The Anatomy of Change The Anatomy of Change - LeadingAge

making regular trips to the vet or keeping up with other routine
pet care activities.”
After Barbara Grabe, 88, had a heart attack and became
unable to take Snoopy, her miniature schnauzer, on his twicedaily
walks, her family sought St. Andrew’s’ help. The service
“is making it possible for Snoopy to stay with me,” says Grabe.
“When I get home, Snoopy is waiting, and I can’t imagine life
without him.”
After St. Andrew’s evaluates the client’s needs and those of
his or her pet, a care plan is created; the nominal pet service
fee is determined by the level of care that is needed. “Our
focus has always been on caring for families,” says Bannes,
“and since animal companions are such an integral part of the
family structure, it only makes sense for us to extend our services
to pets.”
Nighttime Snacks Lessen
Difficult Behavior, Safety Risks
Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and
Rehabilitation, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Contact: Ron Shafran, associate vice president,
(718) 289-2251.
Like many nursing homes, Parker Jewish Institute for Health
Care and Rehabilitation had some residents with dementia
who were prone to wandering at night, heightening staff’s
concerns about the residents’ sleeplessness, behavior and safety
risks. One night in late 2007, a certified nursing assistant
observed a man as he got out of bed at 2 a.m., picked up his
newspaper and headed down the hall.
Sometimes a midnight snack is the best response to nursing home
residents who are prone to wander.
42 LeadingAge magazine | March/April 2011
Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation
As Ron Shafran, Parker associate vice president, tells it, “He
was preparing to go to the market, which had been his pattern
when he was working. The [nursing assistant] saw him and
thought, ‘If he was going to work, he should eat a little something.’
After having a slice of cake and a beverage, he went
back to bed.”
Thus began Parker’s midnight snack program for nighttime
wanderers. Since 2008, Parker has provided snacks for wanderers:
cake, sandwiches, cookies, pudding, Jell-O, juices, coffee
and sugar-free items. Wanderers’ difficult behaviors have all
but disappeared, Shafran reports, and the risk of accidents
associated with wandering has decreased markedly (falls fell
by 50 percent). Residents’ desired weight is easier to maintain,
as well. Careful research has confirmed the snack program’s
numerous benefits, and Parker staff members have shared the
study results with colleagues at professional conferences.
More Not-for-Profits Turn to Mobile Giving
High-tech fundraising campaigns are sweeping the not-forprofit
world, as more charitable organizations turn to online
and even mobile giving.
During the holiday season, for instance, the Salvation Army
tested a text-message fundraiser in two markets—Norfolk-
Virginia Beach and Dallas-Fort Worth—to supplement its
traditional red kettle campaign. As an official with the Denver-based
mGive Foundation explained to the Denver Post,
instead of ringing a bell and collecting spare change, fundraisers
played a special ringtone on their mobile devices and asked
potential donors for their cell phone numbers. Volunteers
sent those who complied a text with the message, “Thanks for
pledging to give $10 to the Salvation Army; to confirm your
gift, respond with Yes.”
The mGive Foundation, which certifies not-for-profits for
text-to-give campaigns, considers the response after the massive
earthquake in Haiti to be the watershed moment for
mobile giving. Text-message donations raised more than $41
million for the relief effort. The American Red Cross used
mGive’s technology to raise $32 million of that total in $10
donations. Mobile giving could soon permit higher limits for
single donations or attach mobile campaigns to specific charity
events.
The foundation says 40 percent of those who give through
mobile means are nontraditional donors, making cell phones
and laptops fertile ground for cultivating new donors whose
small gifts now may grow into larger gifts later on.
Social-media message sharing can also help not-for-profits
boost support. Facebook has a “causes” tool that permits users
to raise awareness and money directly on the site.