good samaritan grant proposal

7/28/2019 Good Samaritan Grant Proposal

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A. Organizational Information

The Good Samaritan Society Moscow Village was founded in 1976 after thecommunity called upon the national organization to allow for the opening of a localbranch. Today the Moscow facility sits on twenty-two acres of beautifully landscaped

grounds, serving the community through its work in skilled care, rehabilitation, andassisted living for the elderly. Good Samaritan Moscow Village stands alone as a fullyfunctioning and self-sustaining skilled care and assisted living center as an important partof the Palouse community.

Good Samaritan Moscow Village caters to a wide variety of resident needs and aims torecreate the same quality of life within the facility that residents enjoyed in their previoushomes. The campus includes senior living areas with one to two bedroom apartments,assisted living, and skilled care rooms where residents have the full attention of thecenter's nursing staff. Within the skilled care area is an Alzheimer's and dementia unitwith staff specially trained in the care of patients with memory loss or disorientation.

The mission and goals of Good Samaritan help define purpose in each community:The missionis to share Gods love in word and deed by providing shelter and

supportive services to older persons and others in need, believing that In ChristsLove, Everyone Is Someone.

The goals are1. To create a community where residents can receive the care they need.2. To provide care for all members of the community regardless of their abilityto pay.3. To raise awareness and support for those in need in the Palouse.4. To live by the ideal that "In Christ's love, everyone is someone" regardless ofreligious affiliations.

Strengths and accomplishments of Moscow Village include the advantage of being asubsidiary of the nations leading elderly healthcare provider. With 210 living unitsavailable in apartments, twin homes, assisted living, and skilled care rehabilitation units,Moscow Village is able to serve over 250 residents. Moscow Village is unique in beingthe only non-profit organization that specializes in the care of the elderly in the Palouse.While the national center does not contribute money to the operations of its subsidiarycampuses, it provides guidance and a number of resources that give Good Samaritan anadvantage over other similar organizations.

Last year, over 180 volunteers from the Moscow community logged 6,200 hours at thefacility. Staff members of Moscow Village coordinate an annual Alzheimers MemoryWalk in September, support fundraisers at Gritman Medical Center, host senior mealsites, and volunteer at the local food bank.


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B. Purpose of Grant

Moscow Village boasts twenty-two acres of meticulously maintained grounds accessibleby paved walking paths to view landscaping, picking gardens and the largest Hostagarden in the Palouse. In recent years the grounds have been awarded the Arbor Day

Award for planting of the grounds as well as Moscows Best Yard Award. Unfortunatelythese grounds remain for too many residents inaccessible due to lack of mobility. Thegrounds can be viewed through a window, but the fresh air and exhilaration of beingoutdoors is unattainable.

Often, the residents living in rehabilitative skilled care centers are fairly immobile. Afterthe transition to their new home, trips outside the facility are seldom. Good Samaritanoffers many comforts of home, but the fact that these individuals have difficulty movingmeans they miss out on some of lifes simple pleasures, like riding a bike. Whileresidents could be taken outside in their wheelchairs, there is a fundamental differencebetween a walking pace and the feeling of riding a bike. The exhilaration of the wind in

ones hair and the pace of the bike cannot be replicated. Almost all residents, especiallythose of the aging Baby Boomer generation, learned to ride a bike in their youth. Thisactivity is, however, often one of the first things given up with age. To be back on a bikewithout having to worry about ones physical capabilities can be beneficial to residents ofskilled care.

There is extensive research regarding the benefits of outdoor activity for the elderlypopulation. According toAlzheimers Care Quarterly, gardens and other outdoorsettings provide many opportunities for socialization, sensory stimulation, fun andmeaningful activities. Similarly, Nicola Burns of Strathclyde Centre for DisabilityResearch maintains that Disabledpeoples reasons for being outdoors are more complexthan simply seeking rehabilitation; and, like their non-disabled counterparts access tothe outdoors is perceived for some as an integral aspect of well being and revitalization.

Good Samaritan already has the ideal outside environment for the benefit of bothAlzheimers and dementia patients, as well as all residents seeking fresh air and sunlight.But with limited physical means for patients to access the outside environment, itspotential is underutilized.

