centers_adult_day_care_at_ridgewood_center

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  Carl Record, RN
  Director of Nursing

  Carl has been a nurse for over thirty years and shares his knowledge as an assistant professor at Long Island University. He joined Centers Adult Day Care at Ridgewood in 2010 and his presence at was felt from the very first day. “I always enjoyed working in health care, but I didn’t like being in a hospital setting. What I love about this job is that we’re keeping people from needing to go the hospital in the first place. And we’re keeping their days full and their lives more exciting at the same time.” With the support of his therapy and activities teams, Carl sees to that every member in our program looks forward to arriving every day, and goes home with another day of good care and happy memories to think back on. If you’re thinking of visiting the Center at Ridgewood and maybe even joining our group, make sure you meet Carl when you visit. You’ll be glad you did.

• Lauren Seff, OTR-L
  Director of Therapy

  “Everyone thinks that Occupational Therapists help people get back to work. That’s true, but it’s the work of living full and independent lives that we focus on. My goal is to make sure that our members are able to meet their activities of daily living (ADLs) well. Things like getting in and out of bed, getting dressed and showering safely are often taken for granted, but not here.” Lauren makes sure everyone does their work, but she also makes it fun. “We try to make therapy fun, and we include therapy where you least expect it, like making it part of our activities program. Fun therapy is effective therapy is what we say”. Effective, long-lasting and fun. That’s quite a prescription for therapy, isn’t it?

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  Richard Osario
  Director of Recreation

  Richard has a great job. He’ll be the first to tell you that he gets paid to have fun, and to make sure everyone around him is having fun, too. And the fact is, he is great at having fun! Richard heads the Recreation Department for Centers Health Care’s Adult Day Health Care program. It’s his job to know what people like to do and to see that they get to do it. Often. Born and raised in Queens, Richard earned his degree in Art Therapy from Long Island University and has been working in the adult care world for ten years. “I’ve been having fun for ten years, but there’s a serious side to what I do, too. I love to use the science of recreation to engage people and to enhance their lives, to see how recreation keeps them sharp, focused, and often how it can be used to help people recover from strokes, cardiac incidents, surgeries and other medical conditions. Trips, games, crafts, they all serve a very high purpose in our program.” games, crafts, they all serve a very high purpose in our program.” But for most of our residents, it all comes down to having a great time each and every day they spend here. And we have Richard to thank for that.

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  Jasmin Maldonado, LSW
  Director of Social Services

  Jasmin is a graduate of the prestigious Stony Brook University where she earned her Master’s degree in Social Work. Jasmin is also a volunteer at York College, guiding Social Work students through their internships at Centers. She has been at Centers Adult Day Care at Ridgewood for just over two years, but has already made a permanent impact on the lives of everyone here. During the program she provides individual and group counseling, assists with mail review, recertification needs, and assists with the scheduling, transportation and all things necessary to ensure that every member’s needs are fully taken care of. Jasmin comes from a large family in Brooklyn, so she’s obviously someone who is very smart and knows how to get along well with others. If those aren’t two great characteristics of a social worker, then you can add compassionate, caring, and a zest for helping others and you have the perfect description of Jasmin.

• Gabriela Marciel
  Director of Admissions and Marketing

  Gabriela has been in sales for over 30 years, but she hates to call it sales. “I’m not selling, I’m explaining. Because if you really get to know our service, you’ll want to join us. I started out in the travel industry, which taught me a lot of being in the business of having a good time. And I got to see the world without having to spend all my money on plane fare” she jokes. Gabriela’s compassion and commitment mixed with her fun-loving nature makes her a perfect fit for the Centers team. “I’ve been here for four years and it’s been incredible”. She is the first person many people meet when they’re considering joining us, and she always makes a great first impression. “I have the privilege of meeting folks from many different walks of life whose paths have brought them to us for one reason or another. My goal is to be a guide and resource for anyone considering our program or needing help with the process. It’s truly a blessing that I have the opportunity to help others each and every day here at Centers.”

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  Tatiana Lopez
  Program Director

  I have a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from York College and am proudly a Program Coordinator at Centers' Adult Day Care at Ridgewood for a little over two years now. I wholeheartedly enjoy every moment of my job because it feels like I'm working with family - the bond that is built between the registrants and employees is strong. The satisfaction of being able to help while enjoying every moment is what makes each day at the Center feel amazing. As a coordinator I get to join in on the fun of decorating the facility for events, participating in art & crafts as well as trips, listening to personal stories and most of all just really enjoy the quality time spent with the registrants.