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Beechwood NeuroRehab Hosts Wheelchair Wash and Tune

April 9, 2022

Looking good and feeling good – the wheelchairs of Beechwood NeuroRehab have undergone some spring cleaning.

 

Therapy Aide Shelby Tibbetts created and hosted a “Wheelchair Wash and Tune” where chairs were cleaned, repaired, and examined for further fixes and replacement.

 

“The same way we want to have a clean house or clean car, they want – and deserve – a clean wheelchair,” Tibbetts said. “But they may not necessarily have the ability to do this, so we do this so their wheelchairs can be squeaky clean… It hurts me when they’re unclean, so I’ve really taken an interest in giving them attention,” Tibbetts said.

 

Beechwood held its first Wash and Tune in September 2020 with her, the help of some clinicians over their lunch, and wheelchair vendor NuMotion. Isolated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tibbetts felt the event would engage staff, residents, and the vendor positively and fill some of the time lost from closed programming.

 

The effects of the event reach far beyond just a clean set of wheels.

 

In addition to basic wheelchair care, the group also took inventory of everyone’s wheelchairs. With serial numbers cleaned off, Tibbetts created a massive spreadsheet detailing when each wheelchair was due for maintenance or complete replacement. The result: the team placed 20 wheelchair orders.

 

The Wash and Tune also helps build relationships with the vendor. Hosting weekly repair clinics and these clinics allows Beechwood to stay top-of-mind when services are needed.

 

This year, the wash was on two separate days, March 23 and April  5. On March 23, Tibbetts sought the assistance of our recreation department.With this help in hand, nearly 30 wheelchairs were washed and repaired. April 5 yielded a similar result.

 

Tibbetts began in a field far different than Beechwood. Originally a hairstylist, she would cut hair for clients. Her interests grew; she joined the staff and is now studying to become a Physical Therapy Aide at Harcum College.

Reading, Leading and Succeeding: Adam Greene Provides Woods with Online Storytime

October 20, 2020

Closures and safety procedures have changed routines during the coronavirus pandemic, and we are missing things we used to love to do.  For Adam Greene, one of the things he loved was reading books to students at Woods Services’ Gardner Education Center three days a week and for children at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in nearby Fairless Hills two Saturdays a month.  Volunteering to read aloud is something Adam, a resident of Woods’ Beechwood NeuroRehab program, has been doing regularly for several years.

 

“It has been absolutely a pleasure for me because I love to read the books that I do, and I love even better to see the kids enjoy the stories I’m telling,” Adam said.

 

Prior to the pandemic, Adam would spend whole days going from classroom to classroom at the education center, Adam’s occupational therapist, Samantha McKenna, MS, OTR/L, CBIS, said.  Teachers and students welcomed him into the classroom and also invited him for lunch, which enabled him to spend more time in their company, Adam shared.

 

Samantha noticed Adam was feeling disconnected and disappointed when, in March, due to COVID-19 precautions, these visits ended.  Now, his interactions were limited to his two roommates, the staff in his residence, and the therapists.  “He just wants to see people,” she said.

 

She thought, what if we did the reading online in order to give him a productive routine?  Thanks to her creative idea for using technology, Adam’s volunteering started a new chapter.

 

Now Adam’s routine includes setting the scene in his at-home studio by closing the blinds to make his space is camera-ready and sitting in what he and Samantha call his “Mr. Rogers chair.”  Where he once chose books from the school library or received recommendations from the Barnes & Noble staff, he now selects from among a stack Samantha took the lead in gathering from other therapists.  Samantha video records Adam reading and sharing the pictures from the books and then facilitates posting the online storytime to the Woods Facebook page.

 

Adam’s book choice for his debut recording on June 3 was “But Not the Armadillo” by Sandra Boynton.  He’s also read “Children Make Terrible Pets” by Peter Brown, “The Foolish Tortoise” by Richard Buckley and illustrated by Eric Carle, and two books by Dr. Seuss – “Oh, the Thinks You Can Think” and “Great Day for Up.”

