“I think it’s important to remember that the person you are caring for is or was someone’s daughter or son, mother or father, husband or wife. And someday, that could be a loved one or even you.”
Jennifer Kuehn, PT, DPT, WCC
Director of Rehab
The Villas at Sunny Acres
“I realized after seeing more and more elderly patients come into the clinics with a smile on their face and appreciation for what we do, made me want to pursue these patients more and more.” #careersingaging19#whyicarepic.twitter.com/bZADlw6mtm
“I didn’t always know I wanted to work in aging services until after a few years in sports medicine. I was big into sports growing up and to this day, and always wanted to help athletes rehab from their injuries. I realized after seeing more and more elderly patients come into the clinics with a smile on their face and appreciation for what we do, made me want to pursue these patients more and more.”
Jeremy Nelson
Rehab Director & Physical Therapist
Carmel Mountain Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center
“We are not in the business of ‘curing’ anyone, which is the reason most people go into the healthcare field. We are in the business of helping others progress through the aging process with comfort and dignity.” #careersinaging19#whyicarepic.twitter.com/zbiUPjh7IC
“It is a career that will tug at your heart strings. Your days will be filled with a wide range of emotions and hard work, but at the end of the day, your heart will be full.”
Patty Fantauzzo
Therapy Program Manager
Julia Temple Health Care Center
Congratulations to the first two recipients of the ENspire grant program! Inaugural projects receiving ENspire funds include “Focused Occupational Therapy Interventions for Clients with Heart Failure in Skilled Nursing Facilities” and “Translating Evidence Based Mental Health interventions in a Skilled Nursing Facility Environment.”
ENspire is a seed money grant program designed to support therapy graduate students who want to elevate evidence-based therapy practice in post-acute rehabilitation and dignify long term care in the eyes of the world. More information and an application form can be found on the ENspire page.
Focused Occupational Therapy Interventions for Clients with Heart Failure in Skilled Nursing Facilities
The ultimate goal of the SNF is to help clients stabilize their medical conditions and attain their therapy goals so that they can return home (Orr, Boxer, Dolansky, Allen, & Forman, 2016). However, approximately 27% of heart failure (HF) clients are readmitted to the hospital after being discharged from the SNF (Allen et al., 2011). High readmission rates may be due to the cognitive, psychosocial, and lifestyle barriers HF clients face. However, interventions in the SNF tend to be emphasized on activities of daily living (ADLs) and therapeutic exercise (Rafeedie, Metzler, & Lamb, 2018). This project aims to create and implement a clinical pathway for occupational therapists (OT) within SNFs, in order to address patient barriers and improve the quality of care. To create the clinical pathway, needs assessments in the form of interviews and Likert surveys will be conducted at Ensign SNFs. The project team will create a clinical pathway addressing the identified gaps in OT practice with evidence-based research. The project team will present the clinical pathway to Ensign OTs in northern California. A survey will collect feedback from the OTs on strengths of the pathways, areas to improve, gaps to be addressed, areas of concern, and the likeliness that the pathway could be used effectively in a SNF. In addition, online modules and surveys will be created for Ensign OTs who cannot be at the presentation. The project team will incorporate the feedback into the clinical pathway and present the finished product to Ensign Facility Services.
Principal Contact: Elena Vaccaro
Study Collaborators: In Hwa Chae and Camille Schilling
Translating Evidence Based Mental Health interventions in a Skilled Nursing Facility Environment
The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a workshop and toolkit to enhance occupational therapists’ (OTs) skills in providing evidence based mental health interventions in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Based on the literature physical and social environmental factors are barriers limiting residents in achieving their highest occupational performance. Within a SNF, OTs are currently not practicing mental health interventions rather they are focusing on therapeutic exercise and therapeutic activities. OTs are expressing concerns in their scope of practice regarding being client-centered in a SNF due to the inability to engage residents in preferred occupations. Within the scope of practice, OTs are trained in mental health interventions and are skilled in analyzing environment and contextual factors that impact occupational performance. OTs are in a strong position to implement mental health interventions into a SNF. Due to the gap in service delivery, a workshop and a clinical toolkit will translate evidencebased mental health interventions for residents with a serious mental illness (SMI) in a SNF. This will equip OTs in the SNF to better serve the needs of residents with a SMI. The OTs participating in the workshop and receiving the toolkit are working in an Ensign affiliated SNF within the United States. The outcome measures of the project will come from surveys.
