Dakotas Adults Inc

Programs: Residential servicessee schedule odakota's adults provides residential support to 12 people with a variety of diagnosis including intellectual and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and chronic diseases and ongoing medical issues such as cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, swallowing issues, and generalized mood disorders. Residential services: living well's (previously known as dakota communities) victoria road home was separately incorporated as dakota adults, inc. It was built in 1981 to accommodate the first group of people who had been living at the marie avenue children's home as they turned 21. Dakota adults is affiliated with living well disability services which provides management and program administration services to dakota adults. In 2017, dakota adults provided residential services and supports for 12 people with intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities located in mendota heights, minnesota. 30 competent, well trained full and part-time staff provide support to 12 people on a 24/7 basis. Dakota adults operations mirror those of living well disability services. Living well disability services is recognized as a high-quality provider especially for those who have complex medical conditions otherwise difficult to serve in typical residential or community settings. As noted above, this organization was started by families as a children's home 45 years ago, living well disability services continues to set the gold standard for residential and 24/7 supports for people with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities. Today, living well disability services supports nearly 200 people who live in our 33 homes located in dakota, hennepin, isanti, ramsey, sherburne and wright counties. Well trained, full and part-time staff provide exceptional individualized support so that each person can live well. Living well disability services serves a broad spectrum of people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, autism, and brain injury. These may be complicated by health issues related to aging, diabetes, alzheimer's, and medical fragility. We also provide mental health and behavior supports as part of our services for people with multiple diagnoses. Innovative medical support20 people have taken advantage of our emerging relationship with bluestone on-site physician services. Six people have started working with healthstar services (taking advantage of new behavioral and health support opportunities) while more than 100 people have agreed to participate in the new health information exchange (hie) beginning in late 2017/2018. Expected benefits of the hie include the development of health histories, reduction of medication errors, reduction of redundant documentation, immediate notification when incidents occur, etc. Living well disability services has fully implemented electronic data collection and programming (therap) which provides greater efficiencies in having data in one area. Wellness programming is core to all services we provide. Our approach is designed to improve quality of life. Wellness includes: physical; emotional; social; occupational; environmental; financial; cultural/spiritual and intellectual components. Wellness programming contributes to success through exercise and physical fitness, nutritious menus, recreational therapy, and volunteer opportunities that offer meaningful community engagement. During 2017, living well disability service's wellness program along with organizational wellness best practices were shared with multiple non-profits via altair and 40 plus providers at conferences including the inaugural mnccd wellness conference held in october 2017in addition, more than 200 people served by living well disability services participated in a variety of wellness programs including dog sledding trips, ways to wellness programs, along with animal assisted interactions, culture and cuisine, crop share, community supported agriculture, various sporting events, art therapy, mind and body events, health and nutrition classes, and music/pet/massage therapy. With the generous support of donors, living well disability services (including dakota adults) is evolving our homes and services to better meet the changing needs of the people we support while maximizing new opportunities for community integration. In 2017, 22 people that we support went on a dog sled trip; 100% of people served attended activities in the community, had competitive employment, or retired from day services. More than 70 people participated in ways to wellness program. As many people age, mobility becomes more challenging. Due to generous community support in 2017, we installed elevators at two homes that made an immediate improvement for several struggling to use the stairs. Over $100,000 in donations helped fund wellness activities, elevators, and lifts. Additional contributions were invested in adaptive and assistive technology (e. G. Mobility, navigating, communication, etc. ).