A Perfect BTV Partnership

Therapy Services and the Department of Well-Being

When seniors consider retiring at Butterfield, one of the greatest influencers is residents’ access to a continuum of care that fully supports them as individual health needs evolve. Now, thanks to a partnership between the BTV Department of Well-Being and the on-campus therapy services team, there are even more benefits available to support resident health and wellness. Conveniently located near the entrance to the BTV Health Care Center, the therapy department has a natural connection to the ongoing work of Director of Well-Being Jennifer Neill and her team.

For most outpatient therapy clinics, therapy ends when patients return to a prior level of function or their pain is resolved. At Butterfield, the process doesn’t stop there. As a resident discharges from BTV campus therapy services, therapists provide a personalized Home Exercise Program (HEP), train the resident how to exercise with free weights or with weight equipment found in the two Butterfield gyms, and offer education about the next steps of the person’s wellness journey. The BTV fitness team is then poised to work directly with those same occupational, speech and physical therapists to assist residents with continuation of prescribed exercise programs and seamlessly integrate them into existing campus classes. This unique opportunity helps residents continue progressing toward increased strength, better balance and overall accomplishment of wellness goals designed to promote longevity, independence, safety and quality of life.

As part of the interaction between both departments, the physical therapy team leads a fun, powerful exercise class – Movement and Motion – every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 p.m. It uses dynamic movement to improve posture, coordination, balance and cardiovascular health. 

The convenience of having two gyms, an indoor pool and a therapy gym right on campus allows therapists to work with residents in an optimal location for their specific needs. Once regular therapy ends, fitness interns are still available to support residents in the same location using the same equipment, reducing anxiety and stress when striving to meet wellness goals. 

When regularly working with residents, BTV fitness team members are able to watch for noticeable decline in function and suggest a possible need for therapy services. The well-being department also offers free personal training from qualified interns pursuing a degree in kinesiology – the study of human body movement. This service is extremely beneficial post-therapy, keeping residents motivated, ensuring correct technique and enhancing progress as people surpass their original goals.

Butterfield’s onsite therapy department offers residents  physical, occupational and speech services. 

• Physical therapy includes pain management, balance re-education, strengthening, vestibular rehabilitation, orthotics management, as well as assistive device recommendation and sizing. Help is available to address vertigo, offer Parkinson’s and post-stroke support – and assist with low back pain or scoliosis, lower extremity bursitis, post-surgical recovery, neuropathy and more. 

• Occupational therapy addresses pain management for the shoulder, wrist or hand. Therapists can help after upper extremity surgeries, offer energy conservation education, recommend home modifications, perform power wheelchair evaluations, guide self-feeding strategies, support medication management, provide balance re-education, and train in self-care activities using adaptive equipment
or assistive devices. 

• Speech therapy works on cognitive function, memory retention, vocal quality, vocal projection, and swallowing difficulties. Support is available for expressive and receptive language following a stroke or diagnosis of Parkinson’s, intelligibility of speech, medication management, word finding, facial droop reduction following Bell’s Palsy or recent stroke, safety awareness and more.