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81 North Main Street, Barre, Vermont
From the Executive Director
Hello to You All,
It has taken over ten years and PI Barre has finally done it. We were able to sell our old building, we have purchased our new home at 81 North Main Street, Barre, and we have moved in! Exciting times are ahead! Due to finding some angels in our community - Joyce and Leo Dutil, Ken Randall Contracting, past and present PI Board of Directors and PI Staff - renovations are completed and we are loving what our participants are calling the “P.I. Palace”. We are planning a date for our open house and a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Adult Day Health Services are certified by the Sate of Vermont, Department of Aging and Independent Living, (DAIL). DAIL has created a set of “state standards” used to measure the performance of each Adult Day Health Service. Their definition of our service is: “Adult day services are community-based non-residential services designed to assist adults with physical and/or cognitive impairments to remain as active members in their communities as long as possible by maximizing their level of health and independence and ensuring their optimal functioning. Adult day centers provide a safe, supportive environment where participants can receive a range of professional health, social and therapeutic services. Adult day services also provide respite, support and education to family members, caregivers, and legal representatives”. We are inspected twice a year by DAIL and the Veterans Administration.
Project Independence, Barre serves Washington and Northern Orange Counties. We are drawing from 18 towns. With permission from DAIL we were offering our services to 39 participants per day in a building designed for 28 or less. The new building will allow us to serve up to 55 participants and within the next 18 months, this number can be expanded to 65 participants. There is a demand for this expansion in this community as the waiting list shows 22 more participants are in need of our services. We are told by DAIL that the Central Vermont Region is deemed the highest area of growth/need over the next ten years for Adult Day Health Services.
Who comes to us? Our cliental consist of the following people:
● People with dementia disease,
● Frail elders,
● People with acute or chronic health issues,
● Persons with developmentally delayed and other mental health illness,
● Young adults with mental and/or physical limitations.
For family caregivers, we provide respite, health education, and support groups. Family caregivers can feel confident that their loved ones are enjoying their time in a different stimulating setting while having interactions with others and being cared for.
Our activities and nursing staff are highly trained and skilled! They also have longevity with PI. Together, each day, the staff provides the services below to our participants so they can improve their health and ability to remain independent and remain being an active member of their community:
● Physical Therapy Support(PT) Nursing Care
● Balanced meals (breakfast &lunch) Activities
● Outings Entertainment
● Support groups for family members Respite
The above services are provided daily and the physical strength, mental stimulation and overall happiness can be seen and felt each day at PI, Barre. Each week we receive thank you notes and or gifts from family members showing their appreciation for our work.
Due to the State’s deficits, the Adult Day Funding was decreased in two areas for 2010 and for the next financial year 2011. One was our hourly rate for Medicaid which was reduced by $1.50 per hour. Our hourly rate is now $13.88 per hour. This hits hard when we have not received an increase in over three years. Also because of the “state standards” requiring more nursing, RNs, our hourly cost is $23.45 for care. The other reduced area was capping the Medicaid Moderate Needs Group funding which results in a $43,000 loss in revenue for PI Barre this year, 2010, and an estimated $63,000 for 2011.
As I have mentioned in the past, PI Barre is Vermont’s First Adult Day Health Service. Now after 34 years of operating in tight quarters we are so looking forward to being in a space that is conducive to the services and care we are providing. This new location includes a separate room for both PT and nursing, a large ADA approved state-of-the-art shower room, and five ADA approved new bathrooms. The kitchen facility is larger and allows us to adequately serve more participants. While construction was being done we also had plumbing installed for a therapeutic whirlpool that is on our wishlist.
Our new facility will enhance the quality and quantity of services and allows for more possibilities, which we are so looking forward to. Our new facility also gives our participants and their families an exciting integration to “Downtown Barre”, a dream the first Executive Director, Lindsey Wade, of PI, Barre had over 30 years ago. Walking to the parks, shopping, eating out and socializing are just a few of the exciting times that will be accomplished in our new home.
Miracles happen at PI every day. Please come and visit us anytime and feel a piece of the magic that abounds us.
Sincerely,
Dee Rollins
ExecutiveDirector |
Recently, Project Independence helped spread the word about the Vermont Foodbank entry to win a free truckload of food from Feeding America paired with Tyson Foods and other folks. Ten states had the opportunity to get this donation - a whole truck full of food for their Foodbank - but the Foodbank had to have enough virtual can donations by way of votes. We spread the work and Vermont came in 3rdof the top 10 states. What a wonderful thing to see the Tyson truck roll in for the ceremony and know we were a part of this wonderful event.