Community Spotlight: Benevilla Physical Therapist helps participants reclaim independence

By Matt Marn

When the unthinkable happens, such as a stroke or an injury, someone can have a long road ahead of them to recovering the facilities and skills they had before. But with a physical therapist like Dawn, who visits many campuses of Benevilla – including Sun City Restorative Day Center – they are in great hands.

Dawn sat down with Restorative Care Partner Jeannette, and Tom, a participant in the physical therapy program at Sun City Restorative. Together, the three caught up on Tom’s progress. Dawn does this with every patient every 6-8 months, when she and the participant discuss changes, progress and challenges in the their physical therapy program.

Benevilla physical therapist Dawn helps participant Tom

Jeannette told Dawn Tom has been doing very well on the stationary bike. The two shared with Dawn updates, and Dawn asked Tom if he would like to add anything new to his program to work toward. Together, they adjust Tom’s personal physical therapy goals, and congratulate him on the amazing progress he has been making.

“As a physical therapist, I talk to the participant and learn about their personal situation,” Dawn said. “I work with them to help figure out some goals to set for them that will lead to success, something reasonable that can be accomplished.  We work toward something that they will be able to achieve.”

Dawn said it all started at Benevilla with volunteer instruction and body mechanics programs, but soon she began talking with other Benevilla staff about setting up a physical therapy program.

“Some people need rehab after a stroke, but sometimes, insurance stops after awhile, and they still need ongoing therapy,” Dawn said. “We can help them stay active, and we can help keep it cost-effective. I also help in other places, like an aquatic therapy session in Sun City, where we keep the cost at $10 per year to participate.”

 Dawn said she can never promise someone will get back to the way they were, but if you sit around all day, you are going to get worse.

“For example, Tom may not normally walk again, but if he sat around all day, he wouldn’t have been able to climb those stairs today.”

Dawn added many participants, including Tom, have worked very hard at their physical therapy progress, and have achieved the goals they set, thanks also to physical therapy staff like Dawn.

Dawn said one participant earlier in the program broke her arm, and her goal was to be able to play the piano again – and she achieved that goal. Another participant had a stroke, and her goal was to be able to dance at her husband’s Christmas party. She, too, achieved her goal.

“We do as much as we can to help,” Dawn said. “In general, the toughest challenge I face is working with anyone not motivated to help themselves. They need the desire to help themselves to be successful. This desire needs to come from within… if they don’t want to, they won’t get better. … And as for Tom, he has worked very hard,” Dawn said. “He is one of the best advocates of the program.”

Dawn attributes her love for helping people recover through physical therapy to a friend and classmate she had in junior high and high school who had cerebral palsy.

“She was very independent, she insisted on walking with everyone, with no special treatment – just her crutches,” Dawn said. “I had to ask her, to what did she attribute her sense of independence? She told me it was all thanks to her physical therapist. Soon, I started to volunteer more and more in physical therapy, and I decided finally it was what I wanted to do.”

Restorative Care Partner Jeanette said participants love Dawn, and truly appreciate the work she does to help them recover what they have lost.

“Any time they have a question, they ask for her,” Jeannette said. “They love her, she does a great job.”

Participant Tom said his favorite thing about the physical therapy is riding on the stationary bike.

“Dawn is a very knowledgeable person, she gives guidance for everyone trying to achieve their goals,” Tom said. “You don’t know how lucky I feel having a place like this. The best thing about this place – I meet a lot of cool people, and make a lot of friends. Everybody gets along with everyone else – that’s the greatest thing about it. We’ve become a great big family.”