Live Better Longer

As we enter the peak summer months, it seems like the perfect time to discuss the significance of staying hydrated. We often hear the advice to drink plenty of water, and today, FOX Rehabilitation clinician Meagan Aponas, OT, will shed light on why it is crucial and why many older adults fail to prioritize it. Meagan will unveil the potential consequences for older adults who do not consume adequate fluids, such as increased chances of experiencing dizziness, urinary tract infections, poor circulation, headaches, and reduced energy levels. Additionally, she will share valuable tips and reminders on the most effective methods to maintain hydration and explore healthy alternatives to water if you crave variety.

This week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast features FOX’s Noah Pennypacker, PTD, OTR/L, ATC, who talks about older adult patients who have been diagnosed with “low vision.” He discusses how to treat someone with macular degeneration, a disease that affects a person’s central vision, and explains the importance of clinicians, patients, and caregivers leaning into technology. Noah also shares an incredible story about a patient who was able to rekindle a passion she thought was lost forever. If you’re in search of tips to help your patients with low vision, Noah delivers a bunch in this episode. We close out this week with another round of “The Acronym Challenge,” which Noah was brave enough to take. How will he do? Listen to find out!

This week on FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast we welcome back Director of Lamp and Light Productions and stage actor, Matthew Moore, and his fellow cast mate and Lead Instructor of Boxland Academy, Krista Stauffer. Matt and Krista take us through their two-person play What I Didn’t Say: A Journey Through Parkinson’s, which—to shine a broader spotlight on Parkinson’s Awareness Month—will be performed in multiple cities in the next few weeks. Matt and Krista talk about how they met, the early workshopping of their play, and the incredible response they’ve received so far. Every performance is also followed by a talkback, where audience members are invited to ask questions and express opinions about the play with the actors, medical professionals, and individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. As someone with Parkinson’s, Matt expresses his hopes for what people take away from Parkinson’s Awareness month and explains how anyone else with the disease and their care partners can watch the play gratis. For those who want to help support What I Didn’t Say: A Journey Through Parkinson’s, you can donate via GoFundMe.

Who better to celebrate OT Month with than Satvika Garg, Ph.D, PTR/L, Chief Scientific Officer of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, and Joan Toglia, Ph.D, FAOTA, distinguished educator and preeminent OT expert on functional cognition? In a seminar-worthy edition of FOX Rehabilitation's Live Better Longer podcast, Dr. Garg explains the role of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, how they work in conjunction with the American Occupational Therapy Association, how resources are pulled together for funding, and how those actions are then turned into game-changing research that gets rolled out into everyday clinical practice. In addition, Dr. Toglia gives extraordinary insight into breakthroughs that have been made in the assessment of functional cognition and the importance of always treating and knowing each patient as an individual. Dr. Garg and Dr. Toglia answer some questions from FOX clinicians and let us know what they will be doing to celebrate Occupational Therapy Month.

To celebrate the kickoff of Occupational Therapy Month, we decided to chat with FOX Rehabilitaion's Jaydra Smith, OTR/L, who discusses what initially got her interested in pursuing the discipline. As you’ll soon discover, it happened for her at a young age after an excited phone call from her great-grandfather. Jaydra began shadowing clinicians as far back as high school, and when she entered college, she hit the ground running. Like any great clinician will tell you, Jaydra’s first passion is having the skill and ability to change the lives of her patients, giving them back valuable function that they never thought they would see again. Jaydra talks about the importance of creativity in her profession, gives advice to anyone who wants to follow a similar career path, and ponders what she will do to celebrate OT Month.

This week on FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast we are joined by Yasmin Keats, Executive Director of Open Style Lab, a non-profit organization that is on a mission to make style accessible for everyone, regardless of cognitive and physical abilities. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Open Style Lab started as a public service project following the tragic events of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and has since grown into a successful non-profit whose core fundamentals center around research, education, and informing the public about inclusive design and how it empowers people living with disabilities, bringing them joy, identity, and self-expression. Yasmin takes us through her journey of living with a disability and how it eventually led her to work with Open Style Lab. Yasmin also discusses Open Style Lab’s summer workshop which sees an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, engineers, designers, and people with disabilities working on functional fashion that is supportive and stylish for all.

