JF&CS News Winter 2012
Last winter was eventful for JF&CS Senior VP of Operations Ira Schor: he turned 60 and he had a hip replaced. An active runner, biker, swimmer, and hiker, Ira had increasingly suffered from pain in his left hip that was preventing him from enjoying his favorite activities. But with the help of the JF&CS Visiting Nurse Association, the surgery was a success and Ira was soon on the move again.
"I was back to work in two and half weeks, resumed full exercise by ten weeks, and am now back to where I was," said Ira. "The care I received from JF&CS exceeded my expectations. It enabled my wife to return to work quickly and put me on the right path to recovery."
The JF&CS VNA offers a full range of home health services, including skilled nursing, rehabilitation therapies, certified home health aides, and medical social work for clients of all ages. Whether recovering from surgery, illness, or a broken limb, VNA nurses and therapists provide expert care for everything from heart disease, diabetes, orthopedic problems, to medication management and home safety evaluations.
"You might think that because our VNA home health services are Medicare-certified that they are only for the elderly, but in fact, JF&CS healthcare professionals also provide care to adults who have had elective surgery or are recovering from some type of trauma, and who may be covered by another type of insurance." said Ellen Lash, Director of Healthcare Operations.
After his surgery, Ira was in the hospital for three nights. During his first week at home, VNA nurses visited three times to make sure the incision was healing properly and there was no infection. He began physical therapy right away, with three in-home visits a week for three weeks, and had outpatient PT after that.
"The VNA was really helpful in terms of activities of daily living, showering, driving, negotiating the stairs," said Ira. "The physical therapist gave me exercises to accelerate my recovery. Now, ten months later, I see clearly the critical value of those early nursing and physical therapy visits."
JF&CS VNA, Home Care, and Group Adult Foster Care recently moved from Boston to a new home at 1371 Beacon Street, Brookline in the heart of Coolidge Corner. The staff is very excited to be located in a community where they have been serving clients for more than 25 years.
For more information about JF&CS VNA services as well as Group Adult Foster Care, personal care, and homemaking services, please contact the intake and referral department at 617-224-4137.
