• If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing many things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. 
• When choosing safer activities, consider how COVID-19 is spreading in your community, the number of people participating in the activity, and the location of the activity. 

• Outdoor visits and activities are safer than indoor activities, and fully vaccinated people can participate in some indoor events safely, without much risk. 
• If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine. 

Boyd Nursing and Rehabilitation is pleased to share our newest success story of Ms. Alesa Mastin! 

Ms. Mastin came to Boyd Nursing for rehab the last of December following a recent knee replacement and complicated hospital stay that left her immobile and unable to care for herself at home. Medical challenges continued to test her will throughout her recovery, but she proved herself a fighter in overcoming COVID-19 in addition to her other medical complications. Initially, Alesa required the assistance of two therapists just to get her to the edge of the bed. She required total care for all mobility and self-care. Nonetheless, Alesa was motivated and willing to put in the hard work and effort to return home. Over the past three and a half months, Alesa has cooperatively and diligently completed an individualized rehab program of strength and balance training, gait training, and self-care training with emphasis on safety and compensatory strategies to regain her functional independence. 

Today, Alesa is walking 150ft with a rollator walker and is performing self-care activities with supervision assistance! This improvement enables Alesa to now return home with the support of her family. Alesa, everyone at Boyd Rehabilitation Center is happy to have been part of your successful recovery and glad to see you reunited with your family and cat, Bella. We wish you the best! 

In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: ^± 

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine 

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated. 

If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Talk to your healthcare provider. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions. To learn what ways to protect yourself and others click here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html 

There are several ways you can look for vaccination providers near you. 

• Visit Vaccines.gov to find vaccination providers near you. In some states, information may be limited while more vaccination providers and pharmacies are being added. Learn more about COVID-19 Vaccination Locations on Vaccines.gov. 
• Text your zip code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find vaccine locations near you. 
• Check your local pharmacy’s website to see if vaccination appointments are available. Find out which pharmacies are participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. 

• Contact your state health department to find additional vaccination locations in the area. 
• Check your local news outlets. They may have information on how to get a vaccination appointment. 

Boyd Nursing and Rehabilitation is excited to share the successful recovery of resident, Mrs. Norma Williamson. 

Mrs. Williamson came to Boyd Nursing for rehabilitation on Christmas Eve following an extensive hospital stay.  This was a difficult transition for her during the holiday season, however Norma proved herself willful to return home.  Upon coming to Boyd, Norma presented with a host of complications and underlying impairments including severe weakness, immobility, swallowing issues, weight loss, and inability to care for herself. 

Over the course of the following 3 months, Norma actively worked with her rehab team of Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists as well as our skilled nursing and dietary professionals to regain her strength and mobility, improve her nutritional intake and dietary level, and restore her to her prior level of functional independence of requiring very minimal physical assistance from caregivers. 

It was an extra blessing this Easter to see Mrs. Williamson return home to her loving family.

Now that there are authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, accurate vaccine information is critical and can help stop common myths and rumors. Read about some common myths here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html 

How do I know which COVID-19 vaccine information are accurate? 

It can be difficult to know which sources of information you can trust. Before considering vaccine information on the Internet, check that the information comes from a credible source and is updated on a regular basis. Learn more about finding credible vaccine information.  

After getting vaccinated, you might have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. Common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling in the arm where you received the shot, as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea throughout the rest of the body. These side effects could affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Learn more about what to expect after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.