Abolishing ageism is not only the mission of FOX Rehabilitation, on this week’s episode of the Live Better Longer podcast, we discover that The Pacemakers are all about shattering aging stereotypes, too. We chat with the Founder and Artistic Director of The Pacemakers—the self-proclaimed “groovy senior citizens dance team”—that has been seen spreading joy at athletic events, workshops, street fairs, and most recently at Dr. Tim Fox’s Carole B. Lewis Lecture at CSM 2024. Susan explains how she transitioned from journalist to dance team leader and how she turned a bout of cyberbullying into the spark that created The Pacemakers. Susan gives us the lowdown on what it takes to be part of this elite squad (who range in age from 60-85 years old), how they have inspired others to keep shaking their groove thing, and their plans for 2024 and beyond. If you listen to one podcast this week, you’d be foolish not to listen to the origin story of the greatest older adult dance team we’ve ever seen!

FOX Founder, Dr. Tim Fox, often says that he wants to be seen riding his dirt bike when he’s 100 years old. The point of his message is clear: age should not dictate your level of activity or prevent you from doing what you love. We think Dr. Fox would enjoy hanging out with this week’s Live Better Longer podcast guest, 81-year-old Howard “Abe” Abel, who continues to stay active by splitting and stacking wood. Reading that on paper may raise some eyebrows, but after seeing the results—and realizing that the quality of his work probably can’t be matched by someone three times his junior—what someone might think is impossible is just another afternoon of work for Abe, who chops away at ageism one log at a time. Find out what keeps this 81-year-old Paul Bunyan going and how long he plans on continuing to wield his chainsaw.

In honor of International Women’s Day, which happens annually on March 8, we have invited back FOX Rehabilitation Regional Director, Audra Vellucci, PT, MPT, to take over our hosting duties. In what has become a yearly tradition, Audra will share a conversation with other women colleagues to discuss their paths in leadership. This year, Audra speaks with FOX Compliance Officer and Director of Regulatory Affairs, Megan Henninger, PT, DPT, GCS, and FOX Regional Director, Kate Bruno, OTD, OTR/L, CAPS, CDP. Audra digs into their origin stories, their first leadership positions, and how everyone balances work, life, and family. Because the three have been friends for a while, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of this candid conversation. Audra, Megan, and Kate give advice for future women leaders, shout out people who have supported them in their professional careers, and end the episode by naming a Golden Girl that best matches their personality.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast, we speak with FOX physical therapist, Santhosh Philip, who will tell you everything you need to know about applying for and being sponsored for an H-1B visa, which allows workers from other countries with a specialty occupation—like physical therapy—to be hired by US employers. Santhosh explains why he wanted to relocate from India to the United States of America and walks through the process of obtaining an H-1B sponsorship. He also gives helpful tips and advice for anyone else who is thinking of working abroad in the US and explains how he discovered and eventually was hired by FOX Rehabilitation.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by FOX Regional Director, Joe Nocera, PT, DPT, LSVT, who talks about his journey with anxiety and depression, and why it is essential to make mental health a priority. Joe describes the emotional impact of working in senior living during the COVID pandemic, which experienced unprecedented loss. Joe also explains that while clinicians are experts at caring for others, that practice does not always translate to taking care of oneself. Joe gives tips on how a treating clinician can focus on their mental wellness and reveals the professional benefits of finding a work-life balance.

On the season 6 premiere of FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by FOX Quality Assurance & Professional Development Clinical Specialist, Jenn Freda, PT, DPT, GCS, CDP, who will help us preview APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting, which is taking place in Boston this week. Jenn will walk us through the mindset of a clinician looking to get the most out of their conference experience. She also shares what’s involved in delivering a poster presentation and another session she will be presenting with a group of colleagues—Impact of Home-Based Therapy on Hospitalization Risk in Older Adults With High-Cost Chronic Conditions. Jenn also expresses her excitement about attending the 2024 Carole B. Lewis Lecture which will be delivered by FOX Founder, Dr. Tim Fox on Friday, February 16, 11 am ET. We also look at some things to do in Boston during pockets of downtime. Join us as we kick off a new podcast season and preview the biggest physical therapy conference of the year!

