On January 14, 2021, Lisa Yeager received one of those calls no one wants to receive—her 94-year-old mother, Lois Nowlin, had fallen at the facility where she was living and had been transported to MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. “I was very upset and having to rely on getting information over the phone versus in person due to COVID restrictions made the situation that much worse since my mom has dementia,” Lisa says. “But the nurse I spoke with at the hospital was very caring and kept me informed while my mom was in the ED.”
Lisa was soon told that her mom had broken her hip and needed a partial hip replacement. “At that time, I did not feel confident making an informed decision about moving forward with the procedure because I hadn’t talked to any of her doctors,” she says.
“A hospital associate immediately contacted an orthopaedic surgeon who called me from home to explain what was going on. I then received another call from the surgeon, who went over the procedure with me again to obtain consent to proceed. The surgeon called me after the surgery to assure me that my mom was doing great and after the procedure as well. This gave my family a true sense of peace.”
Her experience with the nurses who cared for her mom while she was recovering was just as positive. “I was calling several times a day to check on her and I was always treated kindly and respectfully. Then they arranged for me to visit her in person due to her dementia. While I was a bit apprehensive about it, I was also very grateful,” she says.
After several weeks in rehab, Lisa’s mom is doing well and has been moved to a new facility where she is now receiving the level of care she needs. “Everyone at MedStar Union Memorial is amazing and I truly appreciate all they did for me and my mom, especially during these difficult times,” she adds.
Lisa has since decided to make a philanthropic gift to the hospital as a way to express gratitude to the orthopaedic team for the care they provided.