Domenica's story
Domenica “Nicki” Delpolito is a 92-year-old retiree who loves to entertain. She takes pride in a clean and tidy home and enjoys crossword puzzles and TV, but she is anything but a homebody.
"I like to entertain, talk on the phone and give my friends advice. I like to go out in the community, shopping, I don’t like to stay at home," Nicki said.
After a fall while shopping resulting in a blow to the head and a fractured right femur, Nicki faced challenges with balance and mobility that threatened her independence. She was taken by ambulance to Mountainside Hospital where an MRI ruled out brain injury and an X-ray that confirmed a fractured the femur in her right leg. This left Niki with poor balance and weakness, and difficulty getting out of bed and taking care of herself.
Nicki was in need of inpatient rehabilitation so she could regain her strength, balance and endurance. She also needed help with activities of daily living and learning to safely use a rolling walker. Niki had a positive prior experience at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR) - West Orange, so she chose to go there for treatment and rehabilitation.
Upon admission, her goals where clear: “I wanted to walk, get back to doing things on my own, see my family and go out of the house,” said Nicki. “I hate staying in the bed.”
Nicki's physician-led team of therapists created a treatment plan so she could meet her goals. Occupational therapists focused on helping her with tasks such as cleaning, housekeeping, makeup application and community mobility to enhance her ability to perform activities of daily living. Her physical therapy sessions included exercises to build endurance, safety with a rolling walker, safely negotiating stairs and mobility in outdoor and community settings. Nicki also had specialized wound care during her stay.
Being the social butterfly that she is, one of Nicki’s favorite activities at Kessler was group therapy. Amidst card games, kitchen activities and group therapy sessions, Nicki experienced a transformative "ah-ha!" moment, realizing how far she had progressed. “I saw myself doing things on my own that I wasn’t able to do before,” she said. “I surprised myself by how much I was able to do on my own.”
Nicki expressed gratitude for the expertise of the therapists. "They helped me with my balance, getting back to my daily activities, stairs, walking and walking outside,” Nicki said. “Even group therapy was great, because I had to multi-task with my balance."
Her son’s and daughter’s support and participation in training programs further bolstered her confidence to return home.
As Nicki prepared for discharge, she anticipated reconnecting with family and friends. Through her journey, she discovered her inner strength and resilience.
"I learned that I could be independent, I could push myself beyond limits that I never knew that I even had in me,” Nicki shared. “I feel a lot more confident to be independent and do things on my own now, but my daughter will still be there to help of course."