For the third consecutive year, residents at Weinberg-Terrace welcomed international physical therapy students from the Duquesne-China Health Institute (DCHI) at Duquesne University to lead a daily exercise program. This program not only supported our residents’ health, but also improved the students’ clinical skills through hands-on experience.
Duquesne University established the DCHI in 2013 to advance the education of rehabilitation therapists, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists, from China. The goal is for these students to return home with new knowledge that can improve rehabilitation care and allow them to serve as clinical leaders and educators in healthcare.
In 2023, Dr. Becky Matvey PT, DPT, Assistant Director of the DCHI and Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, was inspired by an innovative and effective type of learning called Community Engaged Learning. With this approach, students learn through real-life experiences in the community. As part of her Geriatric Physical Therapy course, Dr. Becky wanted to do more than traditional classroom lectures about exercise for older adults. She understood that in order to create a community-engaged learning experience, her students would need to leave the classroom and interact with older adults. Dr. Becky searched for partnerships with different organizations in Pittsburgh and connected with Weinberg Terrace, which led to a wonderful collaboration.
We were thrilled to welcome Dr. Becky and her students to be part of our daily exercise classes, typically led by our Weinberg Terrace staff. According to Dr. Becky, “Exercise is the most effective defense against illness and loss of mobility in older adults. However, most older adults do not exercise with enough intensity or frequency to improve health. There are also special considerations to keep in mind when designing exercise programs for this population.”
The DCHI physical therapy students designed an exercise program for our residents, which focused on preventing over-tiredness and incorporated exercises that were intense enough to make a positive impact. They also provided 30 hours of on-site instruction and engagement with our residents, applying what they learned in the classroom to create wonderful exercise programs for our residents here at Weinberg Terrace.
“Students loved the opportunity to interact with the residents of Weinberg Terrace,” Dr. Becky said. “They told me that they learned a lot and that this experience of teaching exercise classes was one of their favorite learning activities in the program thus far.”
Residents and staff also benefited from this exchange. They learned new exercises and techniques that will be part of our wellness routine moving forward. “Our residents loved learning the new exercise routines and understanding how the movements help their health. It is always special when the students from Duquesne join us in the spring,” said Marcellina Hoskowicz, Program Director at Weinberg Terrace.
Dr. Becky’s DCHI students and our Weinberg Terrace residents look forward to continuing their collaboration in the future to provide mutual benefits and smiles!
-Pearl Averbach, LCSW, PCHA
Executive Director, Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Terrace