This proposal addresses the need to provide residents with opportunities for greateroutdoor mobility. A wheelchair tandem bicycle will provide access to the expansivegrounds. The Moscow Village is in contact with the Silverwood Village in Wallace, ID,which already has a similar adaptive bicycle and contact with the manufacturer. Theequipment consists of a small trailer attached to the back of a bike with a harness to strapin a wheelchair, and an optional sunshade. Anyone comfortable sitting in a chair wouldbe capable of riding in the wheelchair cab.

The benefits of this project will be extensive. The wheelchair tandem bicycle will notonly provide a method of transportation that allows for interpersonal interaction, but alsofoster a sense of independence from the assisted living facility.


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The purchasing of the wheelchair tandem bike will accomplish the following goals:

Rehabilitation aid - outdoor activity is a staple in the rehabilitation programs formany health problems.

Socialization - Increased opportunity for residents to socialize with each other,staff, and members of the community. Morale boosting - an activity for residents to look forward to in order to decrease

feelings of depression and isolation.

Increased quality of lifefun and outdoor enjoyment are a necessity at any age.The timeline of the project is relatively simple. After funding is attained, the bicycle willbe ordered and the staff trained in the proper use of the equipment. The bicycle will beoperated primarily by the Activities Staff, although any staff member will be encouragedto take residents out for a ride. After purchase and training, it will be available for usewhenever the facility chooses. One of the main advantages of this project is minimal

preparation time. Benefits for the residents of the Good Samaritan will be achieved soonafter the purchase of the equipment, and last through years of product and projectmaintenance.

Community Benefits anticipated for this project involvereaching a large sector of theMoscow community: aging residents and their family members. Addressing the needs ofthispopulation extends from within Good Samaritans facility to the broader needs of thecommunity as a whole. Additionally, this program will provide opportunities forinvolvement of other community groups with the residents at Moscow Village. A groupof bicyclists who frequent the Chipman Trail have expressed interest in riding along withthe staff members and residents in the wheelchair bike. The integration of residents and

community members accomplishes goals of the program for Good Samaritan, and allowsthe community to stay in contact with members of the older generation.

Long-term strategies for the continuance of this program into future years requireminimal effort on the part of Good Samaritan after purchase. Maintenance of theequipment will be necessary like any other bicycle, to ensure safety and sustain thelifetime of the product.

New and innovative ways to utilize the bicycle beyond current expectations will beexplored to ensure future successes of the program. Proposed activities similar toSilverwood Villages annual Bike Jam demonstrate potential for dynamic use of the

product for years to come.


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C. Evaluation

Most importantly, this equipment will be utilized as a rehabilitation tool for residents inthe skilled care center. Use of the bicycle will be considered part of the residentsrehabilitation program due to its health benefits. Outings will be written into patients

care plans and documented in their charts to provide concrete statistics of theeffectiveness of the purchase. These records will provide the means to measure ifsymptoms of discomfort, depression, and other health problems. have decreased. Thesestatistics and the ones described below will be discussed at the Activity Committeesmonthly meetings.

Statistics beyond those related to rehabilitation include:

The percentage of residents able to use the bicycle: Silverwood Village reportsthat 50% or more of their residents are able to enjoy rides on the wheelchairbicycle. A statistic near or greater than this would be considered a success forMoscow Village.

Number of months of the year bicycle can be used: Although winter in thePalouse can be harsh, residents of Moscow Village will be able to enjoy annualuse for at least six months of the year (MayOctober).

Time spent socializing with other residents/staff: One of the goals of this programis an increased quality of life. Since socialization is an aspect of this, a measurablestatistic of success is the number of hours per week that the wheelchair bicycleaffords for social opportunities.

If from these statistics Good Samaritan finds that the equipment is being underutilized, orthat the benefits anticipated are not being realized, changes can be made to the program.


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List of Key Staff

Laurie MollerActivities and Volunteer DirectorIn addition to coordinating all volunteers for Moscow Willage, Laurie Moller is

head of the Activity Committee, which will be responsible for programs related torehabilitation. The Activity Committee is the group involved in evaluation of theproject.

Jan AhlesMarketing, Resource Development and Community Relations DirectorAs the director of marketing and community relations, Jan Ahles will be theadministrator of community involvement in projects associated with thewheelchair bicycle.

Mickey ChamberlinDirector of Nursing Services

Jamie BergAdministrator

Len HetslerMaintenance Director

Kathy DethmanHealth Information Management Director

Karen MarquardtStaff Development

Susan GilderAdmissions Coordinator, Social Services Director

good samaritan grant proposal

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