When Dorothy Schwartz had hip replacement surgery in November last year at Maine Medical Center, she had no idea that she could choose Holbrook Health Center at Piper Shores for short-term rehabilitation.

Following a tip from a friend who let her know that Holbrook Health Center was available to both private pay and Medicare patients, Dorothy chose Holbrook for both Occupational and Physical Therapy as part of her recovery and rehabilitation process.

“When you have hip replacement surgery, you have a very limited initial range of motion,” explains Dorothy, a South Freeport resident and the Executive Director for the Maine Humanities Council in Portland. “You have to learn how to walk without putting weight on one foot. You have to learn how to get dressed, how to work in the kitchen, how to get your muscles working again.”

Holbrook Health Center provides short-term skilled rehabilitation services including physical, occupational, speech and some forms of IV therapy. Patients receive 24-hour nursing support and memory support services in a fully secure environment. In addition, Holbrook is the only health center in Maine to offer all private rooms. All rooms include phones and television, and there are adjoining private rooms for those couples that want to be together.

“I loved having a private room for my recovery,” says Dorothy, “it was one of the reasons for going there.” Holbrook also has a working kitchen so patients receiving occupational therapy can learn to navigate one of the most important rooms in the home.

“I was there over Thanksgiving last year, and I was able to have my family in for a Thanksgiving dinner at Piper Shores,” say Dorothy. “I never felt alone at Holbrook. The experience was tremendous, and the staff made me feel very confident in my recovery.”

Dorothy is fully functional now and feels that the good care she received at Holbrook Health Center made a big difference in her total recovery.

For more information short-term rehabilitation services at Holbrook, please contact Joan Anderson at 207-883-8700 ext. 127.