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A few months ago Bette Silence couldn’t get out of bed without assistance.
Today, with the help of Ingo Zirpins who was recently hired as the director of rehabilitation for HorizonWest Healthcare’s Grass Valley Care Center, Silence can now get around with the use of a walker at the care center.
“I feel so much better,” Silence said after a recent physical therapy session with Zirpins. “I’m coming right along. I started with therapy about five times per week and now it’s down to about twice a week.”
This is good news for Zirpins who works directly with residents and supervises physical therapists at HorizonWest’s Grass Valley Care Center and Meadow View Manor.
“I believe in integrating the body, mind and soul of each patient,” Zirpins said. “Physical therapy is based on movement and my goal is to get people moving, which is essential for their independence.”
Zirpins said through the use of humor and always taking the time to get to know his patients, attitudes and energy levels can be changed for the better.
“I like to establish a personal rapport with my patients,” he said. “As we develop a therapy program, we work on it together. It’s not just a plan of what I want. People need to know that we care and that it is important for the therapist and patient to strive for the same goal.”
While Zirpins may be new to HorizonWest, he is not a newcomer to the physical therapy profession. Originally from Germany in a town near Cologne, Zirpins, 40, came to the United States in 1992 to study massage at the Esalen Institute and Shiatsu/Acupressure at the Berkeley Acupressure Institute. He pursued a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and human movement studies at San Francisco State University while maintaining a private massage practice. In 2003 he earned a master’s degree in physical therapy from UC San Francisco.
After his studies Zirpins said his interest gravitated toward orthopedic medicine and geriatric rehabilitation.
“I have a respect for my elders,” he said. “I feel my generation has a responsibility to provide a quality of life for them.”
Most of the people Zirpins works with at Grass Valley Care Center require therapy three to five times each week. He said progress of each resident is based on what type of condition they were in when they began the therapy. Therapy can include physical exercises as well as the integration of manual hands-on therapy, which includes joint and soft tissue mobilization.
“My biggest reward is seeing people get better,” he said.
Chris Siregar, executive director at the Care Center, said Zirpins gives hope to the residents to help them to recover with the way he relates to everyone.
“Having Ingo on board at both our HorizonWest facilities has been a positive experience for our patients and staff,” Siregar said. “He is professional in every sense of the word and always goes above and beyond when it comes to caring and prescribing what’s in the best interest of our residents.”
When he’s not working at the HorizonWest facilities, Zirpins enjoys spending time with his partner and three children, taking advantage of outdoor activities such as gardening.
“I grew up on the land, he said. “I like to be in contact with Mother Earth as much as possible.”
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