Grant Money Is a Compelling Enabler of a Lifeline and Fall Prevention Program in Northwest Missouri
Strong local partnerships and a new program emphasis drives growth of the Lifeline Program
Winter 2009

Two generous grants are at the heart of the successful Lifeline and Falls Prevention Program at Serve Link Home Care in Trenton, Missouri, according to Jeff Crowley, Executive Director of the VNAA-member organization.

The funding has enabled Serve Link to launch its Lifeline Program, facilitate strong organizational partnerships, and support a Falls Prevention Community Coalition that advocates high use of Lifeline in the region.

For complete details, download the Philips Lifeline Professional Development Series: MarketPower, Winter 2009. (Note: This is a 1.5MB PDF document so if you are on a dial-up connection, please wait while it downloads.)

Back To Top

Serve Link Home Care Installs 1000th Lifeline
December 14, 2009

Mrs. Betty Von Bank of Trenton became the 1000th person to have a Lifeline unit installed since the Lifeline program’s inception in 2002. Mrs. Von Bank received a gift and other valuable free services as Serve Link’s 1000th Lifeline customer.

Pictured from Left to Right are: Sandy Patterson, daughter; Mrs. Betty Von Bank; Debbie Beverlin, Lifeline Program Manager; and Delores Newton, volunteer Lifeline Installer.

Back To Top

Falls Prevention Awareness Day A Success
September 25, 2009

The first day of Fall was the perfect day to hold the first Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Members of the Grundy County Falls Risk Coalition hosted the event which featured medication, balance, and vision checks to help seniors reduce their risk of falls. Participants toured an example of a safe living room and a not-so-safe living room that was full of trip hazards and received information about exercise programs. Local merchants donated door prizes. Over 100 people attended the event.

The Falls Risk Coalition is a group of 20 organizations and individuals working together to prevent senior falls. For more information about the Coalition, contact Debbie Beverlin at 359-4218.

For more information about this release, call Elizabeth Gibson at 359-4196 or Debbie Beverlin at 359-4218.

Back To Top

Amy Creason Certified by National Alliance of Wound Care

Amy L. Creason, RN, WCC of Browning, Missouri, has been Wound Care Certified by the National Alliance of Wound Care. Ms. Creason is employed at the Linn County Health Department in Brookfield and heads their home health department; providing direct home health patient care through Serve Link Home Care of Trenton. This five-year certification is a skin and wound management specialization focusing on prevention, therapeutic interventions and rehabilitative interventions.

Ms. Creason attended a five-day session in St. Louis, Missouri, and successfully completed an examination measuring her academic and technical competence in skin and wound management.

Ms. Creason will play an important role as a direct care provider for Linn County patients and as an educator and resource for optimum patient outcomes in wound and skin care management for patients throughout Serve Link’s nine county service area.

Back To Top

Serve Link Home Care Receives Contract to Help Reduce Falls in Seniors
07-30-08

Serve Link Home Care, Inc. has recently been awarded a two-year contract worth $22,068 from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to coordinate efforts to reduce the occurrence of falls by seniors in Grundy County. Each year an estimated one third of all seniors (over 65 years old) fall; fall risks include significant injuries such as hip fractures and in some cases, death. Grundy County has an identified higher incidence of emergency room visits and hospitalization due to injuries from senior falls.

Serve Link Home Care Inc. is one of four sites participating in this pilot project. Other sites include:

• Clay County Public Health Center (Liberty)
• Pershing Memorial Hospital (Brookfield)
• Ripley County Caring Community Partnership (Doniphan)

Debbie Beverlin will serve as the coordinator for a community-wide coalition that will recruit community partners and then identify and initiate efforts to reduce the likelihood of senior falls in Grundy County. Among the first partners in the coalition are the Grundy County Public Health Department, Grundy County Council on Aging, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (Trenton) and Sunnyview Nursing Home and Apartments (Trenton).

“Often falls can be preventable,” said Jane Drummond, Director, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. “The efforts of Serve Link Home Care, Inc. and its community partners will reduce falls by seniors - resulting in less hip fractures and other injuries that can lead to long recovery periods and sometimes even death for the fallen senior.”

In their 2008 publication “Preventing Falls: How to Develop Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults”, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest the five main building blocks of an effective community based fall prevention program include:

• Education about falls and fall risk factors;
• Exercises that improve mobility, strength and balance of seniors;
• Medication review to identify side effects or drug interactions that may contribute to falls;
• Visions exams by trained healthcare professionals;
• Home safety assessment and home modifications to reduce home safety hazards.

