Hannah
Hannah was living in a nursing home, accruing a large unpaid bill while awaiting disability assistance to be approved. But the nursing home grew impatient. They dropped Hannah off at the St. Margaret Hospital Emergency Department and said they would not take her back. Thanks to donor support, Hannah was not turned away. The St. Margaret social work team found a personal care home with an available room for Hannah. St. Margaret Foundation paid the initial $830 fee for her entry. She had food, shelter, and warmth while she anticipated her disability assistance approval at the end of the month.
Maureen
Maureen came to St. Margaret with a fracture in her spine and various other medical issues. She required intravenous antibiotics and intense rehab that kept her in and out of the hospital for months. She was also in and out of a skilled nursing facility. Even after all of her therapy and time at facilities, she had not gained enough strength to be able to walk up the steps to her restroom and bedroom at home. At this point, Maureen was facing the possibility of selling her home in order to afford the expenses of a long-term care facility. Donor support allowed St. Margaret to install a stair glide in her home. She was then able to return home safely and avoid needlessly selling her house.
Angela
Recently, a patient seemed sad and a little frustrated. She had been in and out of the hospital and nursing homes for 10 of the previous 12 months. She shared how much she missed having a dog and showed her nurse her necklace with her dog's ashes in it. Angela was offered a pet therapy synthetic pet. The synthetic dog has a rhythmic breathing movement to help ease anxiety and remind patients of their animals. She loved it! Later, when the nurse went back to check on her, she had fallen asleep hugging the dog.
Pet therapy provides companionship and comfort for patients, especially those suffering from dementia, confusion, and delirium. Donor support helps provide these synthetic pets which can often result in reduced medication needs for patients. This helps keep costs down and minimizes side effects that can lead to re-hospitalization, like increased risk of falling.
