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VNA receives more than $700,000 in funding from United Way of the Midlands

August 30, 2017 | VNA Staff | Press Releases

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 30, 2017 – Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) is pleased to announce it was recently awarded $701,800 in grant funding by United Way of the Midlands to support several programs in Douglas and Sarpy Counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie County in Iowa. Thanks to the generosity of United Way donors, VNA is able to offer programs that serve the metro area’s most vulnerable residents, who are often turned away due to inability to pay or complexity of needs.

One example of these programs is VNA’s Love and Learn free home visitation program, designed especially for pregnant and parenting teens and young adults 21 years and younger living in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. Love and Learn helps VNA clients like Princess:

One of nine siblings, Princess never had a mother or father figure to look up to. By her 11th birthday, she found herself in foster care. Her grades were terrible, because she never worked up to her full potential. When she became pregnant in high school, however, her priorities changed. She knew she had to be her best, not only for herself, but also for her child. She started working hard at school, and took on two jobs.

When Junior was born, the nurse at the hospital asked Princess if she would be interested in VNA’s no-cost home visitation program, Love and Learn. She jumped at the opportunity. VNA introduced Princess to all the parenting resources in her local community, offering the needed support to help her to continue with school, understand her son’s behavior and listen to his cues as he mastered early developmental skills.

“Thanks to the support from United Way of the Midlands, we are able to offer these life-changing programs, a safety net of care for our most fragile friends and neighbors in the Omaha and Council Bluffs communities,” said Jamie Summerfelt, President and CEO of VNA.

Today, Princess rents an apartment for herself and her son, and she owns her own car. Princess graduated from high school a year early, landed four college scholarships and earned a 3.25 GPA during her first year at Metro Community College, where she plans to be a peer mentor next year. Someday, Princess hopes to be a police officer.

United Way funded $250,000 for Maternal Child Home Visitation services, including Love and Learn. These parenting support services provide home visits by registered nurses, social workers and parent coaches to vulnerable women, children and young families. Referrals come from collaborating partners, health care providers, child welfare agencies or self-referral.

An array of voluntary programs target specific populations and/or geographic areas, utilizing evidence-based models or the research-based Growing Great Kids™ curriculum. Each program uses a strengths-based approach and interventions proven to reduce child maltreatment and improve the health, parenting skills and self-sufficiency of high-risk families.

VNA’s Maternal Child Community Home Visitation programs are Project WIN (Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie Counties), Love and Learn Teen and Young Parent Program (Douglas and Sarpy Counties), Nurse-Family Partnership (Pottawattamie County), and Healthy Families America (Douglas County).

Additional United Way funded VNA programs include:

$155,000 for VNA’s Home Health Aide Program: This program provides an array of in-home services to vulnerable individuals who require assistance improving and maintaining their safety, wellness and independence to remain in their home of choice.

Services may include assistance with daily living activities such as bathing, meal preparation, errands, basic homemaking chores and laundry. A home safety evaluation is also completed to ensure the home environment is free of hazards, and any existing hazards are minimized or resolved. VNA staff work as a team to assure each client’s needs are being met in the spirit of fostering quality of life and independence.

$157,600 for VNA’s Maternal Infant Home Health Care: This program provides nursing, social work and supportive services to enhance the health and quality of life of low-income women, children and families. Nurses provide home visits for high-risk pregnancies, support to new mothers and infants, infant care and safety lessons and acute illness or injury care for children.

Social workers help families access community resources and advocate with families when mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence or child safety issues arise.

Supportive services include:

  • providing cribs and car seats for clients unable to afford them;
  • breastfeeding assessment, support and education by lactation consultants;
  • prenatal and childbirth education classes for at-risk women and teens; and
  • public health nursing services for women and children in homeless and crisis shelters, including health screening, assessment, education and guidance, referrals to community resources and client advocacy.

$139,200 for Home Health Care: This program provides physician-directed, in-home health care services for individuals with acute or chronic illness or injury who are without the financial resources to obtain care on their own. The focus of the program is to help clients manage their health needs while living independently.

The Home Care team is multidisciplinary, with registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, registered dietitians and social workers all working together to meet the client’s full spectrum of need. Areas addressed include primary health, home environment, family support and financial stability. Care plans may include medical treatments, therapy (physical, occupational, speech), education, referrals to community partners, and addressing patient safety needs and other resources as needed.

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About United Way of the Midlands

We focus the efforts of many to help our neighbors stand strong – by addressing basic needs, and fostering success in the classroom and the workplace. UnitedWayMidlands.org

About Visiting Nurse Association

After more than a century, Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) continues to provide valued expertise, comforting perspective, innovative leadership and industry-leading solutions around the health issues of the day in the communities we serve. Our team of more than 400 compassionate healthcare professionals is dedicated to shaping tomorrow’s care, today, by providing the highest quality care to individuals at home and across the community – no matter their age, station in life or available resources. To learn more about VNA’s unique commitment to fostering a healthy, thriving community, and the services available to meet each client’s ever-changing needs, visit vnatoday.org or call 402-342-5566.

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