Rehab Success!

Tawanda Roberts

Tawanda arrived at Oakwood in early March 2021 following an extensive and complicated hospitalization involving a surgical amputation of her right leg. Since her first day at our facility, Tawanda has ALWAYS remained positive and upbeat, motivating not only herself but also those around her. Even though she had her own physical and medical issues to work through following the recent surgery, Tawanda never faltered in her spirit. Tawanda worked hard during each therapy session to improve her ability to transfer in and out of bed, in and out of a wheelchair, and even started walking household distances with her new prosthetic leg using a walker!

We are extremely proud of Tawanda and all that she has accomplished for herself. Her wonderful smile, bubbly personality, and joyous energy added so much to our facility!

Meet Our Admissions Director

Brandi Brown

We are excited to feature our beloved Admissions Director in this issue. Brandi started at Oakwood Healthcare in 2008 as Social Services Director, and transitioned to Admissions Director within 5 years. With her characteristic exuberance and joie de vivre, she is a tremendous asset to our center. Her natural affinity to seniors led her to choose a career in long-term care setting. She loves spending time with our residents and the relationship is reciprocated in kind. Brandi feels that she has gained a wealth of knowledge from her interactions with our diverse resident population, and enjoys meeting people from all different backgrounds and cultures.

A Philadelphia gal, born and bred, Brandi earned an MBA from Eastern University and 2 Masters in Management from Devry University. She recently finished her AIT certification. A woman who wears many hats and is always on her toes, Brandi helps out in multiple departments – from social services to case management. She worked straight through Covid, coming in to Oakwood every single day.

Brandi is married and is the proud mom of one son. She loves relaxing and spending time with her family and her dog, Ace. Other leisure outlets include dancing, music, art and entertainment.

“I just love working with seniors. There is no place I’d rather be than here. I have gained so much from meeting so many different residents from diverse backgrounds and cultures.”

Rehab Success!

Janice Waddington

Janice Waddington arrived at Oakwood Healthcare & Rehabilitation mid-January after a very complicated hospitalization involving additional time in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. This unexpected health setback took a great toll on Janice and she found it very difficult to complete simple, everyday tasks and activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing and grooming. Her customized rehabilitation plan was focused on helping her regain her strength so she could independently complete these basic tasks and ultimately return home safely to her family.

From Janice’s first day at Oakwood she was very motivated to complete all her rehabilitation sessions, all the while attending dialysis three times a week! Janice bravely fought through the daily fatigue that dialysis causes and pushed herself to achieve and exceed her goals during her rehabilitation. We are very proud of Janice’s accomplishments, and wish her all the best as she returns home stronger and more independent.

Meet Our ADON

Jaime Blount

Jaime Blount, our Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON), has been at Oakwood Healthcare & Rehabilitation for more than six years. Jamie, who is a certified wound care nurse, started here at Oakwood as a part-time licensed practical nurse, upgrading her accreditation and becoming a full-time registered nurse, then a full-time unit manager. For the past two years Jamie has been working as our ADON alongside Barbara Lorman, our Director of Nursing (DON).

“Oakwood is a great place to work,” Jamie says. “I have learned a lot from my DON and gained a lot of experience.” In addition to supervising the three units here at Oakwood, Jamie makes rounds with our doctors, assists our unit managers, and manages scheduling and daily appointments.

Here’s Marisel Mendez’s

Moving Story

Released from hospital in late July after having major open heart surgery, Marisel Mendez arrived at Oakwood Healthcare motivated and determined to regain her independence. The surgery took a great toll on Marisel’s strength, endurance and mobility and she required rehabilitation to help her complete the simple everyday tasks she was once able to do like dressing, grooming, and walking. The Oakwood team created an individualized rehabilitation program for Marisel that was focused on helping her regain her strength and independence so she could return home safely and be with family once again.

