Staff members with St. Joseph’s Hospital’s adult day program are now better equipped to help seniors involved in the program in receiving the services they need, thanks to the help of the United Way.
The adult day program’s staff now has access to a Dynamap Vital Monitoring System, giving them the ability to check blood pressure levels, pulse and oxygen levels of participants in the program whenever necessary. This system was purchased with the help of a grant from the United Way.
Erin Banbury, manager of long-term care, said the adult day program offers a number of services all in one place, making it more convenient for seniors. The program offers services that range from social activities and games to blood work, blood pressure monitoring and other things that people may not have access to, as easily, at home.
Director of spiritual care Marion Huber said the new monitoring system will be a great help, since not as many members of staff were able to check participants’ blood pressure, for instance, before the purchase of the new machine.
“With this machine, any of the staff can assess a patient, as far as monitoring their vitals is concerned,” said Huber. “If you’ve got someone feeling light-headed, anyone can come and assess the situation, using the machine to check it out and get the help that person needs.”
Huber said the approximately$4,200 machine will be regularly used, since it can take care of many important health matters all at once. The machine is one of many important items the program has been able to obtain, being a member of the United Way.
“We apply for a grant, on behalf of the adult day program, each year to the United Way. I meet with staff and ask them what they need,” said Huber. “The money St. Joseph’s has, usually goes to staffing, so we can run the program. My thing was, ‘How can we enhance the program?’ We bring whatever is needed, whether it’s machines or musical instruments, through the United Way’s grants.”
Huber said another way the grants are helpful, is in how they can be used to sponsor individual people who want to participate in the adult day program, but cannot afford the fee.
“We do have funding for folks that might like to attend the program, but who don’t have the finances,” said Huber. “They can come and access anything in the hospital, be it physio or blood work or blood sugar testing. They can get their vitals done regularly, now that we have this machine.”
