NMF awards $25,000 grant to Adult Day Services
BEMIDJI – The Northwest Minnesota Foundation has awarded Adult Day Services Inc. a $25,000 grant to expand service options for families with a loved one experiencing challenges due to deteriorating health.
Adult Day Services Inc., established in 1981, serves clients within a 45-mile radius of Bemidji. It focuses primarily on aging seniors with deteriorating health conditions, assisting with personal care needs, administering medication, giving therapeutic baths and providing physical therapy and exercise programs. It also has transportation with lift systems for those who cannot drive. Individual care plans help coordinate care for all clients.
Minnesota requires a registered nurse spend one hour per month for each client. This requirement is not enough to handle the broad range of care needed to provide a full level of services, said April Collman, Adult Day Services executive director.
“Currently our program has a registered nurse consultant for a few hours per month. However, we want to offer the expertise of a registered nurse to participants daily,” Collman said. “This grant will help to fund the salary and wages for the position, plus help us to acquire much needed equipment.”
The equipment will help with client intake and assessments and improve client care plans.
“This facility is continually expanding,” NMF Program Officer Nate Dorr said. “Programs to care for elderly and disabled adults here are truly inspiring. The grant aligns with our Caring Communities Program, and we are happy to assist in offering members of our region such a great service.”
The grant is part of a quality assurance effort recently undertaken by Adult Day Services. An advisory committee of staff, board and families will help guide the new quality assurance initiative.
The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is a public, charitable foundation serving 12 counties of northwestern Minnesota by investing resources, creating opportunities and promoting philanthropy.
