Torrene's Story
Pittsburgh native Torrene Anderson, 53, enjoys swimming and listening to music. In his younger years, he worked as a lifeguard and a construction laborer. Struggles with mental illness led to some difficult years for Torrene—he lost his housing and became homeless. Without employment or access to medications, Torrene’s physical and mental health continued to deteriorate. His sister and children lost track of him and he was in and out of hospitals and clinics for frequent infections and dialysis treatments.
One infection was so severe, doctors had to amputate Torrene’s lower left leg. Due to his circumstances and lack of resources, Torrene failed to return for a prosthetic appointment and did his best to get by on the streets using a wheelchair for mobility and scavenging for food. “I felt scared all the time,” Torrene recalled of this dark period.
While in custody of the county for a mental health evaluation, Torrene admitted to Heritage Valley Beaver Hospital for worsening skin infections. In addition to his unhealed wounds, doctors determined Torrene was facing a bacterial blood infection that had inflamed the inner lining of his heart. They treated the blood infection with intravenous antibiotics and dialysis. After two months of treatment, Torrene was transferred to Allegheny General Hospital for additional medical assessment and continued treatment with powerful antibiotics to stem the infection from ravaging his body. After a month of treatment, Torrene was medically stable and his physicians referred him to Select Specialty Hospital – McKeesport for specialized critical illness recovery treatment.
Upon arrival to Select Specialty Hospital, Torrene met with his physician-led multidisciplinary team including nurses, pharmacy, case management and physical and occupational therapy.
“When I got here, I felt lost. I was not able to walk and had lost my wheelchair. I had no place to live and no money. I was looking for help,” Torrene said.
Torrene’s case manager got to work right away. Using her professional resources, she connected with Torrene’s Social Security Administration (SSA) representative payee. This individual was appointed to manage Torrene’s beneficiary payments, but like his family, had lost track of his whereabouts and had no way to contact him. The case manager reconnected Torrene and his payee to restore access to his funds. The case manager also reached out to members of Torrene’s family—a sister, as well as a son and daughter—who were happy to learn his whereabouts and that he was getting help.
Meantime, the pharmacist reviewed Torrene’s medication to make sure his physical recovery and mental health needs were met. Nursing also provided key support—ensuring he took his medication as scheduled, received dialysis when needed and felt safe and supported.
It was a pivotal time for Torrene’s physical and emotional well-being.
“I knew it was going to be ok when they told me the case manager was going to help me… and that everyone at Select Specialty Hospital would do what they could. The case manager found that I had some money in a bank that I didn’t know about. She got in touch with my family—my daughter bought me all new clothes and my son cut my hair,” Torrene said.
While the case manager was doing her work, physical therapy was also helping Torrene strengthen his lower body in preparation for being fitted for a prosthesis. With his therapist’s guidance, Torrene engaged in single-leg squats, leg raises and stretching exercises to build the strength and control he would need to support himself on a prosthetic leg.
Meantime, occupational therapy worked with Torrene on building upper body strength using resistance bands and handheld weights. These exercises strengthened his core and arms muscles so he could slide his body from the side of the bed into a wheelchair or chair. His increased arm strength also prepared him for daily self-care tasks such as dressing, brushing teeth and grooming.
Torrene’s biggest concern about leaving the hospital was what would happen next. He didn’t want to go backwards--he wanted to progress in life and live as independently as possible.
Torrene’s Select Specialty Hospital team worked together to set him up for success. Torrene’s physician contacted a brace company to begin pre-prosthetic training and arranged for a follow up appointment so he could get fitted for a prosthetic, three years after his lower leg amputation. His case manager worked with Torrene’s daughter to transition him to a nearby skilled nursing facility for continued care.
After two weeks at Select Specialty Hospital, Torrene said goodbye to the team. He looks forward to continuing to work toward his prosthetic fitting and enjoying the simple joys in life: “I am most excited to sit outside and feel the sunshine.”