New Jersey - Bergen and Passaic Counties

Ramapo Ridge Behavioral Health is dedicated to offering compassionate care in serene and secure surroundings to ensure patients feel comfortable and supported during their mental health journey.Our Interdisciplinary ApproachAt Ramapo Ridge, a 58-bed inpatient mental health hospital licensed by the state of New Jersey and accredited by The Joint Commission, adults in need of inpatient care benefit from a fully personalized treatment plan designed to reach their unique goals. Therapeutic treatment is delivered by our skilled interdisciplinary care team, which includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses and aides, activities therapists, social workers, internists, dieticians, and chaplains. Daily treatment may consist of medication, individual and group therapy, therapeutic activities, family support, and pastoral care services.We also offer a geriatric psychiatric program that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses that commonly affect older adults, such as dementia, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety.The Difference at Ramapo Ridge         Comforting Dcor and a Beautiful Setting: Soothing surroundings provide comfort to patients as they heal, with views of forested grounds, water features, and plenty of windows for natural light.          Respect for Privacy: We provide everyone in our care with a secure environment where privacy is respected.         Therapeutic Activities: Our diverse schedule of activities helps patients thrive in their journey and creates a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.         Safety and Quality of Care: Our highly qualified team members follow strict procedures and use advanced technologies to ensure all our patients are safe and comfortable. Inpatient Treatment at Ramapo RidgeInpatient treatment can be lifesaving for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Ramapo Ridge provides a safe and therapeutic environment where patients isolate from triggers, stabilize, and learn coping skills to use after they return to their life outside of the hospital. If you think you might benefit from inpatient treatment, we are here to help. Visit your primary or mental health care provider to request a referral for admission to our program or call (201) 848-5500 to make an appointment at LiveWell Counseling for an evaluation. If waiting for an appointment is not an option, please call 911 or 988 for emergency assistance.

I sneak around the corner in my red shoes. If he sees me, he will scold me. I shouldnt be wearing them, he says. They are dangerous. Maybe he is right, but I love my red shoes. They make me feel alive. They make me want to dance. They remind me of when I was young and could wear any shoes I wanted. Now, at age 91, my step is slower. I no longer dance. The physical therapist at the assisted living facility where I live tells me I should be wearing sensible shoes, flat with Velcro closures. I do most of the time, but today I want to feel young. I slip on my red shoes. Everyone notices. They all like my red shoes, expect for Elizabeth, who thinks red shoes are risqu, no matter your age. That adds to the fun. My step is lighter in my red shoes and so is my spirit. Perhaps that will help me move quickly enough not to get caught by the physical therapist. It is easy to tell our aging loved ones what they should and should not be doing. Often the motivation is genuine concern for their safety. But it is important to remember that each thing they are asked to give up represents part of their identity. Something as simple as the shoes one wears can impact the way they view themselves. So, approach the topics which need to be addressed to keep your loved one safe, but do so gently, respecting the person and recognizing what youre asking them to do may not be as simple as it seems. Patty Masterson-Kane, LCSW and Patty Hemphill, LCSW are partners in Elder Care Options, a Geriatric Care Management Agency. They help families coping with issues related to aging and changing care needs and can be reached at 201-848-8539.

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) vary greatly in their ability to provide high quality individualized Rehabilitation services to patients. Patients, families, & healthcare professionals often choose a SNF based on geographical factors, physical plant (e.g. interior/exterior design, meals, availability of private rooms); also, often used in the selection process is an environment that is clean and odor-free, as well as positive regulatory agency reports. Although these factors can play a role in the decision making process, other very important factors that should be considered are often overlooked. Successful Rehabilitation, measured by positive functional outcomes, can best be achieved in facilities that provide highly individualized Rehabilitation services -- where there is a close working alliance between patients/families/caregivers & a highly skilled team of healthcare professionals. The goal of this team is to maximize a given patients physical, functional, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, & leisure potential --often after life changing/catastrophic illness. Healthcare professionals that should be part of this team include primary care physicians (PCP), and physiatrists, who should work closely side by side. While the PCP attends to the general medical needs of the patient, the physiatrist --a physician specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation -- attends to the patients individualized Rehabilitation program. The physiatrist serves as the team leader of a group of individuals, which include, but is not limited to: occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, recreational therapists, patients and their families/caregivers. Also important to the Rehabilitation process is around the clock availability of highly qualified nursing staff, as well as the easy availability of other healthcare consultants as needed. There should be close attention to the proper equipment needed for rehabilitation and the actual amount of time that a patient actively participates in the rehabilitation program, and this should reflect the actual needs of the patient. The proper matching of a specific patients need for rehabilitation services and the services that a specific SNF can actually provide, will help to maximize a successful rehabilitation outcome; this is turn, will help to minimize psychological & financial difficulties for the patient and their family -- during a usually very stressful period in their lives.Editors Note: This article was provided by Jose A. Alonso, M.D., full time physiatrist on staff at Prospect Heights Care Center. Dr. Alonso is the Medical Director of Rehabilitation Medicine Services, Prospect Heights Care Center located at 336 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, NJ, The PM&R Center, P.A., Englewood, NJ and Assistant Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. He can be reached at 201-678-1800.

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