Thursday November 15, 2007

Elim Care facilities are awarded $31,000 to go "high-tech"

Two of Elim Care’s skilled nursing facilities - Redeemer Health and Rehab Center in Minneapolis and Elim Care and Rehab Center in Milaca - received $31,000 in funding from the Minnesota Department of Health’s Nursing Home Technology Pilot Grant Program. The purpose of the grant was to fund pilot projects that use new and innovative technology to improve resident quality of care and quality of life.

Redeemer Health and Rehab will be using the $20,000 grant to purchase and implement “It’s Never 2 Late 2 Learn” interactive software. The computer based training program promotes cognitive, physical and sensory activity by incorporating the software with an easy to use touch screen computer system for the residents. With the help of the software, residents will have the ability to access audio emails and interactive entertainment options.

Redeemer will be piloting the program in their memory care unit, as the software has been shown to help residents with dementia to maintain their cognitive abilities.

Milaca Elim Care and Rehab Center will also be going "high-tech" - in their dining room.

Elim was awarded $11,000 to purchase the hardware, including a hand-held ticket ordering system, required for a restaurant style dining experience. Through restaurant style dining, residents are able to choose a nutritious meal from one of the predetermined menus that suits their tastes, as well as their diet.

At Elim Care’s Park View Care Center in Buffalo, Minnesota, where the restaurant style dining was first introduced, offering residents a meal choice has helped to improve their health while decreasing food waste and costs for the dietary department. The same result is expected at Elim Care and Rehab Center in Milaca.

Out of the 25 proposals submitted for the one time grant opportunity totaling $120,000 in available funds, nine proposals were funded, two of which went to an Elim Care facility.