Charlene Hampton needed short-term rehabilitation after her second knee replacement, and The New Jewish Home’s therapists on the Upper West Side guided her to a smooth recovery.

When Charlene Hampton had her right knee replaced last September, she went directly home. But when her left knee was replaced earlier this year, her inner voice counseled her to do short-term rehabilitation therapy. “I heard my spirit speaking to me, and I moved the way my spirit told me to move,” she said. The doctor who performed both surgeries referred Charlene to The New Jewish Home.

“That second knee replacement was really amazing,” Charlene said. Her therapists, Dickson Madrid, Stacey Lefkowitz, and Lauren Murphy, made sure she worked diligently on her mobility and remained motivated. “The team was awesome. Every day at 10 a.m., they came to get me to make sure I got moving. They saw that I wanted to give 100%, and they gave 100%.” Shiny Mathew, Nurse Practitioner on Charlene’s care team, noted: “Throughout her rehab process Charlene was highly motivated to get better and made great progress!”

Charlene, 58, originally from South Carolina, has lived in Harlem for many years. For the past 20 years, she has worked in retail, as a visual merchandiser at stores including Old Navy, H&M, and T.J. Maxx. “When your eye is drawn to a certain section, that’s the work of a visual merchandiser,” she said.

At The New Jewish Home, Charlene had nothing but praise for everyone with whom she came into contact, from the nurses and doctors to the person who cleaned her room. “Everyone was very lovely and pleasant. That made my experience worthwhile.” She gave a special shout-out to her 91-year-old roommate—“a ray of sunshine.”

After two weeks of short-term rehabilitation, Charlene went home, where her recovery continued with outpatient therapy and a home health aide who helps her get out and walk.

Charlene reflected, “Knee replacement is not an easy journey, but in order to get your mobility back, it starts with you. The therapists are there to guide and direct you and help you. The whole team at The New Jewish Home treated me with respect and helped me stay in good spirits.”

“I thank God for my amazing adventure with my second surgery,” she said. “When you have compassionate people around you who want to see you excel, it makes you want to recover and get yourself back together.”