Whittier Health Network
Advice From Our Experts
Caring for our patients and residents has been part of Whittier Health Network’s tradition of excellence since 1982. From Physical Therapists to Speech Therapists to Dietitians, the knowledge of Whittier’s professionals can help you to move better, feel better, and live better.
At Whittier, we want you to know that you have choices when you need more care after a hospital stay.
It is essential to remember as patients–the customers in healthcare–you always have choices and need to know your options before making a decision. In today's fast-paced, heavily regulated healthcare arena, many people are shuttled through the system half in a daze,...
Who is in Charge of the Hospital Discharge Planning Process? Spoiler Alert – Pursuant to the Medicare Conditions of Participation, It’s You!
Did you know that under current Medicare requirements, a hospital discharge planner must, if possible, honor a patient’s goals and preferences in the discharge planning process, including where to be discharged to? These requirements, called Medicare Conditions of...
How do I pick the best nursing home in Massachusetts for my parents?
Most people plan their whole lives for major events; post-secondary education, career, purchasing a home, marriage, children etc. However most people do not plan to go to a nursing home. Usually the need arises at an unexpected time – major injury or health decline,...
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford, with a Physical Therapist’s advice on developing your regular exercise routine.
When I was young, I ran for exercise. I wasn’t fast, but I had endurance and fantasized about the Boston Marathon. Later, running got difficult. Quarter-mile tracks were boring, and road work on inclines and slopes hurt my knees. I switched to outdoor walking and...
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford, with a Physical Therapist’s advice on expectations and therapy after total knee replacement surgery.
Life is about expectations, and it is especially true for patients who have had total knee replacement surgery.This surgery has evolved, and the results are amazing due to improved surgical techniques and state-of-the-art knee components that replace worn, damaged...
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT, DPT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford, with a Physical Therapist’s advice on climbing stairs safely.
We asked Physical Therapist Barbara Kruschwitz for some advice about climbing stairs. Here's what she had to say. "Patients and residents often tell me how climbing stairs is ‘good exercise.’ The truth is, stairs aren't ‘good exercise.’ For even the fit and healthy,...
A Dietitian and a Speech-Language Pathologist at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford explain how they work closely together to tailor dietary needs to care for our compromised patients: “It’s a balance between keeping people safe but also piquing their interest in food.”
Speech-Language Pathologist Holly Sylvestre, MS CCC-SLP and Dietitian Ashley Iannaco, RD, LDN met with us recently to talk about their different roles and to explain how they collaborate to meet the nutritional needs of the patients under their care at Whittier...
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT, DPT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford with a Physical Therapist’s advice on “Is a wheeled walker best for me?”
Barbara says: Yes it is! Wheeled walkers and grocery carts help improve both lung tidal volume AND youthful appearance! Many patients are eager to progress from using a wheeled walker to using a straight cane. It’s a sound idea. A cane is less cumbersome and it lets...
Whittier’s Director of Psychology and Neuropsychology, Michael Sefton, Ph.D., offers advice on winter sports and traumatic brain injury.
Michael Sefton, Ph.D., Director of Psychology and Neuropsychology at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough, has treated a lot of winter sports traumatic brain injuries during his career. Here he shares some thoughts on the causes, treatments, and prevention of...
The Whittier Way: Michael Griffin, MSPT, discusses the different approach to Physical Therapy at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough’s Outpatient Clinic
Michael Griffin is a Physical Therapist specializing in helping patients reduce pain, restore mobility, rehabilitate an injury, and increase movement and overall function. Michael is going on 7 years of service at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital, Westborough's...