Live Better Longer

Abolishing ageism is not only the mission of FOX Rehabilitation, on this week’s episode of the Live Better Longer podcast, we discover that The Pacemakers are all about shattering aging stereotypes, too. We chat with the Founder and Artistic Director of The Pacemakers—the self-proclaimed “groovy senior citizens dance team”—that has been seen spreading joy at athletic events, workshops, street fairs, and most recently at Dr. Tim Fox’s Carole B. Lewis Lecture at CSM 2024. Susan explains how she transitioned from journalist to dance team leader and how she turned a bout of cyberbullying into the spark that created The Pacemakers. Susan gives us the lowdown on what it takes to be part of this elite squad (who range in age from 60-85 years old), how they have inspired others to keep shaking their groove thing, and their plans for 2024 and beyond. If you listen to one podcast this week, you’d be foolish not to listen to the origin story of the greatest older adult dance team we’ve ever seen!

FOX Founder, Dr. Tim Fox, often says that he wants to be seen riding his dirt bike when he’s 100 years old. The point of his message is clear: age should not dictate your level of activity or prevent you from doing what you love. We think Dr. Fox would enjoy hanging out with this week’s Live Better Longer podcast guest, 81-year-old Howard “Abe” Abel, who continues to stay active by splitting and stacking wood. Reading that on paper may raise some eyebrows, but after seeing the results—and realizing that the quality of his work probably can’t be matched by someone three times his junior—what someone might think is impossible is just another afternoon of work for Abe, who chops away at ageism one log at a time. Find out what keeps this 81-year-old Paul Bunyan going and how long he plans on continuing to wield his chainsaw.

In honor of International Women’s Day, which happens annually on March 8, we have invited back FOX Rehabilitation Regional Director, Audra Vellucci, PT, MPT, to take over our hosting duties. In what has become a yearly tradition, Audra will share a conversation with other women colleagues to discuss their paths in leadership. This year, Audra speaks with FOX Compliance Officer and Director of Regulatory Affairs, Megan Henninger, PT, DPT, GCS, and FOX Regional Director, Kate Bruno, OTD, OTR/L, CAPS, CDP. Audra digs into their origin stories, their first leadership positions, and how everyone balances work, life, and family. Because the three have been friends for a while, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of this candid conversation. Audra, Megan, and Kate give advice for future women leaders, shout out people who have supported them in their professional careers, and end the episode by naming a Golden Girl that best matches their personality.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast, we speak with FOX physical therapist, Santhosh Philip, who will tell you everything you need to know about applying for and being sponsored for an H-1B visa, which allows workers from other countries with a specialty occupation—like physical therapy—to be hired by US employers. Santhosh explains why he wanted to relocate from India to the United States of America and walks through the process of obtaining an H-1B sponsorship. He also gives helpful tips and advice for anyone else who is thinking of working abroad in the US and explains how he discovered and eventually was hired by FOX Rehabilitation.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by FOX Regional Director, Joe Nocera, PT, DPT, LSVT, who talks about his journey with anxiety and depression, and why it is essential to make mental health a priority. Joe describes the emotional impact of working in senior living during the COVID pandemic, which experienced unprecedented loss. Joe also explains that while clinicians are experts at caring for others, that practice does not always translate to taking care of oneself. Joe gives tips on how a treating clinician can focus on their mental wellness and reveals the professional benefits of finding a work-life balance.

On the season 6 premiere of FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by FOX Quality Assurance & Professional Development Clinical Specialist, Jenn Freda, PT, DPT, GCS, CDP, who will help us preview APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting, which is taking place in Boston this week. Jenn will walk us through the mindset of a clinician looking to get the most out of their conference experience. She also shares what’s involved in delivering a poster presentation and another session she will be presenting with a group of colleagues—Impact of Home-Based Therapy on Hospitalization Risk in Older Adults With High-Cost Chronic Conditions. Jenn also expresses her excitement about attending the 2024 Carole B. Lewis Lecture which will be delivered by FOX Founder, Dr. Tim Fox on Friday, February 16, 11 am ET. We also look at some things to do in Boston during pockets of downtime. Join us as we kick off a new podcast season and preview the biggest physical therapy conference of the year!

The Season 5 finale of FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast is going out with a super-sized episode! First, we’ll be joined by Kaitlin McGeary, PT, DPT, GCS, who recently interviewed her patient, Claire Greenawalt. The two talk about how to keep the holidays healthy and nutritious, despite all the temptations that find their way into the kitchen come the end of December. As you’ll find out, the goal isn’t to not have any fun but to be self-aware, and accountable and make sure you don’t overdo it. Katilin also tells us what goodies she’ll bring home to Pittsburgh during the holidays. We’ll later be joined by Maureen Colket, MA, CCC-SLP, and Anne Mironchik, MS, CCC-SLP, who just returned from the 2023 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Convention in Boston. Maureen and Anne give tips on how to best take in a conference, including challenging and pacing yourself while still enjoying the host city. Our two SLP all-stars will also let us know how they’ll be enjoying the holiday season.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitation’s Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by stage actor and artistic director of Lamp & Light Productions, Matthew Moore, and FOX Rehabilitation’s, Annie Goldman, PT, DPT, NCS. In 2019, Matthew was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and subsequently met Annie after he was referred for physical therapy. Annie discusses how physical therapy can be used to treat Parkinson’s and also stresses the importance of truly knowing your patient. Matthew echoes this sentiment from a patient’s perspective and then details how the things he really wanted to express to clinicians, neurologists, and care partners came out in the form of a play he wrote, titled, What I Didn’t Say: A Journey Through Parkinson’s. Drawing from his own experience, as well as other people he interviewed with Parkinson’s disease, Matt was able to create an outlet to raise awareness about his condition and others living with Parkinson’s—a nervous system disorder that affects nearly one million Americans. His production will tour the states in 2024, including stops in Birmingham, Alabama; Columbus, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For those who want to donate to his project, they can do so via GoFundMe.

On this week’s episode of FOX Rehabilitaion's Live Better Longer podcast, we are joined by acclaimed leader and innovator in the area of rehabilitation and optimal aging, Dr. Carole B. Lewis, and FOX’s Aaron Baldridge PT, DPT. Carole and Aaron talk about their upcoming webinar, Decrease Your Workload and Still Give Great Care, which is happening on Saturday, December 9, from 12-3 pm ET. Without giving away too many spoilers, Carole and Aaron explain how you can use evidence-based practices out in the field that can save clinicians hours of time, while still providing excellent care for their patients. Carole also breaks down a couple of particular videos on her YouTube channel, Exercise for Aging Well, and how she’ll be spending her Thanksgiving this year.

We often speak with FOX clinicians on the Live Better Longer podcast, but on this week’s episode we get to hear things from a patient’s perspective: What led them to FOX Rehabilitation? How have they benefitted from therapy? How soon did they notice results? FOX’s Jackie Loeshelle, PT, DPT, suggested that we chat with her former patient, Ron Ellis. At 87 years old, Ron lives in New York City and has received both physical and occupational therapy from FOX. As the conversation unfolds, we also find out more about Ron’s life and discover that not only did he work for NASA on a moon mission, but later got into filmmaking and actually won an Oscar at the 1980 Academy Awards.