by Sharon St. Mary, Executive Director, Good Samaritan Society – Specialty Care Community
The Good Samaritan Society – Specialty Care Community in Robbinsdale, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis, has reserved a third of its beds for individuals with Huntington's disease. This community is one of only eight in the United States with a dedicated program for individuals with Huntington's disease. Here, these men and women have private living spaces and are cared for by personal assistants. Good Samaritan Society – Specialty Care Community is owned and operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society.
What makes Good Samaritan Society – Specialty Care Community special? Its features were designed to make life easier for individuals with Huntington's disease. For example, powder-coated white stainless steel toilets replace porcelain fixtures more easily broken by persons with Huntington's disease. Chairs are built to withstand the added stress of those with movement disorders. Dieticians prepare meals for individuals with Huntington's disease who may require up to 10,000 calories a day to compensate for the workout they get from their constant movements. Some of the beds at this community are on the floor to make it easier for residents with Huntington's disease who may experience frequent falls. There also is a Snoezelen therapy room to help individuals manage the behavioral side effects of Huntington's disease.
Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that affects muscle coordination and can lead to psychiatric problems and cognitive decline. The younger a person is when diagnosed with Huntington's disease, the faster it seems to progress. The average age at onset is between 30 and 50.
As a result, Huntington's disease also affects the financial future of a family, leaving many children of parents with Huntington's disease without the funds to pursue a college degree or advance in their chosen vocational fields. Huntington's Hope is a special organization that raises scholarship money for children of a parent with Huntington's disease. To help, please DONATE NOW.
Thank you.
The Good Samaritan Society-Speciality Care Community is owned and operated by the the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. The Good Samaritan Society is the nation's largest not-for-profit provider of senior care and services, with more than 240 care and rehabilitation centers, senior living communities, and home care agencies across the country. The Good Samaritan Society's mission is to share God's love in word and deed by providing shelter and supportive services to older persons and others in need, believing that "In Christ's Love, Everyone Is Someone."