home Week!

Barbara Wechter came to Durham-Hensley Health and Rehabilitation after being hospitalized with pneumonia. She experienced weakness and loss of endurance which made her everyday routine more difficult to complete without feeling exerted.

Barbara worked with Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Respiratory Therapy for just shy of two weeks to improve her strength and endurance. Barbara accomplished her goals and returned home independently. With the help of Respiratory Therapy, she no longer depends on supplemental oxygen. We are so proud of Barbara’s success! Great job!

Othella Metcalf came to Durham-Hensley for skilled rehab after she began having difficulty walking, transferring, and completing her daily self-care tasks. She received Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy for nine weeks to restore her strength, mobility, and ability to complete day to day activities.

Othella made excellent progress with therapy and is now able to walk using a walker, complete transfers without assistance, and perform her daily activities. She returned home with her family and home health services. Othella was thrilled to return home where she can continue to spend time with her many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Othella stated “I don’t know what I would do without the staff at Durham-Hensley. I don’t think I could have come this far.” Congratulations Othella on your amazing progress! 

Employee Spotlight: Heather Reed

Heather began working at Durham-Hensley as part of the Broad River Rehab Team in December of 2021. She has been a Certified Nursing Assistant for over two years and works in the Therapy Department as our restorative CNA. Heather provides restorative nursing services to residents who have completed therapy to help them maintain the progress they have made towards their goals. 

Heather focuses on restoring and maintaining our residents’ mobility, transfers, performance with activities of daily living, and ensuring that our residents stay active and moving so they can continue to thrive! Heather has been a great addition to our team and a wonderful resource to our residents by providing excellent and compassionate care. Heather loves working with our residents at Durham-Hensley and watching them achieve and maintain their full potential. Thank you Heather for all of your hard work! We are so proud to have you on our team! 

We are celebrating Valentine’s Day at Durham-Hensley. Pictured is Melody Murray decorating Valentine’s Day cookies as part of her Occupational Therapy treatment. Melody is working with Occupational Therapy to improve her strength, coordination, and activity tolerance.

Melody loves staying busy and enjoys working on crafts in her spare time. Occupational Therapy incorporated Melody’s interests into a fun Valentine’s Day craft which is also improving her fine motor coordination and activity tolerance. We love our residents here at Durham-Hensley and love to make therapy fun!

Therapy Spotlight : Effie Bible

Effie came to Durham-Hensley after an illness and hospitalization left her with reduced strength, inability to walk, and difficulty performing her daily tasks. At 103 years old, Effie has demonstrated hard work and determination since her arrival at Durham-Hensley and has been receiving therapy services from Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy for four weeks. 

Effie is now walking using a walker and able to get up and down with very little assistance. She is also able to participate more in her daily activities and doesn’t need as much help to complete her daily routine. Effie is so proud of how far she has come and has maintained her positive spirit and attitude. We look forward to seeing her progress even more! Good job Effie!

Therapy Spotlight : Charles Tunstall

Mr. Tunstall has been working with Physical and Occupational Therapy at Durham-Hensley to improve his strength, balance, and independence over the past two weeks. One of his goals is to be able to play his guitar (something he has enjoyed for the past 50 years). Therapy has been using interventions and activities with Mr. Tunstall to target his hand strength and fine motor coordination so he can “strum the strings” again.

Mr. Tunstall shared with us that he enjoys playing classical, gospel, and Broadway tunes. He has had the opportunity in the past to play at Tusculum College, Carson Newman, several churches, and Catalyst Coffee House. Although he has been legally blind his whole life, he tells us that he taught himself how to play guitar starting in 1961. Mr. Tunstall is so excited to be working with therapy so he can continue playing the music he loves. He stated, “I am very thankful that therapy is helping me meet my goals. Playing the guitar is so important to me and I am happy I am able to do this more.” Way to go, Mr. Tunstall! Keep up the good work.

Rena Witt came to Durham-Hensley after she was hospitalized due to a stroke. She initially was having difficulty with transferring to and from surfaces, walking long distances, difficulties with strength and coordination, and difficulties with her speech. Rena participated in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy for three weeks. During this time, Rena made excellent progress and can now walk over 200 feet, transfer to and from surfaces without help, complete her self-care tasks, and her speech has improved. 

Rena is discharging home with Home Health Services to continue working towards her goals. She is so excited and proud of how far she has come and is motivated to continue working with home health. Congratulations Rena on your success!

Melinda Davis came to Durham-Hensley after she became weak and unable to care for herself at home. She was unable to get in and out of bed and care for herself. Melinda began participating in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Respiratory Therapy to improve her strength, ability to transfer into and out of bed, and complete her self-care tasks. Physical Therapy worked with Melinda to improve her lower body strength and ability to stand and transfer while Occupational Therapy focused on compensatory/adaptive techniques to allow her to better care for herself. Respiratory Therapy worked with Melinda to manage her respiratory status and ensure she had all the equipment she needed upon discharge. 

Melinda stated “When I first got here, I couldn’t even stand up. Now I can stand up and get to my chair or bed whenever I want and I can do so much more for myself. I am happy to go home, but also a little sad because Durham Hensley is like my second family.” Melinda returned home with her daughter and home health. Congratulations Melinda on your success!