Kendal at Home

Kendal communities were established with the noble purpose of addressing the evolving needs of older adults by offering innovative services that promote wellness and dignity in health care. Among these communities, Kendal at Home uniquely provides this care in the setting members call Home promoting independence, adaptability, social connection, and lifelong learning. As part of our not-for-profit mission, we endeavor to continually identify innovations in aging and educate those within the Kendal at Home network on some of the most prominent healthcare challenges facing older adults today. Our primary focus areas are fall prevention and cognitive impairment. It is alarming that every second of every day, an older adult (age 65+) in the u.s. Suffers a fall; these are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death in this age group. In 2022, we implemented stepping on, an evidence-based educational workshop aimed at preventing falls in older adults. As published in the journal of the american geriatrics society, this program was found to help reduce the likelihood of falls by 31 percent. Utilizing a grant from the Ohio department of aging, two Kendal at Home care coordinator staff members have become trained and certified to teach this program. We take pride in being the first to be able to offer the training virtually. Since obtaining our credentials earlier this year, we have successfully conducted quarterly classes and trained 17 members making a tangible impact on their safety and well-being. To further engrain these teachings in our service to members, Kendal at Home embarked on other comprehensive programs for members. Our care in Home initiative extends four personal training sessions per year to help members maintain and improve their balance through training conducted in the privacy and comfort of their own Home. Participation in this initiative has been remarkable with 95 members participating in over 440 hours of personal training in 2022, representing a 20% increase from the prior year. In conjunction with in-home personal training, we have introduced other effective programs such as balloflex, a small group seated exercise program, and spiro 100, which provides video streaming fitness and wellness classes for older adults. Beyond physical health, the Kendal at Home team is deeply committed to raising awareness about cognitive impairment and building dememtia-friendly communities. We proudly participate in the dementia friends program, which is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Every staff member within our network is trained to be a dementia champion. As part of this program, we regularly facilitate trainings for frontline healthcare workers (such as firefighters and paramedics), and we partner with local municipalities to educate those community members who seek to better understand the unique needs of and make a positive impact on older adults living with dementia. In all, we have trained 50 people through our participation in this program. In line with our mission, we continuously strive to enhance the care we provide to our members ensuring it remains responsive to the evolving needs and challenges of older adults. We embrace a culture of generosity and responsibility with all Kendal at Home staff actively engaging in community benefit activities throughout the year, sharing time and knowledge from some of the initiatives previously mentioned, raising funds and awareness for alzheimer's, and serving on state and local organizations taking an active role in aging issues. In 2022 these efforts of our fifteen staff members generated 309 hours of service, directly serving 337 people, and touching countless others. The value of all efforts was $27,507 with countless intangible benefits to both staff and those they served.as we look to the future, our commitment to excellence and compassion in elder care remains unwavering. We will continue to evolve and adapt our services to meet the needs of older adults with the ultimate goal of fostering a society that values and supports the well-being and dignity of our aging population.