The foundation handed out eight grants in total this spring to organizations around the nation, according to a press release by Home Instead Senior Care, which has an office in Racine.
“Our mission is very similar to St. Monica’s Assisted Living, as we both help enhance the lives of aging adults and those who care for them,” said Roger Baumgart, executive director of the foundation. “We are pleased to provide this grant funding to St. Monica’s Assisted Living for making a positive difference in the safety, well-being and independence of seniors.”
Victor Erato, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care Racine office, said he submitted a letter of support for St. Monica’s because their mission is similar in scope to Home Instead Senior Care’s mission: to have residents age in the places where they live.
Home Instead Senior Care provides personalized non-medical in-home care to seniors.
“A number of residents come into St. Monica’s with early dementia,” Erato said. “This system will help protect them from wandering away.”
St. Monica’s will buy a wandering management system and train staff on safety care for seniors, said Loretta Baxter, RN and administrator for St. Monica’s Senior Living.
Residents that wander away because of increasing dementia and are in decent health often need to be relocated to another home.
“Not only is this incredibly hard on the family, it’s also extremely stressful and detrimental to the resident’s health to have to relocate, and can exacerbate an already worsening condition. The technology is unobtrusive and does not hamper the individual’s movement. Many are even unaware of it,” Baxter said.
