In addition to in-home rehabilitation therapies, RVNAhealth has a Rehabilitation & Wellness Center at our flagship at 27 Governor Street, and at RVNAhealth at GPC, both in Ridgefield, CT.
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Bereavement Support Group – New Milford Office
The New Milford Bereavement Support Group will continue to meet at 4:00pm on the second Thursday of each month at our New Milford building.
If you would like more information or if it is your first time attending, please reach out Garrett Walkup at 475-529-6118 or gwalkup@rvnahealth.org.
As an enhancement to RVNAhealth’s Balance & Beyond classes, we are pleased to present our new class, “Strength and Beyond”!
This class, a level up from our original Balance and Beyond class, is designed to build strength, restore balance, improve your mobility all while giving your brain a great workout!
This higher intensity interval training class will have you moving through a series of upper and lower body strengthening, functional mobility, balance and cognitive stations all customized to meet your fitness level and goals.
This program is geared towards everyone with a focus of those finding it difficult to start an exercise program or those who need help progressing their current exercise program. Exercises are also specific for osteoporosis treatment and prevention. What a great way to exercise in a group and meet new people. Bring your friends and exercise together!
Andrea de Lange is experienced Physical Therapist and certified LSVT BIG practitioner with a long history of working with the outpatient orthopedic and neurological population. She possesses a strong background in the treatment of spine, extremity injuries and pain, as well as neurological impairment, with a focus on people with Parkinson’s disease.
RVNAhealth’s Strength & Beyond classes are offered every Thursday from 11:00am-12:00pm at the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center located at 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield. Class fees are $30 per class and registration is required in advance, as attendance is limited. EMAIL US HERE TO REGISTER. AND PLEASE SPECIFY “Strength & Beyond” and the date you plan to join us. For questions, please contact the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center at 203.438.7862 or rehab@rvnahealth.org.
RVNAhealth is excited to announce the introduction of its new public fitness class, “Balance & Beyond.” An ongoing weekly drop-in class (come for one or come for all!) that focuses on building muscle, restoring balance and improving your walk or jog, all while giving your brain a great workout!
Balance can be a life essential to preventing falls and keeping daily activities of life within our control. The old adage of “use it or lose it’ doesn’t ring more true when it comes to strength. This is why Andrea de Lange, RVNAhealth Physical Therapist, is so passionate about bringing balance and strength classes to the public.
“This program is beneficial for so many people — whether you are just looking to improve your strength or balance to improve quality of life, or you are looking for a customized fitness program to assist with medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, arthritis, or autoimmune disorders,” says de Lange. “This circuit training class will have you moving through a series of stations including boxing, agility training, and functional mobility conditioning – all customized to meet your fitness levels and goals. And there is plenty of time for questions and personalized instruction and feedback!”
Andrea de Lange is experienced Physical Therapist and certified LSVT BIG practitioner with a long history of working with the outpatient orthopedic and neurological population. She possesses a strong background in the treatment of spine, extremity injuries and pain, as well as neurological impairment, with a focus on people with Parkinson’s disease.
RVNAhealth’s Balance & Beyond classes start September 6th, and are offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30pm-2:30pm at the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center located at 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield. Class fees are $30 per class and registration is required in advance, as attendance is limited. For questions, please contact the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center at 203.438.7862 or rehab@rvnahealth.org. To register, signup online HERE.
Ridgefield Press | Author: Kaitlin Lyle | September 7, 2022
For new mom and Danbury resident Marcia Valdes, a local program for first-time mothers and their babies has provided an invaluable support system.
Nurse-Family Partnership program has been around for about 40 years – starting in Colorado and making its way to western Connecticut two years ago.
“I love it,” Valdes said of the program. “It’s great because as a first-time mom, you have a lot of questions. You’re always concerned … things change because your life’s changed.”
RVNAhealth enrolled its first client for the program in March 2020, just a week before everything closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After offering virtual visits during COVID-19, the program is back to doing home visits but continues to offer virtual visits as an option.
Jennifer Taborda, a registered nurse with RVNAhealth, said the program, funded by the state’s Office of Early Childhood, is completely free and voluntary for families.
The program enrolls expecting mothers at 29 weeks or less of pregnancy and the nurses stay with the families until their baby is 2 years old.
Throughout the program, Taborda said the nurses build long-term relationships with the mothers and watch their babies grow. Once the babies turn 2 years old, she said they have graduation ceremonies for the babies.
During their involvement with the program, families are provided with education, support and connections to resources for services like housing, food, and counseling.
