Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury is very proud of Christine Ristano, Speech Language Pathologist and Abigail D’Arcangelis, Music Therapist, for spending time presenting their valuable insights and some dear testimonials to their peers at the 2024 LeadingAge Virginia Annual Conference. This year's conference theme is Courage Ignited, and that's what we see from Christine and Abigail regularly as they work joyfully to enhance the lives of our residents.

They spent time explaining and showcasing a new approach to affirming resident voices – collaborative therapy. Armed with the knowledge of music’s power and the similarities between it and spoken language, inspired by creativity and growth, and united in the belief that more individuals living with neurocognitive-communication disorders could be thriving, Christine and Abigail began exploring collaborative therapeutic opportunities.

Through hands-on participation, video recordings, and case studies, the attendees learned how collaborative speech and music therapy in both the group and individual context across the continuum of long-term care. Everyone was able to witness how their collaboration is utilized to address an array of cognitive impairments as well as neurogenic communication disorders such as aphasia, dysarthria, dysphonia and apraxia.

We know first-hand how this type of collaboration has immense benefits for both our residents and our community, and we hope that our peers are able to embrace similar efforts. Way to go, team!