How a Riverside Retiree Saw the Health System in a Whole New Light

Roger Chain was a client of the Riverside Home Health team.

I was a Riverside retiree and understood quite a bit about the specific areas where I worked. What I didn’t realize was what the “system” part of the Riverside Health System really meant until I needed it myself. I’ve had several heart attacks over the past years, but what really got me off my game was a bad fall that broke my left leg. Following extensive orthopedic surgery, I was referred to the convalescent center and rehabilitation services at Patriots Colony in Williamsburg. Patriots Colony is one of Riverside’s active living retirement communities, but it also includes 24/7 skilled nursing care for the general public. After some focused physical therapy at Patriots Colony, I went home but ended up going back there for more rehabilitation to deal with some additional injury and mobility problems. When I got back after my stays at Patriots Colony, home care was in touch with us right away and began providing services the day after my return. I was a little surprised but very pleased at how quickly everything came together.

I would have to say that from the start, they knew exactly what they were doing and they made sure we understood the overall plan. They checked my vital signs, managed the physical therapy, made sure I had one of those emergency alert buttons to push if I fell again and called me at night to check on things. When I first got back home, they did a safety audit of our house to make sure there was nothing that might cause me problems while I was getting around with a regular walker and then later, a rollator. They also helped with insurance forms and any other kind of paper work that was needed.

We got to know the home care team over time and were very comfortable with having them in our home. Although I was the one getting the actual care, they took a lot of the burden off my wife and family.

One of the things that impressed me the most was how smooth the transitions were from one level of care to another. It was completely seamless going from inpatient treatment in the hospital to convalescent and rehab services center at Patriots Colony, and then to home care. Throughout the whole process, my wife and I felt like they were always looking out for our best interests.