Additionally, Taborda said the program’s nurses conduct health, growth and development screenings for the babies and provide education and resources for children, including services that provide early intervention for children that are behind in their development.
“I would say as a first-time mom, having a free program like this is huge,” Taborda said. “Having support, having education – especially for some of our moms who don’t understand what’s happening to their body during pregnancy.”
Taborda said the mothers are educated on what to expect during labor and the risks that could occur. A lot of the time, she said, the mothers don’t have the understanding of what’s going on with their bodies; there are some mothers that didn’t have parents that engaged and played with them. Understanding that it’s okay to get down on the floor and play with one’s child, Taborda said, is educational for both the mothers and their children.
Taborda said the program has helped mothers get their college applications started and set goals for themselves. She said the program strives to set its families up for lifelong success – both for the families and the children – and to make sure they understand the importance of health visits for their children and self care for themselves.
RVNAhealth Director of Community Health and Wellness and Nurse Family Partnership Program Administrator Laura Shulman Cordeira said first-time mothers benefit from the program, in that they’re more likely to have full-term babies and less likely to have low birth weight babies.
Other benefits are mothers are more likely to initiate breastfeeding; attend their prenatal and postpartum appointments; bring their children to their pediatric appointments during their first year of life; set goals for themselves and become more self-sufficient economically.
Through the program, Cordeira said children are less likely to be in the hospital during their first two years of life as a result of an accidental injury; they’re also less likely to have behavioral or intellectual problems at age 6.
Additionally, she said the children involved in the program are less likely to be in any sort of juvenile detention system.
“I mean, it’s really incredible how long-lasting these results can be,” Cordeira said.
Though she’s been a nurse for nine years, Taborda said her work with the Nurse-Family Partnership program is “the first job I feel very connected with and definitely get a sense of fulfillment.”
As a member of a “small, but mighty” team of nurses with the Nurse-Family Partnership program, Taborda is a personal nurse for first-time mothers in Region 5 of Connecticut, which includes the Northwest Corner, Waterbury, Danbury, New Milford, New Hartford and Torrington.
Out of the 37 families enrolled in the Nurse-Family Partnership program, Taborda works with 21 clients – one of whom is Valdes and her 9-month-old son, Anthony.
Valdes was 17 weeks pregnant when she was advised to call the Nurse-Family Partnership program. She said she texted Taborda, who texted back to explain how the program works. They set up a Facetime call to see how things might work and their relationship grew from there.
During her pregnancy, Valdes said she was concerned about her weight, so Taborda gave her a book to help with her nutrition. Now, every other week, Taborda comes to Valdes’ house to visit her and baby Anthony — sometimes bringing formula, diapers, wipes, creams, toys and books and sitting down to play with Anthony while she and Valdes talk.
Among some of her own questions, Valdes said she was concerned when Anthony was between 4 and 6 months and hadn’t yet rolled over. She was also concerned about his sleep because Anthony “was never a good sleeper.”
Opening up about her experiences as a first-time mother, Valdes said her favorite moment is nursing: “It’s challenging, but it’s the moment you have your baby and he needs you and that moment is just the both of you and it’s amazing.”
Reflecting on how she’d encourage others to enroll in the program, Taborda said, “I was a teen mother myself. If I had this program, it would’ve changed my life. There’s so much to learn. The support is just fantastic. … When our moms leave our program, they’re able to advocate for themselves and they’re going to be okay.”
RVNAhealth is excited to announce the introduction of its new public fitness class, “Balance & Beyond.” An ongoing weekly drop-in class (come for one or come for all!) that focuses on building muscle, restoring balance and improving your walk or jog, all while giving your brain a great workout!
Balance can be a life essential to preventing falls and keeping daily activities of life within our control. The old adage of “use it or lose it’ doesn’t ring more true when it comes to strength. This is why Andrea de Lange, RVNAhealth Physical Therapist, is so passionate about bringing balance and strength classes to the public.
“This program is beneficial for so many people — whether you are just looking to improve your strength or balance to improve quality of life, or you are looking for a customized fitness program to assist with medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, arthritis, or autoimmune disorders,” says de Lange. “This circuit training class will have you moving through a series of stations including boxing, agility training, and functional mobility conditioning – all customized to meet your fitness levels and goals. And there is plenty of time for questions and personalized instruction and feedback!”
Andrea de Lange is experienced Physical Therapist and certified LSVT BIG practitioner with a long history of working with the outpatient orthopedic and neurological population. She possesses a strong background in the treatment of spine, extremity injuries and pain, as well as neurological impairment, with a focus on people with Parkinson’s disease.
