When Recovery Doesn’t Go as Planned: How Infinity Aging Life Care Managers® Support Families in Bakersfield Through Setbacks
Recovery is rarely a straight line, especially for aging adults recovering from injury or surgery. Even with a strong support system and a solid plan, unexpected complications can interrupt progress and test confidence. That’s why many families rely on our team of Aging Life Care Manager® to guide them through these ups and downs.
At Infinity Care Solutions of Bakersfield, we’ve seen firsthand how setbacks like delayed healing, repeat surgeries, or emotional fatigue can affect recovery. With expert insight and a steady presence, our care managers help older adults stay focused on long-term healing even when the path forward gets bumpy.
Recovery Doesn’t Always Go According to Plan
Many older adults return home from inpatient rehab feeling optimistic and they want to get back to their usual life, only to discover they fatigue quickly, and may have new pain, new fears, or new barriers to independence. Whether it’s a complication like poor surgical alignment, increased fall risk, or emotional burnout, the result can be disheartening for both the individual and their family.
Common post-rehab setbacks include:
- Complications in healing (e.g., bone misalignment or surgical site issues)
- Pain that interferes with daily routines
- Emotional frustration or fear of reinjury
- Needing a second rehab stay or additional procedure
- Feeling like “progress has been lost”
- Confusing Medicare coverage
Without the right support, these setbacks can lead to serious injury, loss of motivation, or even depression.
The Steady Role of the Care Manager
Aging Life Care Managers® offer much more than logistical support. They serve as a consistent advocate through every phase of recovery, even when things go wrong.
Here’s how a care manager may help during and after a recovery setback:
1. Coordinating Continued Care
If a complication arises, the care manager helps schedule appointments with surgeons or specialists, ensures that follow-up rehab is personalized, and keeps communication flowing between care providers, clients, and families. They also make sure that new care plans align with previous progress, so hard work isn’t lost, just redirected.
2. Supporting Emotional Readjustment
When setbacks happen, emotional responses are normal. Clients may feel defeated, frustrated, or anxious about their future independence. They may seem snippy or grumpy with others around them. A care manager helps reframe the situation by:
- Acknowledging the difficulty without dismissing it
- Sharing stories of similar recoveries and realistic outcomes
- Reinforcing the idea that healing happens in stages, not all at once
This blend of realism and encouragement helps older adults feel grounded and supported, even during the most discouraging moments.
3. Planning the Return Home (Again)
For clients who need to return to rehab or repeat part of their recovery, coming home again can feel more nerve-wracking than exciting. The care manager makes sure every detail is in place:
- Updated home safety evaluations
- Adjusted therapy schedules
- Communication with physical and occupational therapists about new goals
- Reassessment of home care provider duties
- Emotional support for family members who may also feel overwhelmed
4. Redefining Progress
Many older adults measure recovery by time. A care manager helps shift the focus to milestones instead, like walking a certain distance without pain, getting dressed independently, or returning to favorite social activities.
This mindset shift keeps recovery realistic and rewarding.
Hope, Confidence, and Ongoing Support
At Infinity Care Solutions, we believe that every recovery, no matter how complicated, can be navigated with the right plan and compassionate support. Our care managers stay involved long after a client leaves the hospital or rehab center. From helping someone transition from a walker to a cane, to simply being a calm presence during hard moments, they walk alongside each client until strength, confidence, and independence are regained.
Recovery setbacks can feel like going back to square one, but with a care manager by your side, you’re never starting over. You’re moving forward with experience, guidance, and an expert partner who understands how to help aging adults succeed through life’s toughest moments.
Emily’s Home Recovery: A Tough Journey
Last month, Emily transitioned home from inpatient rehab after a broken leg and surgery with the help of her son Ben and their Aging Life Care Manager®. Home modifications and a caregiving aide helped Emily adjust to life at home while she faced the emotional frustration of her new weaknesses. Now, Emily is slowly starting to recover her confidence and independence but finds out that recovery is not always a straight line.
An Unexpected Setback
Emily is finally starting to adjust to life at home and regain strength and mobility. She notices that she is still feeling persistent pain and instability in her leg, but is hopeful that it will resolve itself over time. During one physical therapy session, Emily’s therapist brings up concerns about the alignment of Emily’s leg and encourages her to see the surgeon. The surgeon confirms the therapist’s fears: there is a slight misalignment in the healing process, which can be fixed with a minor corrective surgery. Emily is crushed, wondering if all her work to regain strength has been for nothing. The care manager reassures Emily that, while this is a setback, addressing the misalignment now will help Emily regain full mobility in the long run.
Back to Square One?
After the surgery, Emily returns to inpatient rehab, focusing on relearning weight-bearing techniques, pain management, and gentle mobility exercises. The care manager works with the rehab team to make sure that they understand Emily’s situation and can adjust their treatment accordingly. Mentally, Emily has to adjust to restarting a part of her recovery journey. The care manager supports Emily through this mental readjustment, drawing on her experience of similar setbacks with past clients. Emily feels better knowing that the advice she is getting from the care manager is based on years of experience, not stemming from a naïve optimism about the recovery process.
Home Again
After two weeks in rehab, Emily returns home again. This time, she is more pessimistic about regaining her independence. The care manager helps Ben coordinate outpatient therapy and talks with the physical therapist about setting updated goals based on Emily’s situation. Emily is cautious about trusting her leg too much, while still feeling frustration at the time it is taking to heal. The care manager talks to her about reframing the way Emily thinks about her progress. Instead of focusing on the time that recovery is taking, milestones should be measured by how well Emily is healing for long-term strength. With therapy and a reframed mindset, Emily reaches her first major milestone: successfully standing up and walking short distances without pain! Ben and the care manager celebrate this improvement with Emily, giving her the encouragement to keep working towards further goals.
Hope in Healing
Through the physical struggles, emotional frustration, and mental readjustments, Emily relied on the experience of the care manager to help her through. After Emily experienced another breakthrough in transitioning from a walker to a cane, she thanked the care manager for her support: “Your encouragement and calm approach to setbacks have given me the confidence I need to keep working towards recovery.” The care manager thanked Emily for her kind words and assured Emily that she enjoyed helping her regain independence and live the life that she loved again.
Read the previous installments of Emily’s story: