From hospital bed to home: Stroke survivor's journey highlights Central Coast's collaborative care

Dignity Health medical teams from Marian Regional Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital celebrate National Rehabilitation Awareness Week with inspiring reunion

No family is prepared to endure the hardships that come when a loved one suffers a stroke. 

However, knowing that skilled medical staff and physicians, advanced facilities and other vital resources are in place to treat patients during and after a stroke should provide peace of mind for Central Coast families. 

The Sanders family of Santa Maria experienced the continuum of care for these patients when Gerald, 61, experienced a stroke earlier this year. 

Gerald was hospitalized at Marian Regional Medical Center in March before transferring to Arroyo Grande Community Hospital’s Acute Rehabilitation Center. After completing his rehabilitation there, he began post-acute therapy at the Centre for Neuro Skills in Los Angeles.

After making remarkable progress on his recovery journey, Gerald was discharged from the CNS clinic in August.

In September, a reunion was held to celebrate Gerald’s recovery and recognize the work of dozens of medical professionals and three different facilities who worked together to ensure the coordination of his care. 

“I feel blessed to be able to empathize and understand that, even in the most difficult times, people will give up their time and their spirit to enhance other people’s lives,” Gerald told his care teams during the reunion. “All of you are a blessing and you’re all wonderful folks for the dedication and professionalism that you have shown to me, the community, and to all the people that come here.” 

In just six months, Gerald has overcome his physical and cognitive deficits, returning to a life of independence. 

Since his discharge from the Centre for Neuro Skills, Gerald has returned to Santa Maria with his family and is getting back into his normal routine, which includes pickleball with his friends, relearning how to drive, and traveling. 

“He’s so independent now compared to how he was in the beginning,” said his wife, Beth. “It’s been quite a transformation.”

“It’s incredible. He’s made so many strides coming back from where he was…,” said Dr. Gabriel Wilds, a physiatrist at Arroyo Grande’s Acute Rehab. “It’s really been a blessing. We generally don’t get to see the final product and it’s incredible to see six months down the line what I’m promising a lot of patients is coming. We get a good foundation, but we don’t get the final product, so to actually see it is really special.”

Sanders, a former Righetti High school star athlete, was admitted to Marian Regional Medical Center on March 24 after he began vomiting and became dehydrated with elevated blood pressure. 

His stroke occurred the following morning, on March 25.

Three days after the stroke, Sanders was transferred to Arroyo Grande Community Hospital’s Acute Rehab. 

Sanders’ stroke affected the left side of his body. His ability to walk became limited and he began experiencing double vision.

The staff at Arroyo Grande’s Acute Rehab helped Sanders progress from a wheelchair to a hemi-walker in just a few weeks. Sanders regained the ability to dress and bathe himself, but still had more progress to make. 

On April 29, Sanders began post-acute rehabilitation therapy at Centre for Neuro Skills’ Los Angeles clinic. He and Beth made the more than two-hour commute to Los Angeles each week so that he could receive therapy five days a week. 

Sanders strengthened his legs and focused on regaining balance on the left side of his body through physical therapy. He used CNS’ innovative Zero-G Gait and Balance System technology and equipment to progress from needing only a cane to walk. 

Sanders regained strength on the treadmill and exercise bike and walked independently in just a few months. 

Through occupational therapy, Sanders regained strength and dexterity in his left hand. Vision therapy helped to improve his double vision and peripheral vision. He also learned to understand his complex emotions while recovering from his brain injury through one-on-one and group counseling.

“The Central Coast is a microcosm of health care,” Dr. Wilds said. “It’s a really small community, but it’s a good thing in the sense that we all get to know each other. To get the care from the start, to have the connection to know the people can come and get acute rehab on the Central Coast, it’s the only spot really between Santa Barbara and Salinas, to then be able to continue his rehabilitation through the connections that we have established throughout the community is huge.”

The special event also celebrated National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, which is held in the third week of September and showed how vital rehabilitation care services are on the Central Coast. Arroyo Grande Community Hospital’s Acute Rehab Center, which currently has 20 beds, will double its capacity with a new rehabilitation center planned in the near future. The Acute Rehab is the only unit of its kind in the area.

Click here for more information on the Acute Rehabilitation Center at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital.