Being a caregiver is definitely not for the weak. We are often the only constant in a care recipients’ life. We develop bonds and become family with those we provide services to.

I always knew I wanted to do something in this line of work. In 2013 I started working with individuals with disabilities and knew that this was my calling. Creating that bond with my clients is just as special to me as it was for them. They were no longer just clients but became my family. When I joined Easterseals in March of 2020, I started to develop strong bonds with those we provide services to, and like before they have become family to me.

Being a caregiver is more than just caring for others. You need to take care of yourself as well. Allow yourself time to relax. Often, we find ourselves wanting to be there for our consumers and giving them all of our attention, but we need to remember that we are not only caregivers to them, but also caregivers to ourselves. Give yourself an outlet, choose a hobby, read a book, take a walk, or have a nice relaxing bath.

Allowing yourself to focus on yourself will give you the strength to continue being that amazing caregiver that you are. Here are some additional things that I have learned that have helped me prioritize my own needs.

1. Realize it is okay to take a break
2. Understand it is completely acceptable and encouraged to ask for help
3. Engage in activities that help keep you centered and help keep you healthy
4. A simple walk outside for 5-10 minutes can help you recharge
5. Listen to your own emotions and learn from them
6. Get proper rest and nutrition
7. Know that you are not alone

If we aren’t willing to be caregivers to ourselves, then how are we supposed to be caregivers to others. One outlet I have is crafting. Crafting is my hobby, and I often find myself more relaxed during and after I finish a craft.

Choose what relaxes you and apply it to your day-to-day.

As we are coming to the end of Physical Therapy month, I am thrilled to get the chance to share my experience with Easterseals! My name is Janelle Brubaker and I am a 3rd year Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Western Michigan University. I am currently in the middle of my third full-time clinical rotation here in Columbus, OH, and ecstatic to be back in my home state for a while. I spend half of my week in the Early Intervention domain here at Easterseals and the other half of the week in the school-based PT domain at some of the local elementary and high schools.

Physical Therapy in the early intervention setting is targeted towards children who are between the ages of 1-3 years old who have a developmental delay or disability. We evaluate the gross motor skills and functional development of the children and then work with those who require our services to meet their milestones and keep up with their peers. 

Some examples of the milestones that we look at to be observed by the age of 3 years are:

1. Ability to walk and run independently
2. Throw a ball forward, climb up and down stairs with an alternating stepping pattern
3. Squat down to the ground to pick up a toy without losing their balance

At Easterseals we work directly with the students on a regular basis but also spend time meeting with guardians, teachers, and caretakers to educate and coach them on how they can best assist and nurture their child’s physical development.

I am very thankful for the amazing opportunity to learn so much here at Easterseals from Tracy Jungwirth, DPT, my clinical instructor, the early intervention specialists, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, and other staff here. It has been such a unique and rewarding experience working with the incredible kiddos here. I will carry the memories and lessons they have taught me into my future career as a PT.

My name is Tracy Jungwirth and I am the physical therapist for Easterseals and their Early Intervention program. I started with Easterseals as a new graduate, fresh out of physical therapy school in 2014. I learned SO much from the great team of teachers and therapists at Easterseals in the first year and even more from the kids themselves. The children in the early intervention program taught me early on to never underestimate them and to celebrate every inch stone and milestone.

In 2015, my husband and I moved to Seattle, Washington for his medical residency. I also worked in early intervention in Washington and continued to grow as a therapist and learn from so many talented and experienced physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, and teachers. We missed Columbus so much and were thrilled to return to the Buckeye state in 2018 and I returned to Easterseals in 2019.

I am lucky enough to say that I truly love my job and having the opportunity to work with the kids in the early intervention program. As a physical therapist, I work with children to help them meet their potential and work with families to help their children meet their goals. I work with children to help them get stronger and meet milestones such as sitting, crawling, walking, and jumping. Just since the start of the school year I have seen such amazing growth in our children. I set one child up with a walker the first week of school, and she has taken off so quickly. It is a joy to watch her explore the classroom and playground with her peers for the first time! I have another child who is turning 3 soon who is making so much progress, and her mom said this week that she truly believes her daughter is doing so well because they started therapy and early intervention at a young age.

My days vary so much working with toddlers but in a typical day I help kids get off the bus, working on walking down the stairs, or help them walk from their parents’ car to the classroom. In the classroom, we start our day by washing hands and many children are working on stepping up and down the step stool to wash their hands. I will work with kids while they are playing, possibly working on sitting balance, or setting up an obstacle course in the classroom to challenge their balance. All the classes will go either outside to our wonderful playground or inside to our gross motor space. I will work with children on their goals such as walking up and down stairs or riding a tricycle while they are playing. Being a physical therapist working with children, part of the fun and the challenge is making the activities fun and exciting for the child, so they don’t even realize they are working on something hard. Unlike working with adults, you can’t just show them an exercise and have them do 10 reps of it! So, we play lots of fun games and set up different activities to keep therapy fun and engaging!

I absolutely love working with the ages of birth to three-year-old population and seeing how much they grow and change in those first 3 years. It is so much fun to see kids who start in our program when they are 1 and see them start walking and talking and learning about their world through our program. It is always hard to say goodbye when the children turn 3 and transition out of our program but it is a joy to reflect with parents about how far they have come in their own journey with Easterseals!

“One of the best investments we can make in a child’s life is high quality early education”

Barack Obama

Transitioning and change can be difficult for anyone, at any age. During a pandemic, this can present extra challenges especially for young children as they transfer back to their early childhood programs or school. There are things that parents, caregivers and teachers can do to make the transition successful for everyone involved.

New faces and routines can leave children wary. Children have a natural instinct to want to be closest to their familiar and trusted caregivers. Until a child is old enough to understand their emotions and talk clearly about their feelings, it can be difficult for an adult to explain that the new people their child is being introduced to – is a trusted source and there to care for them. If the child has developmental delays, they will need extra time to adjust. It is easier for young children to make the transition if they have spent time with their parents/caregiver and the new person (or people), together. While it’s natural for the parent/caregiver to worry about their child making a successful transition, always remember to keep calm and be reassuring so that your child mimics your behavior.

What can parents and caregivers do to make the transition easier? Here are some tips from the CDC.gov website:

Parents can:

• Ask your child’s school if they have any online support groups, such as a private Facebook group so that you can connect with other parents who have children in the same program.
• Talk about school with your child.  Show them pictures of the school, classroom, and teachers if available. (our staff will gladly provide these to families upon request).
• Talk with teachers about the best way to separate from their child at the start of the day—brief goodbyes are often best.
• Try to stay calm and reassuring during transition—using a calm voice, with a relaxed face and body language to let their child know that they wouldn’t leave them if the child were not safe and protected.
• Take care of themselves during stressful times so they can be better equipped to take care of others.
• Find resources to learn how to promote resilience and reduce anxiety.
• Remember that this is a phase—building new relationships is an important skill, and with support, children can be resilient. Even if it’s hard to separate, they will gain a new trusted relationship with their new teacher and peers so they feel more secure.

The skilled staff at Easterseals know how to help children adjust to the changes and fears they might be experiencing. From the moment a child enters our Early Intervention program, our goal is to provide them with the support and skill development needed to make positive impacts on their lives and their families. Their social and emotional learning is essential part of every child’s education. We focus on the child’s emotional and physical needs early on in their development at their individual level of ability, giving them the head start they need to keep up with their peers. We recognize that a focus on emotional wellbeing is critical to each child’s ability to engage and learn.

Our children and their social and emotional needs are in the forefront of our minds as we prepare to welcome students back to our campus.

Support our efforts by joining one of our events:

Easterseals Golf Classic – September 20, 2021 http://bit.ly/GolfForEasterseals
Clays for a Cause – October 15, 2021 http://bit.ly/clays2021
Chase Columbus Turkey Trot – November 25, 2021 https://www.columbusturkeytrot.com/

“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us – delightfully – to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive”

– Alice Waters

People are social creatures by nature – even the most introverted of us seek out the comfort of others at times.  Whether in small groups such as birthday parties, or something as simple as getting together with one’s friends, or massive groups like concerts at sold out stadiums, gathering is an important part of life.  As Alice Waters stated, gathering makes us feel more alive.  And what better way to do so then to come together as a whole to support a common cause?  Hi, my name is Ashley Democko and I am the Special Events Coordinator here at Easterseals.  Creating an atmosphere where people have a sense of belonging and purpose that is larger than themselves is one of my greatest pleasures.

Special events play such an important part in fundraising for non-profits such as Easterseals.  It is a way for people to come together, have fun, and support an organization that is near and dear to their heart.  Events not only raise major funds to support the programs and services we provide, but they are also a great way to increase awareness of what we do, thank our supporters, celebrate our successes, and generate excitement for those who are just learning what our organization is all about.    

Easterseals hosts a variety of events throughout the year.  From wine and bourbon to golf and running – you will be able to find something to your liking.  At all of our events, guests have the opportunity to network and mingle amongst each other, but more importantly learn more about our purpose and the impact just their presence alone has on our organization.  All of the proceeds from events goes directly into the programs and services we provide for people with disabilities.  Just by buying a ticket to attend an event, you are helping us to continue to carry out our mission while having an enjoyable experience in the process. 

Romancing the Grape (RTG), Easterseals signature event, is one of my favorite occasions to plan.  It is known to be one of Central Ohio’s premier wine and food tastings, featuring more than 200 varieties of hand selected wine as well as hors d’oeuvres from Columbus’s top chefs and finest local restaurants.  The event also showcases local brews and spirits, along with an impressive silent auction and live entertainment.  To top it all off, RTG takes place at the Huntington Club of Ohio Stadium!  It is definitely a night to remember.  Mark your calendars – after two years of not being able to host this prestigious event due to COVID-19, RTG will return on April 30, 2022.   Stay up to date on information regarding the event at our website www.romancingthegrape.org  or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

In the meantime, we have plenty of great events coming up for you to be a part of.  I hope to see you at any or all of them!

Easterseals Golf Classic – September 20, 2021 http://bit.ly/GolfForEasterseals
Clays for a Cause – October 15, 2021 http://bit.ly/clays2021
Chase Columbus Turkey Trot – November 25, 2021 https://www.columbusturkeytrot.com/