Category: Targeted Programming
West Morris Area YMCA
Randolph, N.J.
Year Awarded: 2018
The mission
When Kathy Fischer joined the West Morris Area YMCA, then called Randolph YMCA, she had recently recovered from a back injury and saw firsthand the impact that aquatic therapy could have on the healing process. Given the aging of society, she anticipated this becoming a more in-demand service for facilities in the future. When her manager wanted to install a second pool, she offered a proposal for how to use it.
“While most facilities at that time were installing splash pads, I was thinking about long-term sustainability and preparing for the future,” she explained in 2018, when the facility was named a Best of Aquatics honoree. “Those kinds of features are great, but we tried to think in advance and stay ahead of the curve and what was coming down the pike in aquatic rehab.”
Brilliance at work
As a brand-new aquatic director, Fisher focused on expanding the Y’s aquatic fitness programming and make the site more friendly to those who needed rehabilitation.
To make this happen, the team formed partnerships with local medical facilities and organizations to develop the specialized programming and even design a facility suited to those who needed access consideration. They built that second pool — a 3½-to-5-foot-deep warm-water pool. Then a grant made it possible to upgrade the ADA front entrance to include a better ramp and automatic doors for all the new patrons.
Those changes opened the door to more. What started as a program for patients who had recently undergone joint replacements evolved into a curriculum of more than 30 weekly classes to help manage such varied chronic conditions as Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, arthritis, autism, cerebral palsy and stroke recovery, among others.
“Now there isn’t anything we turn away,” Fisher said in 2018. “There’s always a jam up of wheelchairs on the pool deck.”
Special highlights
The facility offers specialized programs for dozens of conditions. Some of the most popular have included the Water Wellness cancer recovery program for women who have undergone surgery or treatment 6- to 24 months before, the MS Fit program, and several Arthritis Foundation-approved aquatics classes.
One of the facility’s crowning achievements is a program Fisher helped develop for those fighting Parkinson’s. The aquatic boxing program, called “UH2O Fight Back,” had grown from 2 to more than 80 participants.
The latest
At West Morris Area YMCA, programming for those managing chronic conditions has only grown.
A full-time position has been dedicated to community outreach for this population. In addition to courses, those with chronic illness now can benefit from educational presentations and participate in support groups not only for those with the conditions, but also for caregivers.
When the West Morris Area YMCA was named Best of Aquatics in 2018, it had just completed a capital campaign to raise funds for a new locker room. That was built in 2019, as expected, and named after a dedicated client who had passed away. The Sally Schenkman ADA/Family Locker room was designed in collaboration with a private school for children who are on the autism spectrum or living with disabilities. Located close to the facility’s entry area, it takes users directly to the pools to minimize walking. Automatic doors and individual spaces for changing and showering further help these users.
The team also created a new veterans program to offer physical therapy and meditation/relaxation support to local veterans and their caregivers. The Y continue to work with various medical associations, who refer patients and veterans who may benefit from the programs.
The programs’ popularity doesn't surprise Fisher, who now serves as CEO. “It is based on community needs,” she says looking back now. “We approached this from the perspective of wanting long-term sustainability. We knew there was a need for this, to bridge the gap where people are only allowed so many physical therapy visits.”