RVNAhealth’s Balance & Beyond classes start September 6th, and are offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30pm-2:30pm at the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center located at 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield. Class fees are $30 per class and registration is required in advance, as attendance is limited. For questions, please contact the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center at 203.438.7862 or rehab@rvnahealth.org. To register, signup online HERE.
THIS CLASS IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ONLY UPON REQUEST. PLEASE INQUIRE WITH US AT 203.438-7862.
Living LOUD tackles the soft voice, mumbled speech, monotone speech and hoarse voice that often afflict Parkinson’s patients. Structured activities that continue to work the patient’s vocal range maintain the progress made after the LSVT LOUD treatment. Weekly activities will include group work as well as individual exercises with other participants facilitated by an LSVT LOUD speech therapist. The ultimate goal is to improve loudness, improve speech intelligibility, increase facial expression, and improve confidence.
Travel to exotic locales brings extraordinary benefits — and adventure. But it can also expose you to serious diseases that may threaten your health. Zika virus, typhoid, malaria, and yellow fever, to name a few.
To reduce your chances of illness while abroad, schedule an in-person consultation with an RVNAhealth travel health nurse prior to your departure. Consultations include: itinerary-specific health advice; discussion and administration of immunizations; safe food/water practices; and other recommendations to protect yourself. including insect precautions or environmental considerations.
Travel consultation appointments are available the first and third Friday of each month at the RVNAhealth Center for Exceptional Care, 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield, CT.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, call (203) 438-5555 or email BeWELL@rvnahealth.org
Please note: Travelers under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
As an enhancement to RVNAhealth’s Balance & Beyond classes, we are pleased to present our new class, “Strength and Beyond”!
This class, a level up from our original Balance and Beyond class, is designed to build strength, restore balance, improve your mobility all while giving your brain a great workout!
This higher intensity interval training class will have you moving through a series of upper and lower body strengthening, functional mobility, balance and cognitive stations all customized to meet your fitness level and goals.
This program is geared towards everyone with a focus of those finding it difficult to start an exercise program or those who need help progressing their current exercise program. Exercises are also specific for osteoporosis treatment and prevention. What a great way to exercise in a group and meet new people. Bring your friends and exercise together!
Andrea de Lange is experienced Physical Therapist and certified LSVT BIG practitioner with a long history of working with the outpatient orthopedic and neurological population. She possesses a strong background in the treatment of spine, extremity injuries and pain, as well as neurological impairment, with a focus on people with Parkinson’s disease.
RVNAhealth’s Strength & Beyond classes are offered every Thursday from 11:00am-12:00pm at the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center located at 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield. Class fees are $30 per class and registration is required in advance, as attendance is limited. EMAIL US HERE TO REGISTER. AND PLEASE SPECIFY “Strength & Beyond” and the date you plan to join us. For questions, please contact the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center at 203.438.7862 or rehab@rvnahealth.org.
RVNAhealth is excited to announce the introduction of its new public fitness class, “Balance & Beyond.” An ongoing weekly drop-in class (come for one or come for all!) that focuses on building muscle, restoring balance and improving your walk or jog, all while giving your brain a great workout!
Balance can be a life essential to preventing falls and keeping daily activities of life within our control. The old adage of “use it or lose it’ doesn’t ring more true when it comes to strength. This is why Andrea de Lange, RVNAhealth Physical Therapist, is so passionate about bringing balance and strength classes to the public.
“This program is beneficial for so many people — whether you are just looking to improve your strength or balance to improve quality of life, or you are looking for a customized fitness program to assist with medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, arthritis, or autoimmune disorders,” says de Lange. “This circuit training class will have you moving through a series of stations including boxing, agility training, and functional mobility conditioning – all customized to meet your fitness levels and goals. And there is plenty of time for questions and personalized instruction and feedback!”
Andrea de Lange is experienced Physical Therapist and certified LSVT BIG practitioner with a long history of working with the outpatient orthopedic and neurological population. She possesses a strong background in the treatment of spine, extremity injuries and pain, as well as neurological impairment, with a focus on people with Parkinson’s disease.
RVNAhealth’s Balance & Beyond classes start September 6th, and are offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30pm-2:30pm at the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center located at 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield. Class fees are $30 per class and registration is required in advance, as attendance is limited. For questions, please contact the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center at 203.438.7862 or rehab@rvnahealth.org. To register, signup online HERE.
