How Philanthropy Has Funded Enriching Care

When we look at gifts given to the Knute Nelson Foundation specifically to support home and community-based services (home health care, hospice, wellness, outpatient therapy, and technology), there are many highlights to share.

Donations given to hospice have funded care packages that are given to each new hospice patient. The care packages include a variety of comforting and practical items, such as educational pamphlets about navigating grief and loss, a notebook and pen, a wooden hand-held cross, a handmade quilt, a Jesus Calling devotional book, and a CD of songs performed by Knute Nelson therapeutic musician Sara Severson.

One of the most recent projects hospice donations have funded are teddy bears with a recordable feature. Knute Nelson Hospice staff have brought these bears to patients to record a special message for their loved ones, a keepsake their family members can treasure forever.

Dave Peters, who was recently served by Knute Nelson Hospice, was so touched by this idea that he requested teddy bears and recorded a special message for each of his grandchildren. Hospice donations also support bereavement programming provided to families whose loved ones were served by hospice.

Knute Nelson Hospice provides bereavement services to family members for 13 months following their loved one’s passing. There are many exciting opportunities on the horizon for expanding and deepening bereavement services at Knute Nelson.

We are eager to continue to partner with donors to bring these visions to life! Thanks to a variety of grants we have received over the years from Parkinson’s Foundation of Minnesota, Medica Foundation, Cardinal Health Foundation, Minnesota Department of Health, and from individual donors—the Knute Nelson Foundation has supported many service enhancements and continuing education opportunities for our staff serving in home and community-based settings.

Some notable examples include:

• Providing hospice clinical staff with Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) certification
• Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) training to help those living with Parkinson’s Disease
• Funding of second-generation home health care technology that included personal emergency response, smart home automation, and clinical monitoring technologies
• The purchase of Accuvein machines to ease drawing blood and administering IVs to home health care clients
• Home health care staff certification in Lymphedema therapies
• Dementia certification and training to provide dementia patients compassionate and informed care
• Scholarships for Knute Nelson staff to attain their Certified Nursing Assistant, LPN, or RN degrees
• Funding of home health care technology including: clinical monitoring technology to track vital signs remotely and medication dispensers to create ease and efficiency around patient medication management