By Amanda Ranowsky
For older adults who want to maintain independence for as long as possible as they age, easy access to supportive care and services matters.
Regularly engaging in physical activity helps older adults retain the functional abilities they need to remain independent. Receiving rehabilitation therapy services helps them recover better and more quickly from injuries and illnesses.
Yet many older adults do not engage in physical activity or receive rehabilitative therapy because they do not have easy access to services that support these efforts. It should come as no surprise that many older adults also struggle to find reliable transportation when they need therapy services.
Data backs this up. A 2023 study showed that two of the most prevalent extrinsic barriers to physical activity for older adults were the lack of nearby facilities and lack of transportation. These factors lead to a sad reality: the wider the gap between need and access, the greater someone’s likelihood of requiring assisted living or nursing care as they age.
That’s a gap that Goodwin Rehabilitation is seeking to fill at Culpepper Garden Apartments and The Lewinsville Retirement Residence.
The Challenges of Coordinating Transportation
Joyce Morris knows the challenge of getting reliable access to care. A resident at Culpepper Garden Apartments in Arlington, Va., Joyce experienced two serious falls earlier this year.
“I had two falls in a row with one day separating them,” she said. “I could show you beautiful pictures with my purple face. I broke several little bones around my eyes and took a chunk out of my lip. It was about a month or two before I realized how badly I had hurt my arm.”
As she began to think about her recovery, Joyce immediately recognized one of the biggest obstacles she would face, one common to many older adults: “I do not drive anymore,” she shared, “so getting to and from my rehab appointments would be a real problem. Just getting somebody to take me to the eye doctor on short notice—it took one of my family members about an hour to figure out who could take me and when we could go.”
For people like Joyce, easy and reliable access can be the deciding factor in their recovery, as consistency is a key contributor to positive outcomes.
Expanding the Places and Ways We Help Older Adults Thrive
Goodwin Living has long held a vision to expand the places and ways we serve older adults. Through Goodwin Living Health, a continuum of specialized healthcare services available to all those who need and qualify for them, the organization works to make quality care accessible to more older adults, wherever they call home.
With the recent expansion of Goodwin Rehabilitation services to Culpepper Garden and The Lewinsville, this vision has taken on a very tangible form. By offering physical therapy and group exercise classes on site, Goodwin Living Health is removing a critical barrier and helping residents remain in their apartments, maintain independence and preserve their quality of life.
“Through conversations with leadership at both communities, we learned that health and wellness are essential to helping residents successfully age in place.” explained Lia Poynor, Goodwin Living Health Director of Therapy and Wellness. “While these communities value wellness, they often lack resources to support comprehensive programming and the level of clinical expertise that Goodwin Rehabilitation provides, making this new partnership a natural and meaningful fit.”
“Improving access to medical services has been instrumental for many residents who are unable to easily venture off campus to outside appointments,” Lia continued. “Residents have noted how helpful it is to have these services on site. We believe that this on-site access will improve overall health for Culpepper Garden and Lewinsville residents by decreasing the barrier to much needed therapy services and exercise programs.”
Eliminating the Barriers to Receiving Care
For Joyce, the timing could not have been better. When she realized she needed therapy services after her fall, Goodwin Rehabilitation had just begun offering those services at Culpepper Garden. This eliminated the transportation hurdles that might have significantly delayed—or even derailed—her recovery.
“Having a place to go in the building is wonderful,” Joyce said. “Who wouldn’t love having this right here at their fingertips?”
That sense of relief and accessibility resonates just as strongly at The Lewinsville, the place that Insook Koh has called home for the past 10 years. A year ago, her life changed dramatically after a car accident left one leg significantly shorter than the other, making it impossible for her to walk independently.
For Insook, the accessibility of having rehabilitation services so close by mattered deeply. “Whether it’s raining or snowing, we don’t have to go outside, and we don’t need to arrange a ride,” she explained. “We can receive therapy under the roof of our apartment building, which is really great.”
Support from Start to Finish
Beyond convenience, Insook describes a level of attention she hadn’t experienced before. She contrasts physical therapy sessions with Goodwin Rehabilitation with earlier therapy appointments, during which she was often shown an exercise briefly and then left to work on her own.
“I initially received therapy from several other services, but it did not have a significant effect on my recovery,” she shared. “They would spend much of my appointment time on massage, and very little on exercises. When we did do exercises, they would just show me an exercise once or twice and then leave me to practice on my own.”
“Goodwin Rehabilitation is different,” Insook continued. “From start to finish, my therapist stays with me throughout my appointment and watches me closely. They encourage me, making me feel like we’re going through the struggle together.”
Joyce had experiences similar to Insook’s before starting therapy with Goodwin Rehabilitation. “I’ve had therapy twice in the past, and was not happy with either experience,” she said. “This one [with Goodwin Rehabilitation] was entirely different.”
Though she admits to not doing the “homework” exercises as regularly as she should, it’s clear that Joyce enjoys the time she spends with the Goodwin Rehabilitation team. “They really make you feel comfortable,” she said. “And every one of the exercises we work on together seems to be doing some good.”
Care Before a Crisis
In addition to one-on-one physical therapy services, Goodwin Rehabilitation also offers regular exercise classes for residents at both Culpepper Garden and The Lewinsville Retirement Residence. These classes create opportunities for residents to be proactive about routinely building the strength and confidence that helps them maintain their independence.
“We’re already seeing residents become enthusiastic about improving their mobility and physical fitness,” noted Paul Timpane, Director of Operations at Culpepper Garden. “That enthusiasm helps overcome any hesitation about asking for assistance—or even admitting they need help in the first place.”
At The Lewinsville, where consistent on-site fitness programming had not previously been available, the impact has been immediate.
“We now have regular exercise classes reaching 30 to 40 residents each week,” said Courtney Nuzzo, Executive Director at The Lewinsville. “The consistency matters. Residents appreciate being seen by the greater community and having the opportunity to take care of themselves right here in their home.”
Expanding the Support
While the partnership with Goodwin Rehabilitation has been uplifting for The Lewinsville and Culpepper Garden residents, its reach extends even further. The Goodwin Rehabilitation clinics at The Lewinsville and Culpepper Garden also offer outpatient physical therapy services to non‑residents who live nearby.
“By providing outpatient rehabilitation services to adults who live around The Lewinsville and Culpepper Garden, we hope to make therapy services accessible not just to older adults, but to anyone aged 18+ who needs quality care,” said Lia. She also shared that Goodwin Living seeks to partner with other, like-minded senior living communities who want their residents to have on-site access to various services and exercise programs.
“We believe everyone deserves the support they need to thrive,” she said, “and making our rehabilitation services available to more people is one way Goodwin Living Health is working to put that belief into practice.”
To learn more about therapy services available with Goodwin Rehabilitation, visit our website at GoodwinRehabilitation.org.
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As Marketing & Communications Manager, Amanda Ranowsky partners with colleagues throughout Goodwin Living to tell our stories and raise brand awareness. From printed collateral to digital marketing, Amanda covers many bases. Before joining Goodwin Living, Amanda worked for a small, family-owned business where she gained experience in content marketing. Amanda’s creative expression extends beyond the office. She is an active member of community theater and chorus groups.
