The Pearl Manor Fund Advisory Committee, chaired by Richard Rawlings of the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Board, recently met and awarded nearly $300,000 to eight local nonprofits, bringing the Pearl Manor Fund total distribution since 2005 to over $3.1 million in grant awards to benefit thousands of local seniors.
Among the 2020–2021 grant recipients is the VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire (a subsidiary of Elliot Health System).
According to Rachel Chaddock, MS, BS, RN, Vice President Home and Community Services at the VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire, their grant will used be used to help enhance care for patients over the age of 65 living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
“Respiratory therapy home visits are not covered by Medicare. With these funds, we will be able to provide respiratory therapist visits to approximately 90 patients residing in Manchester. The respiratory therapist will work collaboratively with the rest of the VNA clinical team to improve patient care and health outcomes,” says Chaddock. “The grant will allow us to work collaboratively with other settings to develop standardized patient education and protocols to be used across setting. Respiratory therapists will also provide additional education to VNA nurses. Connection to a palliative consultation by a palliative physician or nurse practitioner to assist when needed with symptom management and goals of care conversations will also be available.”
The Pearl Manor Fund was established in 2005, when Women’s Aid Home (Pearl Manor) assets were transferred to the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation to create the Pearl Manor Fund. These funds are distributed by community volunteers and leaders through grants to not-for-profit agencies for new and expanded projects and programs to provide assistance, comfort, care, and treatment for the elderly population of Manchester and surrounding communities including, but not limited to safe housing needs, nutritional needs, support groups, home visits, mentoring and social programs, independent living assistance, legal assistance, health care needs, and transportation assistance.
Rawlings says, “These funds have made a difference for those seniors served, from daily meals, vision care, transportation, just to name a couple of the many needs that so many of our seniors need help with.”
The next grant application deadline is September 3, 2021. For more information, or a Pearl Manor Fund grant application, visit www.elliothospital.org/pearlmanorfund.