Marisel was extremely motivated since Day 1 to complete all of her therapy sessions, despite also being a dialysis patient. She fought through the frequent fatigue that dialysis causes and pushed herself to attend every session. Although she entered our building in a stretcher and used a wheelchair for long transports,at the time of her discharge, she walked out independently, without the use of an assistive device!

“Therapy helped me a lot. They sent me home with exercises that I continue to do every day. I had rehab once before, and this experience was so much better!”

Staff Behind the Mask Spotlight

Meet Our Rehab Director Lincy Philip

Lincy Phillip has worked as our Lead Therapist since 2019 and became the Director of Rehabilitation at Oakwood Healthcare in July 2020. Lincy is an extremely enthusiastic and passionate Physical Therapist who is dedicated to supporting our residents and patients with strong rehabilitative care.

Lincy now lives in Montgomery County with her husband, daughter, and French bulldog Bailey. She graduated from the University of the Sciences in 2013 with a doctorate in Physical Therapy and a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, and forged a career path practicing in Acute Care and Skilled Nursing Facilities in both PA and in NJ. There she found her passion within geriatrics, focusing on rehabilitating and maintaining functional mobility within the elderly population. Over time, she has honed the various rehabilitative skills required to optimize individuals to their maximum rehab potential with the goal for a safe discharge to their previous lifestyle and setting. Lincy is grateful to her parents who instilled in her a deep respect for her elders.

Dr. Farooq Awarded

Top Doctor 2018

We are honored to have a physician of Dr. Umar Farooq’s caliber as our Medical Director, and we congratulate him on his recent award.

Dr. Farooq is the only internist in Northeast Philadelphia to be awarded this distinction from Philadelphia Magazine.

Practicing medicine for more than two decades, Dr. Farooq is affiliated with multiple area hospitals including Jefferson Health, and is highly esteemed throughout the area.

Helping Residents Move Forward

With Stroke Recovery

Individuals recovering from stroke must overcome many challenges
to recapture the basic skills they’ve lost.

At Oakwood, we’re here to assist residents on their journey – easing the way in our supportive environment to facilitate their return to the daily activities they love.

To help our residents attain the best possible outcomes, we have recently introduced two new pieces of cutting-edge equipment:

The Doctor’s In The House!

The presence of Dr. Sabahat Farooq in our building 6 days a week is Oakwood Healthcare’s vital differentiator.

Dr. Farooq, an attending physician at Oakwood for more than a decade, is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine and is a Board Certified Diplomat in Internal Medicine. She parlays her wide swath of experience to spearhead our residents’ care– collaborating with our DON and her team, and making her rounds every morning, Monday through Saturday.

Her presence is key to getting our residents the treatment they need quickly as her ability to discern conditions that can be treated in-house such as mild dehydration or pneumonia without hypoxia from medically complex ailments that require hospitalization remains unmatched. Her careful analysis of each patient and forward thinking shows her passion and commitment to maintaining Oakwood’s effective delivery of quality care.

Moving Forward After An Amputation

Never Say “I Can’t”

Inspiration comes from many sources. Ethel Driscoll could never have imagined that she would be exactly that to so many. Others might not have seen a “below-knee amputation” as a possibility for hope and a “New Day”. However, Ethel was determined to regain her strength and balance, relearn the skills needed to live independently, and prepare for the arrival of her artificial leg – and chose to do just that at Oakwood Healthcare. Our physical therapy team worked with her on desensitizing her residual limb area to avoid phantom leg pain and contracture.

Told to expect the delivery of her prosthetic in about a year, she was pleasantly surprised when it was delivered only 3 weeks later! Since she had exerted herself in therapy – doing her daily exercises diligently – she was well-conditioned and able to walk with it immediately after putting it on for the first time.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Stroke Awareness

Did You Know?

Educating yourself about stroke can be lifesaving. Knowing when someone is at risk for stroke and what a stroke is, can help you be prepared when it’s time to react.

• Stroke can occur at any age; 1 out of 5 people who have a stroke are under 55 and your chance of stroke increases as you get older. There are nearly 7 million stroke survivors in the U.S.

