JOHNSTON, Iowa – July 14, 2015 – Halcyon House, a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living located in Washington, Iowa, received notification today that it will be awarded a $160,610.88 grant from the Iowa Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Civil Money Penalty Quality Improvement Initiative (CMPQII) program.
Grant funds will be used to help replace Halcyon House’s aging 37-bed health center with a 54-bed household model, which will include an 18-bed household for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as well as two 18-bed skilled and long-term care households.
Chris Marshall, Halcyon House executive director, said, “The vision of the Halcyon House Health Center building project is to enhance the quality of life, health and well-being of its residents, with an unwavering focus on their potential and possibilities through a new social model of home-like households.”
Halcyon House broke ground on its new health center last month, with construction scheduled for completion sometime in 2016. Studies show a need in Washington County for additional residences to accommodate the growing number of persons requiring secure memory support care. The modern social, person-driven, household environment will offer residents greater space for communal dining with other residents, family and friends; improve quality of life; provide understandable spaces and variety of choices; and enable all activities of daily living in one secure setting.
The focus of the CMPQII grant will be on equipping the new households with appropriate furnishings, equipment and therapy programs that serve to strengthen residents’ functionality, reduce likelihood of falls, increase mobility confidence levels, and minimize safety risks – thus, improving residents’ quality of life. One of the most devastating impacts to independence and quality of life is falls and fall-related injuries. In Iowa alone, falls account for 260,000 annual emergency room visits and 10,827 hospitalizations.
The goal of the Iowa DHS CMPQII grant program is to enhance the quality of care and quality of life for both residents and staff of Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing facilities licensed by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) through initiatives that focus on enhancement and educational initiatives. Another objective of the grant program is to utilize civil money penalties collected by the DIA to help protect the health or property of residents of facilities with a history of deficient practice.
For more information, contact: Paula Maddox, director of Annual Gifts and Grants, 515-271-6719 or pmaddox@wesleylife.org
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About WesleyLife—a nonprofit organization
Guided by Christian compassion, WesleyLife is enhancing the independence, health and well-being of older adults. Our vision is to transform the aging experience so people live longer, healthier lives. We offer health and wellness services in 15 Iowa counties through our Communities for Healthy Living, three adult day services programs and an array of services delivered to people wherever they call home. For more information about WesleyLife, please visit www.wesleylife.org
