Innovative wellness programs at Providence Point earn Fabiana Cheistwer top recognition

Fabiana Cheistwer has been named one of the top five wellness directors in North America for her innovative work at Providence Point/Baptist Senior Family, in Scott Township.

As wellness director of the senior living and retirement community, Cheistwer, 64, earned a Pinnacle Award from the International Council on Active Aging and NuStep, LLC, for developing programs that empower older adults to lead vibrant, healthy lives.

“We educate people in cutting-edge health and wellness concepts and engage them in taking good care of themselves, so they stay independent longer,” said Cheistwer, who has worked in her field for 37 years. “We want our health span to parallel our lifespan as much as possible.”

Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

Since joining Providence Point at its inception in 2009, Cheistwer has utilized a SPICES model to provide meaningful activities for residents and associates.

SPICES encompasses six dimensions of wellness — spiritual, physical, intellectual, cultural, emotional and social — and soon will include a seventh: environmental, which relates to nurturing one’s body as well as caring for the planet, Cheistwer said.

“It’s about what we ingest and what we put on our skin, and well as recycling and reuse for the good of the outside world.”

With her team of eight certified wellness professionals, Cheistwer directs dozens of programs in exercise, stress and coping, brain health and memory. About 140 events, including lectures, entertainment and outings, are offered every month.

Classes range from yoga to tai chi to meditation, while spa services include massage, reiki and reflexology. There’s an on-site chaplain and resident dietician. A partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust provides for visiting musicians and other performers as well as outings to concerts and plays.

Dianne Bellisario, 73, moved into Providence Point 13 years ago because of structural issues with her body, and calls the wellness center “phenomenal.”

“I tell family and friends that it’s like I checked into a deluxe wellness hotel,” said Bellisario, a retired teacher. “Everything is here for your health. All you have to do is get out of bed and the activities continue until 7 in the evening.”

Bellisario recalls first meeting Cheistwer and feeling “an instant connection.”

“She said, ‘My job is to keep our residents healthy.’ That was her goal. I hung on to those words because I didn’t want to have to go into personal care. It has been better than I could have imagined.”

When she was facing the possibility of a difficult surgery Cheistwer “recognized immediately that I was petrified,” Bellisario recalled. “She said ‘How about if we just sit down and do some slow breathing and talk to each other.’ She’s extremely empathetic, very soft and intuitive.”

Providence Point executive director Michelle LoBello calls Cheistwer “one in a million.”

“My 20-year-old daughter would call her vibey,” said LoBello. “Fabi makes everyone feel good.”

Providence Point is home to 350 independent living residents, and another 120 individuals who live in the personal care, memory care and skilled nursing units. Most residents are in their 80s and up, Cheistwer said.

“One of our priorities is slowing down memory decline and maintaining brain health as we age. Engaging people in taking care of themselves helps them to stay resilient and independent, so they are not burdening family or the health care system.”

“I love the concept of empowering people with tools that they can use themselves without having to rely on anyone else.”

In recent months, Cheistwer implemented a program called Contemplating End of Life to promote healthy attitudes about mortality.

“This is a difficult topic people often don’t want to talk about, but our approach isn’t run-of- the-mill,” she said, noting that a licensed professional also leads classes in grief support.

Cheistwer’s interest in health and wellness began in childhood, owing to her father, who was a physical therapist and social services worker.

“He was a pioneer…a big proponent of taking care of yourself and learning to stay healthy,” she said. “So, the work I do comes naturally to me. It’s in my blood.”

She was born in Argentina and moved at age 4 to the U.S. Growing up in various cities, Cheistwer was active at Jewish community centers, which infused her philosophy about health, she said.

“In Judaism we are expected to make good decisions about caring for, and respecting, ourselves, each other and our world,” she said.

Cheistwer graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in biology and women’s studies, and went on to earn a master of science in exercise physiology. “I was the only one in my class who took the preventative route in my master’s thesis,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in preventing disease and decline.”

For many years, she owned a health and wellness consulting company.

Cheistwer moved to Pittsburgh when she married Jeffrey Abramovitz, a professional pilot, whom she met while working as his father’s nursing assistant in Louisville, Kentucky. She and her husband live in Squirrel Hill and have two sons, a daughter and an infant grandson. PJC

Deborah Weisberg is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.