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Therapists vital to helping seniors regain and maintain their health

Aberdeen Village therapists play such an important role in providing top-notch care to temporary and long-term residents recovering from surgery, illness, or other debilitating ailment.

Employees in the therapy department are dedicated to helping people regain their strength and wellness so they can get back to enjoying life.

Aberdeen Village would like to say thank you to the staff of therapists who work hard to improve quality of life for residents experiencing a health setback.

Take a moment to get to know our staff:

Trisha Bahr, PTA/DOR

Number of years you have worked at Aberdeen Village: 1 year

Why did you decide to become a therapist? I enjoy helping people regain their independence after a physical set back and pushing them to their maximum potential.

What do you enjoy most about your position? Getting to see residents enjoying activities again that they had not been able to do because of physical limitations and pain.

Hobbies/interests outside of work: I have three girls ages 10, 7 and 4, and they keep us busy with all of their activities. I currently volunteer on a few councils at their school and am the leader for their Girl Scout troop. I love to play softball however have no time for it currently, and I have been a PTA for 18 years!

Heather Holbert, SLP/Therapy coordinator

Number of years you have worked at Aberdeen Village: I have worked at Aberdeen Village as a PRN Speech Language Pathologist since 2010 and have been here full-time for 1 1/2 years.

Why did you decide to become a therapist? I have always been passionate about communication and loved the idea of being able to assist people with improving their communication skills for safety, sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings and for their quality of life!

What do you enjoy most about your position? I love to interact with people and enjoy the satisfaction of an individual being able to communicate and share with family and friends for their quality of life. It is also so exciting to see an individual being able to eat the foods they want with safety to enjoy their life.

Hobbies/interests outside of work: I grew up as a missionary's child in Africa and Australia. In my head I am a proud American, but my heart is African through and through. I am married with four wonderful children and two exceptional grandchildren. My time now revolves around enjoying every minute with our family with weddings, grandchildren and sporting events! I had four fabulous athletes in my children, so I am a diehard football, basketball, baseball, track and cross-country fan. Go Chiefs, Royals and Jayhawks!

Angela Kolich

Number of years you have worked at Aberdeen Village: I have been at Aberdeen for two months.

Why did you decide to become a therapist? My stepmom had MS and I learned a lot from watching her receive physical therapy and the importance it had on her well-being. I loved the positive aspects they brought to her life and knew I wanted to do the same.

What do you enjoy most about your position? I love being able to help others regain independence. I learn a lot from the residents with great conversation of what others have done when they were younger.

Hobbies/interests outside of work: I grew up in Topeka and went to Washburn University, where I met my husband Mike, whom I have known 18 years. We have a 7-year-old son named Austin and a Boston Terrier named Beans. We love to be outdoors, watching his ball games, and I love to bargain shop.

Shannon Grantham, OTR/L

Number of years you have worked at Aberdeen Village: 3 years

Why did you decide to become a therapist? I wanted to move away from working at my desk job and interact with people daily to help them be more independent and live their best life for as long as possible.

What do you enjoy most about your position? All of the lovely residents of Aberdeen Village who have been so kind and wonderful to work with! I love learning about their stories, their families, and all that they have done and continue to do in their lives.

Hobbies/interests outside of work: Outside of work, I love exploring Kansas City, spending time outdoors, playing sand volleyball, and learning the ukulele. I have eight nieces and nephews that I try to spoil, and I spend a lot of time with my grandparents who are my heart and soul.

Jordanne Gerdes

Number of years you have worked at Aberdeen Village: I have worked for Aberdeen Village for almost 3 years.

Why did you decide to become a therapist? I became a therapist to help people regain their independence and enjoy an improved quality of life after illness/surgery.

What do you enjoy most about your position? I enjoy getting to know my residents and their families on a more personal level to further assist with appropriate transitions back to home through improved safety and allowing for participation with daily activities that illness and pain may have been limiting.

Hobbies/interests outside of work: I am married to my wonderful husband of 16 years and we have two daughters: Jessalyn is 5 and Jillian is 4. We enjoy activities outside with our girls, watching them grow and explore their world. I also love movies and all kinds of music. I have been a therapist for eight years.

Manisha Patel

Number of years you have worked at Aberdeen Village: 15 months

Why did you decide to become a therapist? I wanted to do something related to healthcare to help people with health issues.

What do you enjoy most about your position? Working with geriatric population is fun. Their life experiences help me to become a better person along with assist with developing me professionally. The challenges I have when working with certain populations, especially with dementia, helps me to be creative and explore new resources.

Hobbies/interests outside of work: I have two children. My son is two and half and my daughter is four. I love to spend time with them and watch cartoons and Disney movies which always have happy endings.

PHOTO: Back row, left to right: Angela Kolich and Jordanne Gerdes. Front row, left to right: Shannon Grantham, Manisha Patel and Heather Holbert. Not pictured: Trisha Bahr and Jessica Dunagan.

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