When Damaris Rodriguez needed therapy after a bout with pneumonia, she turned to The New Jewish Home and found talented therapists who provided effective care and treated her with respect.

As a physician assistant by profession, rehab patient Damaris Rodriguez knows good therapy when she sees it. And after a recent month-long stay at The New Jewish Home, Damaris gave her therapists rave reviews. “It was a great experience. They did an awesome job,” she said. “Patience, empathy, respect—it was beautiful.”

Damaris, 54, has lupus and pulmonary disease, which has damaged her lungs and made her susceptible to pneumonia. A recent bout was so severe that she couldn’t walk and spent nine days in bed before she managed to get to the ER. With two pockets of fluid in her lungs that the doctors couldn’t aspirate, they sent her directly from the hospital to The New Jewish Home for in-patient rehabilitation therapy.

“My therapists, Sara and Anafe, understood my pain,” she said. “They gave me exercises within my range, and they were respectful of issues I have with my hip. They helped me a lot; they diminished the pain.”

“Damaris came to us with generalized pain and weakness, but she had this incredible drive to work really hard to gain back her independence,” said Anafe Casas, Damaris’s occupational therapist. ”Her goal was to get better and go home, and she was a strong advocate for herself. Because she is a physician assistant and has a clinical background, she had a deep understanding of her body, and she taught us as well. It was a pleasure to work with her.”

In close partnership with her therapists, Damaris persevered and reached her goal. She’s now grateful to be back home. “When it comes to therapy at a skilled nursing facility, you’re number one,” she said. “The therapists are amazing. I would 100% recommend The New Jewish Home for therapy to all my family and friends.”

The New Jewish Home’s award-winning short-term rehabilitation programs and post-acute care in Manhattan and Westchester help patients get well, go home and get back to doing what they love.

Our Manhattan campus offers three centers for specialty rehabilitation care, including our Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center in partnership with Mount Sinai Health System, our Cardiac Rehabilitation Center with NYU Langone Medical Center, and the Center for Speech, Language, and Swallowing Disorders. Learn more about The New Jewish Home’s services and locations, including skilled nursing and adult day care.