August 28, 2020 Update
OH HAPPY DAY!
How nice for Life Care Humboldt to get a letter from the U.S. Government that says,
“Dear Applicant: We’re pleased
to tell you
we determined
you’re exempt
from federal income tax...”
Hurrah!
You can now deduct any donations to Life Care Humboldt dating from January 7, 2020 onward.
We welcome this news as we are moving into our next stage of development.
To fund Phase Two of our financial analysis
we need to raise about $100,000 in donations.
This will give us the blueprint
to move forward with our project.
Donations have already started coming in!
NOW is a great time for
YOU to DONATE HERE
and help LCH thrive!
Prefer to mail a check?
Life Care Humboldt
2475 North Bank Road
McKinleyville, CA 95519
THANK YOU!
We can do this...TOGETHER!
Thoughtful design:
The benefits of “Small House” living during COVID-19.
As Life Care Humboldt (LCH) collects your responses to the Design Survey we are reaching out to experienced individuals and groups to find the best models for older adult living... whatever our stage of life.
To help us with this research Life Care Humboldt has become a member of Leading Age (Leadingage.org). This organization supports networking and education, and advocates for non-profit life plan communities while researching trends in the aging services community.
They have monitored the situation as Covid-19 continues to impact senior living and more attention is directed toward using design to reduce infection risk. Their input will assist us in helping our new community have up-to-date safety features.
Lending Age has supported an innovative model for memory care/advanced nursing units built with only 10-12 bedrooms.
This is called the “small house” or “green house” model. Built without the typical long institutional style corridors found in most facilities, the “small house” model provides each resident with a private room and bathroom, and everyone shares a common living room, dining/kitchen area providing shared meals in a family-like setting.
This configuration gives people an at-home feel, increases direct care and support, reduces the number of caregiver staff needed in each unit, and allows residents more privacy.
Being outdoors can also help reduce infection risk, and a “small house” memory care/advanced nursing facility can be designed to facilitate access to porches and garden areas. With a well-planned physical layout, these areas can visible to staff from the living room and kitchen. So, with easy access to residents - so garden doors can remain unlocked during the day.
Another innovation uses the televisions in residents’ private rooms to set up Zoom services for telemedicine, family gatherings, community get togethers, and communication from the facility management. Bringing online clinical medical services allows treatment without residents having to leave their home, thus reducing the risk of exposure to the Coronavirus.
Other features to reduce infection risk that are often found in hospitals can be built into a new facility. These include bathing some areas with UV light, increasing air flow and humidity, and installing “touchless” technology, such as doors that open on command. Oxygen supply and air flow return vents can be disguised and fit under picture frames, making these clinical resources available without the clinical feel.
Each “small-house” typically needs only three caregiving staff on-hand, less than institutional skilled nursing and memory care facilities. This smaller number of dedicated workers reduces the potential for infection exposure for residents. The enhanced relationships with residents may also increase a sense of staff accountability, and enhance their efforts to be more careful outside of the facility.
If LCH can include small/green house units in our facilities, this would give all Humboldt residents another option for advanced nursing care if needed. And LCH residents would easily be able to visit friends and family, keeping our connections strong and our love continuous.
Please share your design ideas with Life Care Humboldt at this link.
Can you help get the word out?
To make LCH a reality we are working to get the word out about Life Care Humboldt.
If you know of a newsletter, online news, or other media that might include an article or interview on Life Care Humboldt, please send the contact information to lch@lifecarehumboldt.org.
And we'd love to talk to your service group,
church, or any other interested community
by Zoom!
ZOOM House Parties have started!
Let us know if you want to be a guest of a Zoom House Party.
If you want to volunteer to host, invite some friends, and meet some new people, send an email to lch@lifecarehumboldt.org.
THANKS TO YOU since our last email we have gotten 47 new subscribers to these updates from Life Care Humboldt!
KEEP SHARING this emails!
We are up to 524 people on our mailing list
would like to reach
30 more people this month,
so please encourage friends
to join our mailing list
at this link.
Stay safe!
LCH Board of Directors
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