WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday he has been released from a rehabilitation facility where he underwent physical therapy for a concussion caused by a fall earlier this month.
The 81-year-old Kentucky Republican said in a statement released by his office that he will be working from home for the next few days. The Senate is scheduled to recess for the week of April 3 and April 10.
McConnell was having dinner on March 8 after a hotel reception for campaign organizers aligned with him when he slipped and fell. In addition to the concussion, he also suffered broken ribs.
He was released from the hospital on March 13 and, on the advice of his doctor, moved to an inpatient rehabilitation facility for physical therapy and continued recovery.
Concussions can be serious injuries and take time to recover from. Even one incident of concussion can limit a person’s abilities during this period.
“I will follow the advice of my physical therapist and spend the next few days working with Kentuckians and the Republican Conference from home,” McConnell said in a statement. “I am in frequent contact with my colleagues in the Senate and my staff. I hope to return to the Senate as soon as possible.
Almost four years ago he tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky, breaking his shoulder which required surgery. The Senate had just begun its summer break, and he was working at home for a few weeks while he recovered.
In early childhood, he contracted polio and he has admitted some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs.
McConnell was first elected in 1984. In January, he became the longest-serving Senate leader when the new Congress convened, breaking the previous record of 16 years.