• More women have stroke than men and more women die from stroke than from breast cancer every year.

• Manageable risk factors include: high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (A-fib), high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, poor circulation, inactivity, and obesity.

Oakwood’s In Full Bloom!

You can feel the excitement at Oakwood Healthcare now that Spring is here. Every year our residents and activities staff eagerly wait for the frost to subside and get their gardening gloves on to start planting the flowers for Spring and Summer.

We are fortunate to have “Enabling Gardens” outside the Main Dining Room. These gardens feature raised flower beds so that residents in wheelchairs can easily plant and tend to the flower gardens.

This year we are starting from scratch and will have fresh soil placed in the garden areas to provide nourishment to the annual flowers selected for the garden.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Heart Health

Did You Know?

Your heart works nonstop for your whole life – show it some TLC! Making small changes in your habits can make a real difference to your cardiac health.

•Aim for lucky #7. The latest research in cardiac care indicates that 7 hours of regenerating sleep can have a positive impact on your heart.

•Keep the pressure under control. Get your blood pressure checked every year if you’re 40 or older. Cut back on salt, limit alcohol to no more than one to two drinks a day, favor healthy eating habits and manage your stress.

Face to Face with our Director of Food Services

Donald Williams

Working since 2001 with Irene, Oakwood’s Administrator, Donald emphasizes the importance of working with an administrator who “gets it”.

“A good fit with the administrator is a very important piece of this job”, indicates Donald. “Irene understands what running a kitchen entails and makes sure we have everything we need to operate an efficient kitchen that produces medically prescribed food that is both appealing and tasty”.
As for Donald’s pride & joy:

# 1 RESIDENT SATISFACTION:

“When someone stops me in the hall and says—’Donald, soup was phenomenal’—it means that we are doing our job, and it means a lot to me!

Meet Our Podiatrist

Dr. Stuart Jacob

Dr. Jacob, DPM, is a welcome presence at Oakwood as he works “hand in hand” with our staff to keep our residents’ feet problem-free.

Board certified by both major boards in podiatry, Dr. Jacob is proactive in his approach to foot care, and looks to prevent complications before they arise. He knows our residents well and has made many friends.

Dr. Jacob has been affiliated with Lourdes Hospital in Burlington, NJ, since it opened 25 years ago, and currently serves there as the Wound Center Podiatrist.

Face to Face with

Jae Leyson PT, DPT

What is distinctive about rehabilitation at Oakwood?

Our staff! It makes a BIG difference on the therapy side because it is clear to us all that we are NOT treating impairments. We are treating people – human beings with a life to live, dreams, and expectations. It is important to know our residents’ expectations, to communicate and find out their personal goals, and then customize the therapy goals as much as possible.

Residents want to resume their prior level of activity. While that might not always be possible due to various health factors, we customize the therapy to help each individual maximize their physical functioning.

The best part of your job?

Discharging a resident of course – is the climax of our relationship and occurs when residents attain their highest level of overall independence in terms of transfers, autonomous eating,
dressing etc.

Meet Dr. Whaley

Clinical Psychologist

Newly arrived residents to Oakwood are often dealing with the aftermath of a life-changing event. To help residents and family members cope with their challenges, Dr. Darren Whaley is on hand to address their emotional needs through consultation and therapy. He works hand in hand with our social workers, Denice Carroll and Samantha Bylina, and our dedicated nursing team headed by Barbara Lorman to ensure that by the time every patient is ready to be discharged home, not only are they rehabilitated physically – but in a better state of mind.

We Live and Breathe It.™

Respiratory Program

With 64 million people currently diagnosed with COPD, Oakwood has once again stepped up to help this growing population. We have created a unique respiratory program right here in the Northeast of Philadelphia.

Our respiratory therapist is in Oakwood daily, screening all new admissions and providing treatments throughout the day. We can administer many new and innovative therapies to help our population live and breathe easier. We strive to improve all of our residents quality of life each and every day with our specialized pulmonary services: