Date: July 1, 2008
Contact: Barbara Schoof Conant
barbara.conant@aging.ks.gov
Director of Communications
(785) 296-6154
Secretary of Aging to visit Minneapolis Good Samaritan Center
Secretary of the Kansas Department on Aging Kathy Greenlee will visit Minneapolis Good Samaritan Center, 815 N. Rothsay, Minneapolis, to recognize it as one of this year’s PEAK Award winners. The awards were presented at the Governor’s Conference on Aging Services in May to 10 Kansas adult care facilities for their efforts to provide resident-centered care. PEAK stands for Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas nursing homes.
Greenlee will tour the facility at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 8, followed by a celebration at 2 p.m.
“Minneapolis Good Samaritan Center and the other PEAK winners are leading the way in adopting and promoting resident-directed care,” Greenlee said. “The result is a more satisfying and rewarding experience for both residents and staff. Such enthusiastic and progressive leadership is one of the reasons Kansas has been recognized nationally as a leader in this change.”
Here are some of the characteristics that make Minneapolis Good Samaritan Center a winner:
Residents are free to get up when they want to, go to their neighborhood dining areas for meals when they want to and are asked what they would like to do. All staff members consistently work with the same residents in the same neighborhood. The four neighborhoods are connected by a Towne Center, which includes a fireplace, parlor, ice cream shop and library. Spontaneous activities are accommodated for residents. An active volunteer program promotes interaction with the community.
Other PEAK winners are: Atchison Senior Village, Atchison; Brandon Woods Retirement Community, Lawrence, Brewster Place Health Center, Topeka; Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook; Cheney Golden Age Home, Cheney; Greeley County Long-Term Care Unit, Tribune; Johnson County Nursing Center, Olathe; Parkside Homes, Hillsboro; and Village Shalom, Overland Park.
KDOA began recognizing adult care homes through the PEAK Awards in 2002. Facilities must submit an application for consideration for the honor. Finalists are visited by a panel of professionals before awards are determined.