 

His online reading also included a poem by Joyce Alcantara titled “You Will Never See Me Fall.”  Adam has an interest in poetry and is currently working with Samantha on writing a poem.  “It’s fun because I have a poem that I wrote when I was a younger person.  That’s what started my love for poetry,” he said.

 

While Adam waits to get back to the in-person reading, which he admits he would like best, he acknowledges one of the successful outcomes of moving forward this way is something that Samantha has shared with him.  “I know it goes out to a wider number of people and more people get to see me and hear my speaking,” he said.

 

Four months since his online storytime debut, his 10 recordings combined have received more than 7,100 views, 1,200 engagements (like, love and care emojis as well as comments and shares), and have been shared more than 50 times, including by Adam’s family and friends, Woods staff, and on the Facebook pages of Archway Programs, Beechwood Clubhouse, Beechwood NeuroRehab, and the Langhorne Borough government page.  Samantha relays the Facebook feedback with Adam while they are out on walks together and reads him the comments from each post.  He noted it is so pleasant to hear the names of the teachers again and remember their times together face-to-face. Clinically, Samantha added this has helped Adam with emotional regulation at a time when it’s needed more than ever.

 

The joy he gives back to the online audience is evident.  Among the praise he received is this comment from Facebook user Jeanine Beverly who wrote on his debut post, “Adam, thank you for my brighter-because-of-you day!  It really is what you are best at.”

 

Then, on a recent post, Mindy Ellen Goldstein commented: “Awesome!!! Thank you for sharing this!!!”

 

Adam replied:  “This is what I love to do.”

 

See below for links to Adam’s storytime posts on the Facebook page, and like Woods Services on Facebook for future read-alouds.  Woods has started posting the text for the books to make the online storytime accessible to those with hearing challenges.

 

“But Not the Armadillo” by Sandra Boynton posted on June 3

 

“Children Make Terrible Pets” by Peter Brown posted on June 16

 

 “Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!” by Dr. Seuss posted on June 25 

 

“You Will Never See Me Fall,” by Joyce Alcantara posted on July 17 

 

“The Foolish Tortoise” by Richard Buckley and illustrated by Eric Carle, posted on August 14

 

“Great Day for Up” by Dr. Seuss on August 25 

 

“I am Yoga” by Susan Vede on September 4

 

“Go Away, Dog” by Joan L. Nodset on September 16 

 

“Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?” by Dr. Seuss on September 26

 

“Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson on October 19

 

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Health, Wellness & Therapeutics

In an effort to improve communication, daily living skills and educational outcomes for both … Read More >

Vocational & Adult Day Services

We are committed to eliminating barriers and creating possibilities for achievement.   We … Read More >

Learning

Our school programs help students meet educational, emotional, behavioral and medical needs, while … Read More >

Having Fun

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We offer our individuals a full continuum of supports through our affiliates and various programs … Read More >

Copyright © 2023 Woods | Routes 413 & 213 | P.O. Box 36 | Langhorne, PA 19047-0036 | Ph: 215.750.4000 | E: communications@woods.org

  • .
  • About Woods
    • Our History
    • The Woods System of Care
    • Meet the Woods Services Leadership
    • Meet the Woods Services Board of Trustees
    • The Woods Clinical Approach
    • News & Events
  • Services
    • Short Term Residential Treatment
    • Health, Wellness, & Therapy
    • Vocational & Adult Day
      • Holland Enrichment Center
      • The Woods Enterprises
      • Yellow Daffodil
      • Common Grounds Café
      • Woods Wear
  • Education
    • An Overview of Education
  • Research Institute
  • Work With Woods
    • Employee Testimonials
    • Benefits of Working at Woods
    • Staff Development
    • Teach with Woods
  • Support Woods
    • Make a Gift to Woods
    • Join the Heart of Woods
    • Give through your Donor Advised Fund
    • Give through EITC
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Honor a Friend or Loved One
  • Admissions
    • Tour Woods
    • Email Admissions
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Admissions Team