One step at a time: a
physical therapist’s
guidelines for better ‘PT’
BY SONIA RAPAPORT, PHYSICAL
THERAPIST AND REHABILITATION
INSTRUCTOR, PARTNERS IN CARE
When recovering from a serious
injury, stroke, major surgery, or a debilitating
condition, help is necessary
to regain strength, coordination, and
balance, in order to live your life as independently
as possible. As a Physical
Therapist and Rehabilitation Instructor
at Partners in Care, the home care
organization where I work, and its affi
liate, The Visiting Nurse Service of
New York (VNSNY), my colleagues and
I work closely with our clients to combine
the latest medical knowledge and
the most up-to-date technologies with
hands-on care. We also develop goals
for recovery and create a plan of care
that helps our clients develop the skills
and confi dence they need to regain independence.
In recognition of National Physical
Therapy Month, here are a few pointers
about the many ways physical therapy
can be of benefi t, and how your physical
therapist can work with you to provide
optimal rehabilitation at home.
Assess Safety – First and foremost,
your physical therapist will assess
the safety of your home environment.
This means ensuring that the space of
your home is clear of obstruction and
screened for falls risks–a safe recovery
or rehab cannot be made in a danger
zone!
Do You Need a Mobility Device? –
Your physical therapist will then determine
if a mobility device, such as a
walker or cane, is needed to assist your
recovery and provide you with additional
support when necessary. Mobility
devices can prevent falls and further
injury, and can also be helpful in
regaining strength, coordination, and
independence.
Develop a Care Plan – A care plan
based on your physical therapist’s recommendations
and your personal goals
will be developed to make certain that
a clear line of communication is open,
priorities are aligned, and rehabilitation
is optimized.
Instruct Proper Body Movement and
Positioning – Excessive strain on joints
and muscles while rehabilitating can
initiate further damage and stunt the
recovery process. Through physical
therapy, you will be instructed on gait,
learn how to conserve your energy, and
teach you how to distribute your weight
while moving and walking so that
you’ll have less pain and recover more
steadily.
Encourage Physical Activity – A
body in motion stays in motion! Keeping
active is an essential part to recovery,
and one of the most signifi cant
challenges that your physical therapist
will help you overcome safely. Your
physical therapist will develop exercise
programs to target trouble areas, enhance
balance and coordination, build
up strength and stamina, and maintain
muscle mass,
Educate on Proper Care – Your physical
therapist will instruct you and
your caregiver on proper around-theclock
rehabilitation, which will include
introduction of an exercise schedule, a
list of things to avoid, and what to do
if additional assistance is needed. Appropriate
and thorough information is
just as vital as physical strength when
it comes to healing.
Observe Progress – During each session,
your physical therapist will monitor
your progress and adjust your care
plan accordingly. Close observation is
key to proper care and full recovery.
When undergoing physical therapy,
it’s natural to feel discouraged by challenge,
or lack of independence, but observing
your progress will show you
how far you’ve come–one step at a time.
Sonia Rapaport is a physical therapist
and rehabilitation instructor with
the Visiting Nurse Service of New York
and its private pay affi liate Partners in
Care. For more information please visit
www.PartnersinCareNY.org or www.
VNSNY.org, or call (212) 609-7700.
Community Board 10 Public Notice
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 88 CTOBER 11-17, 2019 BTR
TRIBORO CTR. CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE
Notice is hereby given that the following
matters have been scheduled for
public hearing by Community Board 10
- Thursday, October 17, at 7 p.m. at Riverbay
Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue,
Room 31.
A public hearing with respect to the
2021 Capital and Expense Budget Priorities.
Members of the CB 10 community
are encouraged to bring forth ideas/suggestions
for the board’s 2021 Capital and
Expense Budget Priorities and present
them at this public hearing. Ideas/suggestions
may also be submitted via email
to CB 10: bx10@cb.nyc.gov; write
“2021 Budget Priorities” in the subject
line of the e-mail.
Land Use Review Application
200088ZMX. A public hearing with respect
to the request by New York City
Department of City Planning for a zoning
map amendment to rezone Block
5141 Lots 101, 102 and a portion of Lot
110 in the neighborhood of Baychester
in CB 10. The land that constitutes the
proposed rezoning area is all privatelyowned,
and the zoning map change proposes
a district change from C7 to C8-2.
Triboro Center residents and staff members recently observed Hispanic Heritage
Month. The event, which was put on by Triboro’s recreation staff, offered cuisine
such as bacalao, empanadas, chips and salsa as well as rice, beans and chicken.
(Above) Triboro Center staff holds up fl ags of various Spanish-speaking countries
to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Photo courtesy of Triboro Center
BY LYNN GERBINO
Our next meeting
will be held on Tuesday,
October 29, at 7:30 p.m. at
the Villa Barone Manor.
Our guest speaker will
be Sam Kornfi eld from
NYC Offi ce of Emergency
Management who
will give a presentation
on emergency preparedness.
We may have other
speakers but there has
been no confi rmation at
this time.
We will also talk
about the latest information
on the 2800 Bruckner
Boulevard issue
with Miracle City and
also any issues related to
the community.
All are welcome, we
look forward to seeing
you on the 29th.
If you need to contact
us, message us on our
Facebook page, Throggs
Neck Homeowners Association
or call us on (718)
823-0327.
Have a great week.
See you soon.
BY AL D’ANGELO
Thursday night the
Morris Park Association
and the parade
committee honored this
year’s honorees and
their families at a dinner
at the association.
Grand Marshal Frank
Vignalli and Deputy
Grand Marshal Carol
Ann Pagnosi Gilligan
were presented awards
and this year’s Miss Columbus,
Maria Terzulli,
received a $5,000 scholarship
from the Pope
Foundation.
Chris Alessandro
and Carmine Torchetti
are working on the line
of march for Sunday’s
Bronx Columbus Day
Parade which will kick
off at noon, Sunday, October
13, at Wallace Avenue.
The day will start
with 10 o’clock Mass at
St. Dominick’s Church,
followed by a breakfast
sponsored by Councilman
Mark Gjonaj. All
that’s left is to pray for
nice weather. Morris
Park Association treasurer
and parade chairman,
Chris Alessandro
and second vice president
Carmine Torchetti,
have done an outstanding
job organizing this
year’s parade.
There seems to be
an attack on our Italian
heritage. First the Columbus
statue and Columbus
Day came under
attack, then Charlene
McCray, the mayor’s
wife, decided there
were not enough statues
of prominent women
displayed in the city; a
vote was taken to decide
which women the public
felt deserved a statue
to be erected in their
honor. The public sent
in over 2,000 names. Unlike
Ms. McCray, they
took into consideration
accomplishments, not
political correctness.
The overall winner,
by far, was Mother
Cabrini, a woman who
dedicated her life to immigrants
and orphans
and was sainted by the
Catholic Church. Why
ask for a vote if you’re
going to do what you
want anyway? She
chose a politician and
a singer, who struggled
with drug addiction,
over a woman who dedicated
her life working
with the least served
people in our society. Instead
of listening to the
people she decided what
was best. Is this democracy
in action? Every
new Yorker should be
incensed by her decision.
link
/www.VNSNY.org
/www.VNSNY.org
/www.PartnersinCareNY.org
/www.PartnersinCareNY.org
/VNSNY.org
link