Fifty-three-year-old Matt Larsen from Boulder, Colorado, is a handyman contractor. He enjoys being active and healthy, participating in activities such as skiing, mountain biking, and hiking. He also enjoys cooking and spending time with his son.

Recently, Matt was diagnosed with pneumonia after he went to the hospital with increased shortness of breath and hypoxia, which is when parts of the body don’t receive enough oxygen to function properly.

After his initial treatment, the physician at the acute care hospital recommended that Matt continue to receive long-term acute and critical care at Northern Colorado Long Term Acute Hospital (NCLTAH) because of his very high oxygen needs. NCLTAH is nationally certified in Respiratory Failure by The Joint Commission, utilizing best practices and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for its patients.

Upon being admitted to NCLTAH, Matt required continued breathing support. He received 50 liters of oxygen at the acute care hospital before arriving at NCLTAH. Upon arrival at NCLTAH, he required 20 liters of oxygen. He was severely deconditioned, and unable to perform much therapy at first. Physical and occupational therapists helped to increase his strength and endurance while his lungs healed. Simultaneously, respiratory therapists provided him with treatments and techniques to open his airways and allow him to increase activity.

“The staff has all been wonderful – very polite, supportive, and energetic,” Matt says. “The therapy has been great. The therapists have given me a lot of movements and exercises to work on.”

Matt is now on 4 liters of oxygen and up to 10 liters when performing activities. He’s able to walk longer distances with a front-wheeled walker, and is very motivated to getting back to his active lifestyle. He plans to continue working diligently with his therapists so he can get back to walking independently, cooking, and enjoying the outdoors.