Principal Contact: Cecelia Ly-Peh
Study Collaborators: Jan Martha Conducto and Natalie Barrales
Our therapy teams are constantly striving for ways to drive excellent clinical outcomes and a thriving, passionate culture. The poster presentations from our 2018 Therapy Leadership Meeting are submitted from facilities across the country to tell the story about what sets us apart.
Check out some of the latest snapshots and video from the field, featuring the Therapy Team at Park Manor Rehab Center in Walla Walla, Washington. Thank you for sharing your accomplishments, Sonya Taylor, OTR/L, Director of Rehab!
Park Manor raised over $3,500 for the EEF (Ensign Emergency Fund) to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. The son of a PTA brought his piggy bank to pour into the EEF collection jar that was eventually filled with $240 in loose change!
Park Manor Therapy Team was represented in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Lots of bright colors and smiles to share!
Preparing a meal with the Park Manor team at the Christian Aide Center. PT and ST and her family helped with the cooking and OT and his family helped with the serving along with other Park Manor staff.
Fiddle Mitt – For our lower level dementia patients to utilize when restless.
As a director of rehab, you’re familiar with the challenges of finding therapists. Filling a critical opening can’t happen fast enough! Yes, you can hire a contractor or traveler, but filling a job this way often comes at a cost. The traveler may have the credentials, but culture-fit is often overlooked by therapy contracting companies, and this can be a problem. After all, the Ensign culture and core values are what makes an Ensign-affiliated facility more than a building with people. And because culture is critical, an idea was floated. Why not create a new traveling therapist position in the Ensign family? Place therapists who are not only qualified with credentials, but who also know and support the unique culture that is Ensign. These elite therapists would be available for temporary placement whenever and wherever they’re needed by an Ensign-affiliated facility.
And that’s how the TheraTrooper position came to life. TheraTroopers represent all disciplines–OT, PT, and SLP–and are called to serve our new builds, our most staffing-challenged, or newly acquired facilities.
Not a typical traveling therapist job
This isn’t a typical travel job where therapists get to call recruiters and say: “Hey! I want to go to Sacramento for three months,” and the recruiters say, “Hey! OK!” Instead, it’s more like: “Hey! We need you to go to Reno for three weeks until our new therapist starts! Then Sonoma for two to cover a vacation!”
If you’re a therapist looking to explore new cities, expand your professional network, and build lifelong relationships, then becoming a TheraTrooper is a great opportunity. As a full time TheraTrooper with Ensign Services, you are considered family, are treated like family. We are building a team of Special Forces therapists who thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing therapy work environment. It won’t be easy, and we realize this opportunity to serve our Ensign-affiliated facilities will be challenging, but with lots of love and support, and a few extra goodies gently placed in a care package, it is an opportunity worth exploring!
Check out the Therapy Jobs page and look for TheraTrooper positions to read job descriptions and apply online.
Ready for deployment!
First TheraTrooper Deployment
July 2017 – Mountain bike, check. Gas tank, full. Nav system set. Our first TheraTrooper is an adventurous empty-nester. She is traveling to Reno, Nevada, and then on to Santa Rosa, California. What a great opportunity to get out and see the country!
You could help someone recover from a personal tragedy?
You could help a colleague rebuild a home, a family, or even a life?
You could comfort hundreds of suffering people and let them know they are loved?
You can.
As part of the Ensign family you can do all of these things and more by joining the Ensign Emergency Fund. Contribute as little as a dollar a paycheck and Ensign Services will match your contribution to help your coworkers in a time of need.
Join this tangible example of our core value of loving one another and help us build something great!
Park Manor raised over $3,500 for the EEF (Ensign Emergency Fund) to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. The son of a PTA brought his piggy bank to pour into the EEF collection jar that was eventually filled with $240 in loose change!
Park Manor Therapy Team was represented in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Lots of bright colors and smiles to share!
Preparing a meal with the Park Manor team at the Christian Aide Center. PT and ST and her family helped with the cooking and OT and his family helped with the serving along with other Park Manor staff.
