The Village at Marymount’s new community reintegration program gives residents tools for healthier lifestyle
After undergoing three surgeries, Mary Ragona was finally able to savor the fruits of her labor by creating and enjoying a healthy parfait in the kitchen of The Village at Marymount’s Rehabilitative Services Department.
The Solon resident prepared the parfait as part of the wellness component of The Village at Marymount’s new community reintegration program. The program is designed to individualize a resident’s treatment plan, allowing therapists a more comprehensive evaluation of the resident’s progress.
With a better understanding of the resident’s progress, therapists can help them to achieve their rehabilitation goals quicker and with greater results. The resident benefits by having the ability to function better – both at home and when they are out and about in their community – after surgery.
"We realize that it is important for our residents not only to return home safely, but also to return to their community in a safe manner," said Laura Shopp, Director of Rehabilitative Services, who helped to implement the program in June. "Many residents don't have the support necessary to do their own shopping and banking when they return home. Once they complete our program and go home, they have the endurance and strength needed to do whatever it is they need to do."
Ragona said she is not only better equipped to do her grocery shopping and make trips to the bank, but she now has the knowledge and tools needed to prepare healthy foods and integrate them into her diet. "I was at The Village at Marymount for about two weeks doing therapy before the therapists took me grocery shopping," Ragona said. "They prepared lists of food items for me of what I should and shouldn't buy while shopping."
Once residents complete physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy, they advance to the wellness component of the program. Residents who achieve a fair level of physical balance and endurance are taken grocery shopping, taught the importance of selecting the right foods, and shown how to prepare healthy meals.
"The community reintegration program is just another of our many innovative programs designed and created with the resident's total care plan in mind," said Sue Nall, RN, LNHA, Executive Director of The Village at Marymount.
Now that Ragona has returned home, she is looking forward to continuing with her exercises and preparing meals for her husband, Victor. "I really liked this program and found all of the therapists to be excellent and helpful. At some point I can go shopping on my own, but until then I have (Victor) to go with me."
