Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Gary Frisch / Swordfish Communications
856-767-7772 / gfrisch@swordfishcomm.com
INNOVA HEALTH & REHAB OPENS KOREAN “COMMUNITY”
Bi-Lingual Staff, Ethnic Menu Deliver Comfort Along With Care
MT. LAUREL, N.J., July 28, 2010 – Catering to the special needs of an aging Korean population, Innova Health & Rehab announces the opening of its new Korean care unit at its Mt. Laurel facility.
The Korean Community at Innova Mt. Laurel can accommodate 40 patients and currently has 27, most of whom are first-generation immigrants who speak no English. A dedicated staff of Korean-Americans includes three nurses, an activities coordinator, an office manager, two chefs and an interpreter on-hand 24/7.
“The Korean community in South Jersey and Philadelphia is large, yet there are precious few long-term care facilities that can accommodate this population without integrating them with American patients. The issue becomes more acute when there’s a language barrier involved,” says Drew Barile, CEO of Innova Health & Rehab. “This new unit was conceived to provide for their emotional and cultural needs as well their physical needs.”
In addition to a bi-lingual staff of professionals, the Korean Community at Innova offers residents amenities consistent with their own culture. For example, activities include popular games such as the chess-like Jangki and Paduck (Othello), as well as BINGO and Korean poker. Gardening and music activities such as karaoke are also favored. Religious services are held every day for the largely Christian patients.
Meals are comprised of such staples as multi-grain rice, kimchi, dried pollack soup and entrees of seafood pancakes and marinated short ribs.
The newly renovated central wing that houses the Korean Community offers flat-screen TVs in each room, and programming includes a Korean channel. Korean newspapers arrive daily. Decorating is still in progress, with staff on a continual expedition to locate traditional Korean art, traveling as far as Flushing, N.Y. to find it.
About 40 percent of the current patients come from Philadelphia, with the rest from South Jersey, Delaware and Virginia. The average patient age is 80.
About Innova Health & Rehab
Innova Health & Rehab, LLC, is a licensed, privately owned nursing and long-term care company with locations in Southern New Jersey. Innova’s mission is to continue to be the healthcare leader in post-acute medical and nursing services, focusing on high acuity services with quality outcomes. The step between hospital and home, its locations in Hammonton, Mt. Laurel and Deptford, N.J., offer broad-based clinical capabilities including orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation, dementia care, pulmonary care, respiratory therapy, cardiac care, stroke care, diabetes management, subacute care and dialysis. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 856-235-7100 or visit www.innovahealthandrehab.com.
