Little Falls Health Services, an affiliate of St. Francis Health Services of Morris (SFHS), is pleased to announce we were recently awarded a Minnesota Nursing Facility Performance-based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) grant by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) focused on preventing falls.  The initiative for fall prevention and fall reduction began January 1, 2021 and will continue through December 31, 2022 within our care center and related SFHS’ skilled nursing care centers.

The Falls Prevention Project will provide our care center with additional resources to make positive system improvements to prevent falls for individuals receiving services that is focused on each individual’s preferences and needs.  This program will have three components; expanding falls prevention and person centered education, implementing Safe Being technology, and increasing exercise program opportunities.

The education component of the Falls Prevention Project comes to us with a new partnership with Pioneer Network to expand our work force knowledge of Person Centered/Directed care. Pioneer Network is the national leader for culture change that advocates and builds a culture of aging where individual choices are respected and fosters care that is directed by the person receiving it.  Staff will learn how to better address needs and lifestyle choices to reduce an individual receiving services’ risk for falls. 

In the second part of our Falls Prevention Project, we will be installing Safe Being technology in our care centers.  The Safe Being system provides the capability for real time remote monitoring while respecting the person’s privacy.  Safe Being uses a watch-like device that provides data on lifestyles and daily activities and interprets gestures identifying how/when a resident is moving, eating, drinking and sleeping.  Each person wearing the device will send an alert when there is a change in status or has been identified as being at risk for a potential fall or has fallen. 

The third component of the Falls Prevention Project will be increasing exercise program opportunities such as Bingocize and Otago to improve strength, flexibility, and balance to help reduce falls. 

The Falls Prevention Project is intended to build sustainable practices throughout our care center beyond the original two year grant period.  SFHS is a faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization.  In addition to their skilled nursing care centers, they offer a variety of services that include customized/assisted living, a full range of therapies, senior housing, transitional and skilled nursing care, and behavioral and residential programs throughout the State of Minnesota.

Check out some of our safe care heroes below! No doses of the vaccine were wasted

Our care center will have its second vaccine clinic on February 2nd. The vaccine reaches its full effectiveness 1-2 weeks after the second dose.

We are still awaiting more information regarding our first vaccine clinic for Bridgeway Estates, and we will share that with all of our tenants, friends, and families as soon as we can!

When it is your turn, #trustscience and get vaccinated!

Please help us in welcoming two new faces to the LFHS team!

Molly (pictured left) is joining the organization as the care center Activities Director. Her background is working as an occupational therapy assistant, and she is already bringing new ideas and inspiration to our life enrichment program.

Kelly (pictured right) started with LFHS as the Environmental Services Director in August, and has been busy preparing the building for winter. He has experience in safety and management and brings a great perspective to the team!

We are so excited to have you both here

Little Falls Health Services an affiliate of St. Francis Health Services of Morris (SFHS), is pleased to announce their Restorative Ambulation and Mobility Project (RAMP).  The RAMP Project is a result of SFHS’s long term care collaborative of 7 care centers being awarded a Minnesota Nursing Facility Performance-based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) grant by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).  Implementation of the RAMP Project began January 1, 2020 at LFHS and will continue through December 31, 2020. 

The goal of the RAMP project is to improve the quality of care and quality of life for our residents. The project will help each resident reach their highest attainable level of function in ambulation and mobility. A Walk to Dine and a Balance Exercise program will be integrated into our Restorative Program. The Walk to Dine program will assist the resident in maintaining functional ambulation abilities to support maximum level of independence for the highest quality of life. The Balance Exercise program is intended for a resident that had a recent fall. Many respond to a fear of falling by reducing activity levels, which results in loss of muscle strength and balance.   This evidence-based program would be designed and implemented to reduce fear of falling and increase activity levels.

The RAMP Project will provide us with additional resources to make positive system improvements to support good outcomes, focusing on our residents’ preferences and needs.  We want our residents to experience their highest quality of life, and feel this program promotes this by impacting their ability to achieve and/or maintain their optimal physical function.

This project is another way we are carrying out our mission of “Expressing Christ’s love by providing care that values every human life.” If you have any questions about the RAMP project or want more information, please contact our care center.

            This week we have implemented another recommendation from the Minnesota Department of Health. We are asking all residents to wear surgical masks while receiving care from our staff in their rooms and while they are in any common areas. This is another preventative measure to ensure the safety of our residents and staff.

            As of today, there are no known cases of Coronavirus in our care centers. We continue to monitor all residents and staff for signs and symptoms of illness that could indicate a COVID-19 infection. In an effort to be transparent, we wanted to share our plans with you in the event there may be an outbreak in our care center. While we hope that we are not impacted by COVID-19, we are prepared for it.

• We will follow all recommendations by the Minnesota Department of Health, CMS and CDC.
•  If a resident has a confirmed case, the resident – unless they are hospitalized – will be transferred within our care center to our designated isolation unit. The entrance to this unit will be used only for these residents and the staff that will work in this area.
• Once the resident is placed in isolation they will receive the recommended levels of care from designated staff who will not have contact with other residents in our care center.
• We will contact the family members of residents who are placed in isolation as soon as possible.
• We will also contact residents and families (the first-listed responsible party) by telephone, letter, or Bright Arrow text that we have a confirmed case in our care center. Please ensure we have updated contact information in your loved one’s medical record.

            We truly appreciate your continued support and understanding as we navigate through this pandemic. We will update you as this situation progresses. Feel free to forward this letter on to family and friends that wish to stay informed and remember to follow us on Facebook and our website (www.sfhs.org) for more updates. As always, reach out to us with any questions or concerns.