Tillers Adds VitalStim Therapy

The Tillers has recently expanded its dysphagia therapy to include the adjunctive use of VitalStim Therapy, a non-invasive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) therapy modality. Available to clinicians since 2003. VitalStim Therapy has been shown in clinical research to speed a dysphagia patient's recovery when used in tandem with standard dysphagia therapy. Often this improvement means getting a patient off a feeding tube faster, with significant resulting cost savings to the health care system and an improved quality of life for the patient.

"I am simply delighted that we have VitalStim Therapy available to our patients now," says Jo Ransford, Director of Rehabilitation. "We see so many people with this affliction and now we can offer them as effective and innovative solution in addition to the outstanding care we provide now."

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a sorely neglected medical condition which affects 15 million Americans and is generally caused by a neurological disorder or event, such as a stroke, degenerative neurological diseases and head and neck cancer. Without proper management, dysphagia can lead to aspiration, pneumonia, choking, chronic malnutrition, severe life-threatening dehydration, an increased rate of infection, longer hospital stays, long-term institutional care and even death.

VitalStim Therapy is a non-invasive external electrical stimulation therapy that was cleared to market by the FDA in December 2002. A leading brand within the EMpi Recovery Sciences line of pain management and rehabilitation products, VitalStim can be administered via a portable, dual-channel electrotherapy system or via the Experia clinical device. The Experia - being used by the Tillers - offers the additional function of surface electromyography (sEmg) and biofeedback that combine to engage the patient during the therapy sessions, thereby making them an active participant in their recovery process. The patented systems include specifically designed electrodes for delivery of NMES for the treatment of dysphagia.

A typical patient will receive 12-15, 1-hour VitalStim Therapy sessions. A recent published study, "Adjunctive Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Treatment-Refractory Dysphagia," detailed the measured clinical effect of the VitalStim program on patients with chronic, treatment-refractive dysphagia:

• 80% of patient reached the defined primary end-point of clinical improvement in swallowing ability;
• All patients in the study significantly increased the range and amount of materials consumed orally, with most of the patients progressing from a restricted, single-consistency diet to a full oral diet;
• The average weight gain for the group over the three-week treatment period was two pounds;
• Patients involved with the study perceived significant improvement in their ability to swallow after treatment;
• No patient experienced any swallowing-related medical complication over the treatment period

To learn more about The Tillers and their Dysphagia Therapy program, please visit us at http://www.thetillers.com/ or call 630-554-1001.

Wound Care Specialist Joins Tillers

Thomas Drost, M.D., a member of the Vohra Wound Physicians, has joined The Tillers as their Wound Care Specialist. Dr. Drost is a wound care physician that focuses on skilled nursing homes in the Chicago area. He received his medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, attended Bastyr University for a degree in Naturopathy, and served his internship at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

By joining the Tillers, he will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will complement the wound care efforts to their residents. Dr. Drost said, "I am privileged and very happy to be a part of the Tillers community and look forward to a long and healthy relationship."

Dr. Drost will be working directly with Kristen Etchison, Assistant Director of Nursing and Certified Wound Care Nurse. He will be rounding on a weekly basis to manage wounds and work with residents and family members in outlining realistic goals. According to Kristen, "Even though Tillers has not had any issue with wound management, adding Dr. Drost will expand our ability to care for more complicated cases that would ordinarily have to remain in the hospital. We are excited to see the decrease in wound healing times with weekly physician oversight."

Mr. Robert Saxon, Administrator of The Tillers says, "With the addition of Dr. Drost, our staff will be better educated in wound care management and prevention, and therefore add to the excellent standard of care we provide to the adult and geriatric population that we serve in our community."

The Tillers would like to welcome Jo Ransford as the new Director of Therapy for our Legacy Rehab. Jo was recently promoted as director because of the wealth of experience she has in the field. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1998 and has 12 years experience in a skilled nursing setting as an occupational therapist as well as five years as a facility rehab director.

Jo says she took the position as the Director of Therapy to "be an active part of the growth and development of the rehab department at The Tillers and is excited about the therapeutic activities that the residents are participating in such as incorporating dogs in therapy and constructing Christmas presents for underprivileged children."

According to Brett Saxon, an administrator at Tillers, "We are fortunate to have Jo as we have already benefited from her knowledge base, easy going nature, and her ability to bring groups of people together for the benefit of the whole organization."

The Tillers offers a full array of rehabilitation services including physical, occupational and speech therapy in a state of the art facility. They are fully staffed with top notch rehab professionals like Jo that work individually with each client to maximize potential and help them return home with confidence as quickly as possible. All therapy services are provided by Legacy Rehab LLC, a separately owned subsidiary of The Tillers that was created for the sole purpose of providing rehab services to The Tiller's clients by having its own in-house therapy group. The Tillers is able to consistently provide the highest quality of service possible through therapists like Jo Ransford.

Dr. Keane Joins Tillers

Dennis Keane, M.D., a well known local physician that specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has joined The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as our Rehabilitation Medical Director.

Dr. Keane attended The University of Michigan for medical school, which followed with an internship at the University of California at Los Angeles, and a residency at Rush-Presbyterian Saint Luke's Medical Center here in Chicago. He is also board certified in Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation Electrodiagnostic Medicine (EMG), and Pain Management.

Dr. Keane is currently part of the Marianjoy Medical Group and serves as the Vice Chief of Staff at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora as well as their Medical Director of Rehabilitation.

By joining the Tillers, he will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to our residents. The Tillers remains a family owned and operated facility that boasts of a Five Star rating by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMA), and has been well known over the years for the quality of care given to our residents.

"I chose The Tillers because of their reputation for excellent clinical care," Dr. Keane said. "I am excited about the opportunity to help provide a comprehensive rehabilitation program and improve the outcome of The Tillers residents."

Mr. Robert Saxon, Administrator of The Tillers for over 37 years said, "We are very excited to have Dr. Keane join us as our Rehabilitation Medical Director. Dr. Keane is well known and highly respected in his field. We cannot over emphasize the value and importance of having Dr. Keane on our team."

Rehab Center Featured in LTC Today Magazine

Check out this great piece featuring The Tillers Rehab Center in LTC Today Magazine. (see pages 14 and 15)

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/IHCQ0210/#/14

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time in 1972, in the small farming town of Oswego, IL, a man named Michael Saxon dreamed of building his kingdom—well, not quite a kingdom, a nursing home (close enough). And, not just any nursing home—the finest nursing home in the land. One that was more beautiful and surpassed all others with its service offerings.

The land was cleared of corn stalks, the bricks were stacked, the beds were placed and the court was appointed—or, rather, the staff was hired. Doctor Saxon was crowned Medical Director, his son Robert donned the hat “Administrator”, and his wife Elva, a nurse herself, became queen of the castle. Dr. Saxon looked out at the miles of surrounding farmland and named his kingdom “The Tillers”.

The doors were opened. And the people came. It did not take long for word to spread and for this nursing home to become one of preferred providers for healthcare services in the area. People from lands far and near came to be cared for by the kind and compassionate Dr. Saxon and his wife Elva. People with ailments too complex for others to tend to, people with conditions that required more than most were willing to give.

With a well appointed staff, a beautiful castle—err, building—and a wonderful vision for the future, the kingdom—err, nursing home—became well respected, and it grew and flourished. And they all lived happily ever after…

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting our new blog! Check back often to read updates on the latest news and activities that are happening at The Tillers. We encourage you to also visit our Web site at www.thetillers.com.