Professional Spotlight: Speech Language Pathologist

Health and Wellness

How humans build a language from scratch is amazing and complex. At birth, an infant can only use its vocal cords to cry. They feel emotions and laugh, coo, and babble. In about a year, they can manage to form a first word. In a few more years, they can add more words, build sentences in grade school, and start to make abstract arguments by the end of high school. Commands from the brain, movement of the diaphragm, vocal cords, tongue, and mouth all work in sync to make all the parts of verbal communication possible. But the more complex …

Chronic Pain and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

Health and Wellness

Studies have shown that pain has long been recognized to have a negative effect on emotional status, ability to work, social activities, interpersonal relationships, and functional ability and leads to the increased utilization of healthcare services. I chose this topic because it is personal to me. I have bone-on-bone arthritis in my hip, and my quality of life has been greatly effected because the pain is exhausting.  With that said, I am lucky because I have the tools to either ask for help or get help myself. Can you imagine having chronic pain and not being able to express your …

Dementia and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

Health and Wellness

What is Dementia? Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Although it is well known that older people are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, it is less well known that individuals with intellectual disabilities, especially Down syndrome, are also at high risk of the disease, and research shows that people with IDD have a prevalence of dementia. What are some signs of Dementia? Early signs may include changes in health, and in …

Identifying Aspiration Pneumonia

Health and Wellness

Have you ever experienced a meal where something “went down the wrong pipe”? If so, you’ve experienced what’s known as aspiration. This is a fairly common occurrence that can occasionally lead to aspiration pneumonia when someone can’t cough up whatever has entered his or her airways. Pneumonia is a breathing condition in which there is inflammation (swelling) or an infection of the lungs or large airways. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when food, saliva, liquids, or vomit is breathed into the lungs or airways leading to the lungs, instead of being swallowed into the esophagus and stomach. As you can imagine, aspirating …

Saturday Walk-in Open Interview Event Set for April 24

The Arc of Monroe to Host Saturday Walk-in Open Interview Event April 24 Open positions include direct care, professional positions and sign-on bonuses. The Arc of Monroe will be hosting a Walk-In Open Interview Event on Saturday, April 24 from 9 to 11 a.m. The event will be held at 2060 Brighton-Henrietta Townline Road. Apply that day, and start as early as May! The Arc of Monroe is hiring for all positions listed at ArcMonroe.org/Careers including direct care positions such as direct support professional (DSP), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs). Other open positions include vehicle operators, manufacturing, …

An Interview with Winner Vanessa Fortin

Health and Wellness, Staff Perspectives

This month the Rochester Business Journal announced their Health Care Heroes awards, and for the third consecutive year, a staff member at The Arc of Monroe has been recognized. Vanessa Fortin, RN and RN Coordinator was honored in the Special Needs category. The awards recognize excellence, promote innovation and honor the efforts of organizations and individuals making a significant impact on the quality of health care in the Rochester area. Vanessa and all the winners will be honored during a virtual celebration at noon on Tuesday, May 11. Let’s meet Vanessa: I am humbled to have been nominated for the …