“I’m telling everyone I know that if they need rehab, they need Valley View. You can’t ask for anything better.”

On June 13, Bill Gill was helping his friend who owns show horses when one of the horses spooked and Bill fell on uneven ground. It wasn’t a hard fall, Bill says, but it was enough to break his leg and necessitate immediate surgery and rehabilitation. After he was discharged from Hershey Medical Center, he needed a place to recover and heal so he could get back to his active life. He says that he found exactly what he needed with short-term rehab and physical therapy at Valley View Retirement Community.

Bill and his wife Sue live in Centre Hall, PA, just a short walk from Grange Fair, the 150-year-old encampment fair that draws crowds from across the country. Bill retired from the Department of Corrections, serving in institution utilities in prisons in both Huntingdon and Centre Counties. After retirement, the couple lived in Texas foreight years, where he worked on various ranches. Two years ago, the couple moved back to Central Pennsylvania, and, with saddle in tow, Bill started helping out with horses again.

At 85 years old, Bill has recovered from several surgeries over the years, including recovery from a serious car accident and quadruple bypass. “I’m active and I stay in shape,” Bill says. “I’m a fast healer.” But something about his recent stay at Valley View’s Rehab made a huge impact on him and his wife.

“I cried when we came to check out Valley View Rehab,” Bill’s wife Sue says. “It was so beautiful and clean. We were blown away by the reception that Bill got, from the minute he walked in the door.”

Her husband agrees. “It’s the cleanest, the staff is the most attentive, and they serve the best stewed tomatoes you can find anywhere.”

“Oh, yes,” Sue laughs. “I don’t make stewed tomatoes, so he was really happy that they served them there. The food was so good.”

Over the next few weeks, Bill got his fill of good food, but it’s the people that he talks about the most. “The Director of Admissions, Kammi, met us at the door on the very first day and made us feel so welcome. She’s a gem. In Rehab, you can hear the staff laughing and singing. You can tell that they enjoy their jobs, and they really care about the people who are there. You walk in, and everybody’s smiling.”

During his daily physical therapy, a team of physical therapists worked with him on a treatment plan so that he could get back to his active life. “They put me through the ropes, and after a few days, Therapist Seth Stouffer said, ‘You certainly have come a long way — you could barely wiggle your toes when you came in here.’”

“Recovery is a mindset,” Seth said about his time with Bill. “It is my job to help set your mind and establish a plan of care to help you achieve your goals. With Bill, that was easy, as his mind was already set.”

Two and a half weeks after he was admitted into Valley View Rehab, Bill was discharged and got home in time for lunch. He had a follow-up appointment with his general practitioner, where he recommended Valley View for anyone who has rehabilitation needs. On the day of this interview, Sue was baking her famous cheesecake while the couple got ready for out-of-state guests. Bill hadn’t made it back to helping his friend quite yet—but he was planning to make it there shortly. “Those horses miss me,” he said.

“I’m in no pain,” he said happily. “I couldn’t improve the care I got at Valley View. I’m telling everyone I know that if they need rehab, they need Valley View. You can’t ask for anything better.”