The Season 5 finale of FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast is going out with a super-sized episode! First, we’ll be joined by Kaitlin McGeary, PT, DPT, GCS, who recently interviewed her patient, Claire Greenawalt. The two talk about how to keep the holidays healthy and nutritious, despite all the temptations that find their way into the kitchen come the end of December. As you’ll find out, the goal isn’t to not have any fun but to be self-aware, and accountable and make sure you don’t overdo it. Katilin also tells us what goodies she’ll bring home to Pittsburgh during the holidays. We’ll later be joined by Maureen Colket, MA, CCC-SLP, and Anne Mironchik, MS, CCC-SLP, who just returned from the 2023 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Convention in Boston. Maureen and Anne give tips on how to best take in a conference, including challenging and pacing yourself while still enjoying the host city. Our two SLP all-stars will also let us know how they’ll be enjoying the holiday season.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by stage actor and artistic director of Lamp & Light Productions, Matthew Moore, and FOX Rehabilitation’s, Annie Goldman, PT, DPT, NCS. In 2019, Matthew was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and subsequently met Annie after he was referred for physical therapy. Annie discusses how physical therapy can be used to treat Parkinson’s and also stresses the importance of truly knowing your patient. Matthew echoes this sentiment from a patient’s perspective and then details how the things he really wanted to express to clinicians, neurologists, and care partners came out in the form of a play he wrote, titled, What I Didn’t Say: A Journey Through Parkinson’s. Drawing from his own experience, as well as other people he interviewed with Parkinson’s disease, Matt was able to create an outlet to raise awareness about his condition and others living with Parkinson’s—a nervous system disorder that affects nearly one million Americans. His production will tour the states in 2024, including stops in Birmingham, Alabama; Columbus, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For those who want to donate to his project, they can do so via GoFundMe.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by acclaimed leader and innovator in the area of rehabilitation and optimal aging, Dr. Carole B. Lewis, and FOX’s Aaron Baldridge PT, DPT. Carole and Aaron talk about their upcoming webinar, Decrease Your Workload and Still Give Great Care, which is happening on Saturday, December 9, from 12-3 pm ET. Without giving away too many spoilers, Carole and Aaron explain how you can use evidence-based practices out in the field that can save clinicians hours of time, while still providing excellent care for their patients. Carole also breaks down a couple of particular videos on her YouTube channel, Exercise for Aging Well, and how she’ll be spending her Thanksgiving this year.

We often speak with FOX clinicians on the Live Better Longer podcast, but on this week’s episode we get to hear things from a patient’s perspective: What led them to FOX Rehabilitation? How have they benefitted from therapy? How soon did they notice results? FOX’s Jackie Loeshelle, PT, DPT, suggested that we chat with her former patient, Ron Ellis. At 87 years old, Ron lives in New York City and has received both physical and occupational therapy from FOX. As the conversation unfolds, we also find out more about Ron’s life and discover that not only did he work for NASA on a moon mission, but later got into filmmaking and actually won an Oscar at the 1980 Academy Awards.

This week on FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast, we welcome back FOX physical therapist, Lauren Dillon, PT, MSPT, GCS, CDP, who tells the story of her patient Chip, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, who was having various mobility issues, exacerbated by a broken ankle. To make it easier for Chip to get in and out of his house, it was recommended that he get a ramp. That is when Lauren took matters into her own hands. She contacted Twilight Wish, a foundation that was created to give older adults hope by granting them a special request of their choosing. Lauren takes us through the entire process, from nomination to taking measurements, to getting estimates, and to finally witnessing the reaction of Chip and his family when they found out that he would indeed be receiving his wish, which culminated in a dedication event where Chip was able to use his brand-new ramp for the very first time.

On the latest edition of FOX Rehabilition's Live Better Longer podcast, Jaclyn Butensky, MS, OTR/L, joins us to talk about sleep hygiene. First, Jaclyn defines this behavioral and environmental practice and then explains its importance and various health benefits. Jaclyn takes us through an occupational therapist’s role in helping an older adult patient establish a healthy sleep routine and what to do when someone’s sleep hygiene may be getting away from them. We will then discover that sleep hygiene differs from person to person and that there are several things that can be done during the day that make it easier for someone to sleep at night. Jaclyn sheds light on this concept that many patients overlook and may not even realize the impact it has on their day-to-day health.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast, FOX physical therapists, Rachel Glaser Cherewaty, PT, MSPT, and Harrison Kerch, PT, DPT, talk about therapeutic alliance and the importance of patients and clinicians forming a bond and collaboration with one another. Truly knowing a patient—especially their emotional well-being—leads to better healthcare and outcomes. Rachel and Harrison discuss how to work with patients who may be difficult at first, or even afraid to receive treatment. They walk us through PROMs (Patient Reported Outcome Measures) and PREMs (Patient Reported Experience Measures), and also explain why making a treatment session engaging and entertaining should be prioritized.

Because we are fans of a good origin story, and to simultaneously celebrate National Physical Therapy Month, we thought this was a perfect excuse to hear about the journey Todd Forsyth, MSPT took to become a physical therapist and eventually join FOX Rehabilitation. Todd revisits his childhood, remembering when his grandmother was rehabbing both of her knees and the interest he took in helping with her exercise program. He considers her to be his first patient. Todd also spills on how we became an APTA Advanced Clinical Instructor, what led him to geriatrics, his philosophy on spreading joy to others, the best lesson he learned from a patient, and what he’ll be doing to celebrate National PT Month.