Client Spotlight: Bill Boyd

Bill Boyd came to us in August of 2015, eleven months after a severe stroke left him completely paralyzed.  Grasping the arm of his wife Dean and a four-point cane, Bill hobbled into the clinic eager to continue the hard work that brought him back to his feet.

By the time the Boyd’s had learned of NeuroHope, Bill had already made great progress in his recovery, but he still needed more therapy.

He depended on a bulky cane to walk, and he had little movement on the left side of his body, but the progress he had made up to that point was remarkable.  Unfortunately, even though Bill had progressed significantly since his stroke, the Boyd’s were confronted with a familiar narrative.  They were informed that Bill’s insurance had been capped.  It wasn’t the first time they heard it.

“They told us he wouldn’t improve anymore, and that it was as good as he was going to get,” said Dean. “The only place that would continue to see him charged $245 for a 15-minute visit. We couldn’t do that.”

In spite of Bill’s strides, the Boyd’s came to NeuroHope frustrated.  Not by his progress, but by their eleven-month struggle to keep Bill involved in the therapy he needed to maximize his recovery.   The stroke on September 22, 2014 left him “unable to wiggle a toe or move a finger”, yet three weeks later, inpatient insurance was capped and Bill was in a nursing home.

“I hadn’t progressed much at that point,” says Bill. “I was still in a wheelchair and I had a long way to go.”

From the beginning, the Boyd’s recognized the importance of continuing physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Bill’s progress at the inpatient level proved it, which led to the Boyd’s decision to admit Bill into a nursing home where he would still receive daily therapy. Medicare allowed 100 days at the sub-acute level, which bought the Boyd’s valuable time.  When he was discharged from the nursing home, Bill was taking steps with a hemi-walker and had regained the use of his right arm.  But, he still needed more time.

Medicare covered home therapy visits for a short time, but the Boyd’s weren’t satisfied. They had witnessed Bill regain too much to give up, and they were determined to search for other rehabilitation options.  Even though his outpatient insurance was capped, the Boyd’s sought out rehabilitation hospitals to see if they could pay out-of-pocket for therapy services. Only one facility would entertain the idea, and with a $245 price tag for a 15-minute session, it simply wasn’t feasible.

Last August, the Boyd’s reached out to NeuroHope’s Director of Therapy, Nora Foster for advice. Nora was Bill’s first physical therapist at the inpatient level, long before NeuroHope opened. The timing was perfect, and Bill has been coming to NeuroHope two times per week ever since. In Bill’s seven months as a client, his progress has continued.   He has lost the four-point cane. He has gained strength, improved his balance, and worked tirelessly on improving his weaker left side.

“He’s progressed tremendously, especially in his arm,” says Dean.  “Everyone had given up on his arm, but he has grip and movement in the hand and shoulder.  He didn’t have that before he started at NeuroHope. He’s improved to walking in the home without a cane.  He even went golfing a few times and did some pitching and putting.  Our whole life was golfing, it was such a goal for him to be able to walk on the grass again.”

Bill has been fortunate in his recovery. He has had setbacks, but all recoveries have ups and downs. Dean credits her husband’s work ethic, and the fact they were lucky enough to avoid a lapse in care to his success.

“Nora has saved us twice” Dean says with smile. “I hate to think where we would be without her.”