Getting diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease can be a difficult and overwhelming experience. While there have been tremendous advances in our understanding of the disease and the introduction of new options for treatment, our team is dedicated to continuing to address pressing research questions and develop novel rehabilitation approaches. The Klein Family Parkinson's Rehabilitation Center at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation brings together Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute scientists and Jefferson clinicians to help support patients’ quality of life and keep them active in their daily lives. We’re excited to highlight members of our team and the important work they are doing at the Klein Family Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Center during Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month. Margarita Lorenz, MSW, is a social worker at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation who plays an integral role in engaging with patients and contributing to the mission of the center. Learn more about her career and her work in our interview below.
1) What is your background, and how did you get interested in social work?
How I became a social worker is an interesting story. I was just finishing up a Film Degree at The Tisch School of The Arts at New York University around 1985. Cinema History was my specialty, and I was asked to write an article on Allan Jones, a famous tenor at the time who lived in New York City. Allan had been in so many films in the ‘30s and ‘40s, including "Night At The Opera " (1935) and "Day At The Races " (1937) with the Marx Brothers, “Showboat” (1936), and others. Needless to say, I was a big fan. We met on a hot day in August in Manhattan while his film "The Firefly" (1937) was being shown at the Hollywood Twin. He was so welcoming, and he invited me to his and his wife Maria's condo on the West side of Central Park. We became fast friends. My husband and I visited often. Allan was in his eighties now with the personality of a lion. He had developed Parkinson’s disease, and I spent many weeks visiting over two years and being regaled with his stories. He was Welsh and previously worked in the coal mines in Scranton, PA. I wondered if the mining had any connection with his contracting Parkinson’s. He showed me that he was still vibrant and strong, and I never noticed how little mobility he had. Sadly, several years later, Allan contracted lung cancer, and I spent as much time with him and Maria as I could. I stayed with him at Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and advocated for him when Maria was exhausted from her caregiving duties. He went on hospice care, and I stayed and advocated for his care until he passed. My father had died when I was ten of lung cancer, and he was born the same year as Allan. I decided this was a sign, and I went back for my master's degree in social work at New York University. I was going to pay it forward. Sadly, my father-in-law George also developed Parkinson’s disease in his 70s, and I often accompanied him to Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation - Tabor Road for exercises and group support meetings. They provided incredible support to him and our family. I will never forget it.
2) What are your roles and responsibilities within Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute and the Klein Family Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Center?
My responsibilities at the Klein Family Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Center involve working with the physical, occupational, and speech Specialists, as well as neurologists dealing with Movement Disorders like Parkinson's. I also schedule patients for the Parkinson’s Clinic, which is held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm. We meet in the Outpatient Physical Therapy Section at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation – Elkins Park . It is an intimate setting, as we have a limit of three patients per clinic. We use a holistic approach, and our team assesses the patient and caregiver's needs across a multi- disciplinary team. There are one-on-one consultations with a physical therapist, Occupational therapist, and speech and language pathologist, as well as with me, a social worker. Our team also includes Movement Disorders neurologist, Anh-Thu Vu, MD, MS, and Aaron Wong, PhD, faculty from Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation research Institute. There are educational and community resources for patients with Parkinson’s disease and the caregivers. Often, people become overwhelmed with their Parkinson’s diagnosis, and our clinic provides a much-needed and concise overview of the needs and expectations of the patient. All recommendations and referrals, ranging from transport to medications, are sent to the neurologist or primary care physician, and a copy is given to the patient and family. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to provide families with direction on how to meet their needs for care and help online or in the community. We have doctors referring to us not only from Jefferson, but also from the University of Pennsylvania. One of my responsibilities is to be a liaison to various neurologists over the five counties to encourage them to send their patients to the Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Clinic. We are a grant program provided by the Klein Family and are open to all individuals with Parkinson’s disease who live in Pennsylvania.
Once the patients leave the clinic, they receive a follow-up call in two weeks from Sky Yallof, our Clinic Manager. She checks to see if the recommendations are helpful or whether more follow-up is needed. Sometimes I visit with the family and patient when the dynamics call for it. For example, I had a patient with a young-onset Parkinson’s disease, and she was very frustrated with communicate challenges over the phone during our initial intake process. We met in person with her spouse, and it made the situation much less challenging. I discovered some family dynamics that were also frustrating for the patient, and we were able to work out solutions for them. I also invited them to our Parkinson’s Support Group.
3) Can you describe the support groups available through the Klein Family Parkinson's Rehabilitation Center?
I highly recommend our Parkinson’s Support Groups. Anyone is Welcome! Sky and I run the monthly meetings at 60 Township Line Road. Our support group meets in Conference Room G1 after the Parkinson’s Clinic ends at 4:30. We encourage patients and their families to attend to participate in fun activities, ranging from light physical activity through Tai Chi to flower arranging for fine motor skills Support group participants can also benefit from attending educational presentations, including an upcoming session where Dr. Vu will share information on the latest treatments for Parkinson’s disease on March 27th. In addition, we run a Traditional Support Group every other month in between booking speakers and events. It is designed to allow caregivers to express and discuss some of their challenges as well as the patient’s concerns in a calm and neutral setting. It also gives the families and patients a chance to share each other's experiences and ways of coping through their own outlets, such as photography, crocheting, and writing. We honored our Veterans as well through an organization called Heroic Gardens, which is a non-profit group that works with Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using horticulture. Our own Abby Jaroslow, HTR, a horticultural therapist at the Conservancy Garden at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation – Elkins Park is a graduate of this program. She hosted events for our group in the beautiful gardens last summer as well. We are proud to announce another Parkinson’s Support Group that will be held on the Jefferson Campus at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale, PA. This group will have a similar focus but will serve our patients in the western suburbs. Our first meeting will be on April 15th at 2:00 pm. The meetings will occur every third Tuesday of the month at the same location.
4) What has it been like for you to work with individuals with Parkinson's disease and their families and caregivers?
I am so proud of the efforts our entire Parkinson’s Clinic staff who are dedicated to improving the lives of our patients and their families. We have built relationships with The Council in Philadelphia, an important local organization that provides support and resources as well as connections with neurologists from multiple counties. I can't say what my favorite task is working with our patients, but when we work together, I love to listen to their stories, just like I did with Allan Jones more than thirty years ago. They have courage and are determined. They are all lions!