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Patients of all ages receive equal attention and quality care at Hardy Physical Therapy
By Kathryn Acciari Contributing Writer NORTHBOROUGH - Hilaré Bowie grew up in an environment of care and achievement.
From the time she was a small girl, she visited her parents’ physical therapy practice in Northborough. In doing so, she developed a commitment to rehabilitation based on each person’s goals.
“People know that something’s wrong when they can’t do something they love,” she said in a recent interview.
Whether it is a particular movement related to a sport, or a limitation in daily activities, “we work with them toward attaining their own individual goals,” Bowie said.
In serving their clients, Bowie and her team strive to build a therapy plan that mimics the key activities of each patient.
“One of my therapists was treating a snowboarder and wanted to create a treatment environment that emulated snowboarding,” she said. “He built a custom setup for his patient. He said he thought of it the prior evening, and when the patient arrived, he had rigged together a step and a BOSU ball to provide a platform similar to the balance needed for snowboarding.”
One of Bowie’s recent successes was with a young lacrosse player who had suffered a knee injury.
His twin brother, who Bowie was treating, mentioned the injury.
“I knew in my heart what the injury was,” Bowie said. “But I never like to create panic. This patient had suffered a PCL tear, which is extremely rare. It had to be surgically repaired, and then he started therapy with me. The patient had a full scholarship to Saint Anselm College and had to red shirt and missed the fall season. But he worked so hard that he was able to return to his team in the spring and compete.”
This speaks to Bowie’s dedication to individualized attention for each patient. Bowie and her team listen to their patients and create a plan to get them there.
“People tell us what they need and want,” she said.
Bowie’s approach is a contrast to physical therapy in the 1990’s, when machines were often used for rehab. A patient back then might gain strength in one particular muscle, but that would not translate to improvement in overall function.
“Science shows that it’s better to provide functional rehabilitation associated with common activities, such as climbing stairs or bending over the washer,” Bowie said.
Where Hardy Physical Therapy stands out is what Bowie refers to as their “old-school” approach in which the therapists work with patients as the need presents itself. Some patients come from other physical therapy practices where they had a 30-minute limit for each treatment session.
“No one is going to tell me when the work is done,” Bowie said. “We customize our patients’ experience. We aren’t on a stopwatch; we end each session based on the patient’s needs.”
In addition to helping athletes recover from injuries, Hardy therapists serve the “weekend warriors” - people who go out and hike Everest and then come for therapy because everything hurts.
Hardy Physical Therapy also treats patients 65 years and older who want to return to normal activities following joint replacements.
Bowie speaks of Hardy Physical Therapy’s deep roots in the community. They have been in the same location in Northborough since 1981 and also have an office in Hudson.
“People know us from my dad, Terry Hardy, who has retired. We work with the students in Hudson schools and at Algonquin. We sponsor school teams, golf tournaments, police events. Ours is a family-owned practice, and we make physical therapy a pleasant, individualized experience for anyone who walks through our doors.”
Learn more about Hardy Physical Therapy at https:// hardyphysicaltherapy.com. Business Profiles are advertising features designed to provide information and background about Community Advocate advertisers.
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Hilaré Bowie poses for a photo with her husband Tyler Bowie.
PHOTO/KATHRYN ACCIARI
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COMMUNITY NEWS Northborough, Southborough district sponsors family support webinar series
Westborough DPW worker honored following citizen’s letter
NORTHBOROUGH/SOUTHBOROUGH - The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough is sponsoring a parent webinar series to support families and teenagers’ well-being.
The district recently announced this effort, saying it is committed to supporting the social, emotional and academic development and well-being of its students.
Staff noted that rates of anxiety, depression and social isolation are at record high rates for children and adolescents.
The series kicked off on May 31 with a webinar on mental health, suicidality and supporting children.
The next session was scheduled to be held on June 7 as of press time. That session focused on keeping kids safe online and preventing cyberbullying. It was due to feature staff from the office of Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
The series will now end
Westborough faces lifeguard shortage for Lake Chauncy beach
Lake Chauncy | from page 25 services, some Select Board terfront director and at least one members expressed their conhead lifeguard, she said. cerns about this specific plan.
Ideally, there would be at Patrick Welch recalled releast 15 lifeguards for Kirkland cently taking his granddaughto feel comfortable staffing the ters to the playground at Lake beach. Chauncy, lifting their strollers
While Kirkland said that over rocks to get around the number may seem high, she fence and wheeling across the noted that the applicants often beach’s sand to get onto a sidedon’t have full availability. walk to get to the playground.
Last year, with 13 lifeguards “If that gate was open, I on staff, there were not enough would have immediately been staff members. [able to go] right into the side-
“We had callouts,” Kirkland walk and not to have done said. “There were vacations that,” Welch said. “I can only planned, things of that nature.” imagine mothers having to do that with two and three
Select Board discusses children to bring them to the opening beach gate playground.”
Kirkland said that the town He called for the gate to be is not planning to open the gate open during daylight hours. to the Chauncy beach, adding This presentation was an that people can access the area advisory to the Select Board by going around its fence. and town staff plan to have
Supporting the decision to more information regarding not run insufficient lifeguard Lake Chauncy in the future. on June 14 with a session on building healthy habits to improve physical and emotional health. Like others, that session will also take place at 7 p.m.
The webinar series is featuring a number of district and local professionals, including District Physician Safdar Medina, District Wellness Leader Mary Ellen Duggan, District Social Emotional Learning Coordinator Jennifer Lipton-O’Connor, Director of Castlebrook Counseling Services Kerrie Toole and Southborough Youth and Family Services’ Sarah Cassell.
The webinars are being recorded.
To register for the third and final event, visit tinyurl. com/5em87j27. Any questions can be sent to Lipton-O’Connor at jlipton@nsboro.k12.ma.us. WESTBOROUGH - Westborough marked a first with its monthly employee excellence award last month, honoring TJ Voutas of the Department of Public Works’ Cemetery Department following a private citizen’s letter.
The town announced this in a press release on Monday, noting that the citizen had hailed Voutas as an “outstanding member of the town’s DPW department.”
The citizen’s letter noted Voutas’ “dedication to our loved ones’ graves,” regularly going out of his way to respect the sensitivities of grieving families.
“With great care, TJ has addressed certain requests made by this and other individuals, ‘dealing every day with grieving loved ones picking out plots for burial with pure respect,’” the town said.
The letter writer reportedly complemented work to beautify town cemetery space around Veteran’s Day, also noting that Voutas was involved in work to ensure operation of a sound system for downtown Veteran’s Day observances.
“I even heard policemen at Grove saying how nice it was,” the letter writer wrote.
The letter praised Voutas as a “respectful young man” and a “wonderful person.”
“As it is said that one compliment in writing represents forty unwritten concurring opinions, it can be assumed that there are many other residents who equally appreciate TJ’s efforts to go out of his way to let them know their loved ones are not forgotten and continue to be honored whether or not his efforts are being recognized,” the town wrote in its press release this week.
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