Last spring, Mr. Solomon arrived at Mount Sinai Hospital in serious poor health. After many months of cycling through hospitals and rehab centres, he could no longer walk — and no one could explain why. Just 62 years old and previously living independently, he was facing the difficult possibility of long-term care.
Eventually, Mr. Solomon was diagnosed with POEMS syndrome, a rare blood disorder that causes progressive nerve damage, among other issues. He had also suffered multiple strokes, and months in bed had left him with severe foot drop in both feet — a condition that often prevents people from walking again.
Despite these challenges, Mr. Solomon was determined to return home. After five months in acute care, Mr. Solomon turned a corner when he delighted his care team by walking down a hallway they never thought he’d walk again. Finally, Mr. Solomon was transferred from Mount Sinai to Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital to begin the next stage of recovery.
“There was a spark in him,” says Kathleen Reid, RN and Patient Care Manager for the Medical Rehabilitation and Acquired Brain Injuries Units at Hennick Bridgepoint. “He was highly motivated — and that’s so important in rehab.”
Though still unable to feed himself or walk even with aids, Mr. Solomon immersed himself in therapy. “He didn’t want his illness to define him,” says Kathleen. “Even when progress was slow, he stayed hopeful.”
At Hennick Bridgepoint, a collaborative care model ensures every aspect of recovery is connected –physical strength, cognitive function and emotional wellness. Mr. Solomon’s care team, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and physiatrists, worked together over the next several months to treat the whole person, not just the condition.
“He had been in and out of rehab before, and we wanted to break that cycle — to help him not just recover but build the strength and support he needed to stay home,” Kathleen explains.
In February, Mr. Solomon was discharged, ending a 10-month journey through the Sinai Health network. As an outpatient, he continues therapy at Hennick Bridgepoint, supported by a team already familiar with his story.
“One of the things that sets us apart from other complex rehabilitation centres in the city is our outpatient therapy department,” says Kathleen. This enables teams at Hennick Bridgepoint to have more direct communication about Mr. Solomon’s full care journey — a perspective otherwise lost if he were to be referred to an external outpatient clinic.
With support from Circle of Care and the relatively new Sinai Health to Home program, his home was prepared for safe, independent living. He can now transfer from his wheelchair to bed on his own and navigate his space with the help of tools such as a fall-detecting pendant and medication reminders.
“Mr. Solomon reminded us of why we do this and what integrated care makes possible,” Kathleen says. “We were able to help him not just recover but return to the community on his terms.”