Best Decision I Ever Made
Carol Haenicke had back surgery in spring of 2013 and went home the next day. Her family lived next door and she knew she could call the doctor’s office with questions. Sounds like a fairly typical recovery. That was until her hip started bothering her.
Carol went to see David Christ, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Bronson HealthCare Midwest Orthopedics & Joint Specialists, and found out she needed hip surgery. This time she wanted to do things differently. She knew she wouldn’t be able to care for herself right away at home and the doctor agreed. A couple friends mentioned they had gone to a place for rehabilitation after their surgeries so Carol started to research her options.
One of Bronson’s nurses told Carol about a new place called Bronson Commons where she could have her own private room and an experienced team to help her recover. Carol called Bronson Commons and talked with the executive director who was so welcoming and explained everything so well that Carol didn’t feel the need to visit. She asked if they could hold a spot for her after her surgery.
The surgery went well and she soon found herself at Bronson Commons. She says, “This was the best decision I ever made! It’s a beautiful facility, but facilities are only as good as the people who work there and every single person went beyond my expectations.” Carol recalls fondly one time when she called for room service — the food service associate asked if Carol would like to try one of the freshly baked peanut butter cookies and personally delivered it to her room. “Where do you get that kind of friendliness?” Carol inquired.
“I felt so well taken care of. I’m a big believer in PT [physical therapy] and the facility has a huge and spectacular gym. I loved to go to the therapists because I wanted to get better and knew it was easier with their help. I didn’t have to do it alone.”
About two weeks later, it was time for Carol to return home. She says, “I didn’t want to go home! I can’t believe how different this recovery was compared to the earlier surgery. I know I made one of the best decisions of my life.”
