PLEASANT GAP – Stroke rehabilitation patient, Elroy Dixon, 68, of Morrisdale is very determined. “I think that’s one reason he’s improving so quickly,” his son, Alfred Dixon, R.N., says.
Alfred, also from Morrisdale, knows all about rehabilitation. Twenty years ago, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident, leaving him in the hospital in critical condition, with an amputation below the right knee. When Alfred was ready for rehabilitation, he went to HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital in Pleasant Gap.
“I had intensive physical and occupational therapy,” he says. My left leg also needed surgery and rehabilitation; I had to learn to walk again.”
Alfred’s positive experience with rehabilitation inspired him to become a nurse. “The HealthSouth nurses cared for me in a way that helped me maintain my dignity,” he says. “I wanted to pursue a career in nursing so that I could provide others with that same kind of care.”
As a registered nurse, Dixon has worked in many healthcare settings, including hospitals and nursing homes. Recently, when his father, Elroy, had a stroke, Alfred encouraged him to go to HealthSouth Nittany Valley for rehabilitation.
“When I was a patient there, it was a nice, clean, well-kept place with good nursing care,” Alfred explains. “I remember seeing the stroke patients improving in therapy. I knew it was the best place for my dad.”
When Elroy, is discharge to home, he will have the support of his family and his church, Gethsemane United Methodist Church, in Allport. “It’s good to know that when Dad leaves HealthSouth, he’ll be able to go home,” Alfred says. “Dad enjoys making rugs on his loom, and becoming strong again will help him get back to his favorite hobby.”
HealthSouth’s Stroke Rehabilitation Program has earned the Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification, the gold seal of approval in healthcare. For more information, visit www.nitttanyvalleyrehab.com or call 1-800-842-6026.
