Concierge: Dominic DiLieto
Patient: Frederick Burmester
Patient age: 75
Admitted: March 29th, 2024
Admitted from: Westchester Medical Center
Discharge Date:May 22nd, 2024
Length of stay: 8 weeks
Reason for stay: Rehabilitation following brain surgery
Details of experience:
Last spring, we admitted a patient to our short-term unit, Nottingham, who the staff would get to know very well, as he stayed right across from the nurse’s station. A 75-year-old man named Frederick Burmester joined our community in March of this year. Though we learned a lot about him early in his stay, it was not from him but from his wife Joan and the rest of his family. When Fred was admitted, he was in a comatose-like state, unable to communicate with the staff, and was completely dependent to survive.
On March 11th, Frederick and his family had been out to eat when Frederick suddenly lost consciousness…he stood up, fell, and hit his head. Fred was rushed to the hospital, where he had brain surgery following his admission. Eighteen days post-admission, Frederick was transferred from Westchester Medical Center to The Paramount. When Frederick arrived, he was completely dependent on a feeding tube, tracheostomy tube, and a foley catheter. During this time, our therapy team worked with Frederick in his room, assisting him in moving his muscles and attempting to keep him loose. While it was difficult to see the upside in his therapy early on, our therapy team believed that the ‘Patient demonstrated good rehab potential as evidenced by strong family support and high prior level of function.’ Every day, his wife, Joan, would come to The Paramount and visit in the afternoon, talking to him and showing him pictures from photo albums they had from home.
Just over two weeks into his stay, on April 17th, Frederick “woke up’, as the medical community states. Frederick suddenly began talking to all the staff, having full conversations about what had happened over the last five weeks with the evening staff. Frederick’s first question was, ‘Where is my wife, is she ok?’ After informing him that his wife Joan had been visiting daily, we got her on the phone so they could speak to one another. Before that day, Frederick had been making progress toward rehabilitation. Following this, he started making tremendous strides in his full rehabilitation to return home. With the help of his speech therapist, Jess, he was soon upgraded from his feeding tube to textured foods and swiftly upgraded to a regular diet soon after. His physical and occupational therapists, Zach and Jessica, worked with the determined Frederick to get him home when he was completely independent of all needs and tasks.
Upon leaving The Paramount, Frederick walked with a walker and was an independent assist. A month after leaving The Paramount and continuing his rehabilitation journey at home with Joan, Frederick is walking independently. Of course, the Paramount continues to wish Frederick luck on his full recovery and the best of luck to him and his family.