An older man using a walker walks slowly down a hallway in what appears to be a medical or care facility. A woman beside him, smiling, offers support by holding a gait belt around his waist. The hallway is softly lit with doors on both sides.

Back on His Feet and Back at the Table

"I feel better now since I can walk to the dining room to eat meals with everyone else." Jerry

Jerry didn’t just work toward recovery. He worked toward getting his life back.

A proud U.S. Army Veteran who served during the Vietnam War, Jerry arrived at Marquis Piedmont needing full support for nearly every part of his day. He relied on a wheelchair and Hoyer lift for transfers, and severe swallowing challenges meant eating and drinking safely weren’t possible.

But for Jerry, progress wasn’t measured in charts or checklists. It was measured in moments.

His goal was simple, and deeply personal: walk through the community when his wife came to visit, sit in the dining room, and enjoy meals with friends again.

The Consonus therapy team built a plan around those goals. Physical therapy focused on strength, balance, and safe walking. Speech therapy introduced targeted swallowing strategies and exercises to protect his airway and rebuild confidence at mealtime.

Six months later, the difference was clear:

  • Walking more than 200 feet with a rolling walker
  • Safely eating a regular diet with standard liquids
  • Following a personal routine to keep building strength after discharge

 

By the time Jerry returned to the dining room, on his own two feet, he wasn’t just stronger. He was independent again. And that’s what this work is really about: helping people return to the routines, moments, and connections that make life feel like theirs again.

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