Movement on the Mind™ is a pilot project of the Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network’s Dimensions™ program. Tailored for palliative and hospice care patients with dementia, it combines physical and cognitive therapy techniques aimed at managing decline. The primary goals are to promote mobility and independence, build patient confidence and uphold dignity. Following a thorough evaluation, custom sessions are designed to address the specific deficits and challenges each patient is facing.

Patients and caregivers are also given daily exercises to extend the impact of their weekly sessions.

They share that Movement on the Mind improves:

• Memory and word retrieval: enhancing the ability to converse and recall names
• Mindfulness: allowing for focus during activities of daily living
• Functional motor tasks: including reaching and moving from standing to sitting.

Patients and families share that Movement on the Mind is a highlight of their week.

Launched in July 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, sessions have been conducted via Zoom with patients up to 100 years of age.

Like all of JHCN’s services, patients are not charged for Movement on the Mind. Costs are covered by the generosity of the community, including those who have benefited and chosen to pay it forward.

Movement on the Mind Specialists

Losing their father, Al, to a terminal neurological disease as children, twins Jennifer and Rebecca were inspired to create an impactful program for terminally ill patients to honor his memory.
 

JENNIFER (Jenny) KILENY, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at The Recovery Project, in Livonia, Michigan. She also works as a contingent therapist in skilled nursing facilities, assisting in the rehabilitation of geriatric populations. Jennifer is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and is Lee Silverman Voice Treatment LOUD® and SPEAKOUT!® Certified. A member of the clinical faculty at Michigan State University, Jennifer earned a B.A. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Michigan State University.

REBECCA (Becca) WALLACE, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS, is a skilled inpatient care coordinator for naviHealth, based in Brentwood, Tennessee. She uses communication and clinical expertise to improve the rehabilita- tion experience for seniors in post- acute care. Becca is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech- Language Pathology. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and is Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) LOUD® certified. Becca received her B.A. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Michigan State University.