For more information on how to get involved with the Grundy County Senior Falls Prevention Coalition, contact Debbie Beverlin at Serve Link Home Care, Inc (660-359-4218).

Back To Top

Download our Newsletter

Back To Top

Golden Nurses - Dee Esry, Serve Link Board Chair Receives Honor
Authored by Becki Hamilton, Executive Assistant, Missouri State Board of Nursing
Reprinted with permission from the Missouri State Board of Nursing

Did you know that there are over 600 Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses in the state of Missouri who have held an active nursing license for 50 plus years? The Board of Nursing takes great pleasure in announcing a new recognition program for these dedicated professionals. In March, 2006, we sent a Golden Certificate to 563 RNs and 81 LPNs commemorating their 50 plus years of service as a nurse in Missouri.

Board President, Dr. Teri Murray, presents a Golden Award to former Board President, Dr. Cordelia “Dee” Esry at the June, 2006, Board meeting of the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

At our June 2006 Board meeting, we had the honor of making a special presentation of a Golden Certificate to former Board President, Dr. Cordelia “Dee” Esry. Dr. Esry served on the Board from June 5, 1997 to July 31, 2002. She served 2 one-year terms as president of the Board (1998 & 2001). Dee Esry currently serves as Serve Link’s Board Chairperson.

Back To Top

Serve Link Awards Annual Scholarships
June 6, 2006

Serve Link Home Care, with headquarters at 1510 East 9th Street in Trenton has awarded scholarships to four Allied Health students at North Central Missouri College. Corporate Executive Director Jeff Crowley and Board Chair Cordelia Esry of Hamilton recently recognized the following students with scholarships ranging from $1000. to $2000. each: Carmen Druckenmiller of Trenton in the area of Medical Transcriptionist, Susanna Bennett of Jamesport and Debra Heldenbrand of Kidder – both in Level I Nursing and Kathie Doosing of Chillicothe in Level II Nursing.

Mrs. Druckenmiller and Mrs. Doosing were recent graduates from programs at NCMC while Ms. Bennett and Ms. Heldenbrand have completed their first year of Allied Health training on the Trenton campus.

This is the fourth year for the regional health care agency to provide significant scholarships to students at NCMC pursuing careers in the health care field. The Agency has pledged to support similar efforts for four more years in addition to contributing dollars to the proposed construction of an Allied Health classroom for North Central Missouri College.

Serve Link Home Care currently serves residents of the 9-county Green Hills region plus a portion of Chariton County with home care services.

Back To Top

Serve Link Donates to NCMC Capital Campaign
December 20, 2005

Recognizing the shortage of health care professionals and endorsing the efforts of North Central Missouri College to expand their health care instruction, the board of directors of Serve Link Home Care, Inc. have voted to contribute $100,000.00 toward the “Invest in the Vision” campaign. Serve Link Board Chairperson Cordelia Esry of Hamilton and Serve Link Executive Director Jeffrey Crowley recently made the presentation, along with members of their board to NCMC President Dr. Neil Nuttall and the college’s Director of Development Steve Maxey. “Our mission is to assist individuals in their desire to live safely at 
home,” said Crowley. “We see NCMC as a key player in developing health care resources for the communities we serve throughout the Green Hills region.”

“The quality of health care personnel is essential to giving people the choice to live at home in their community,” said Crowley “and we want to assist the College in the attainment of their vision of the future needs of communities of North Missouri.”

 You may click on the photo to enlarge.

Supporting the efforts of the college and preparing students for health care professions is nothing new to the not-for-profit corporation founded in 1973. Over $20,000 has been contributed in the past to nursing related scholarships and Serve Link officials are looking toward extending a similar pledge in addition to the $100,000 commitment in this announcement.

Serve Link Home Care, with headquarters at 1510 E. Ninth St. in Trenton, currently serves residents of the nine-county Green Hills region plus a portion of Chariton county with home care services. Over 60 homemaker aides are employed throughout the region in addition to a central office staff of 11, many of whom are former students and graduates of the area college.

Dr. Nuttall was overjoyed with the recent gift indicating the importance of support from the health care industry. “In a time when everyone is concerned about the shortage of nurses, NCMC and Serve Link are partnering to address the future nursing needs of our entire region,” Dr. Nuttall said. “With this donation, Serve Link continues its long partnership with NCMC in supporting our training of nurses for our communities. This contribution takes our nursing program and our ability to continue training highly qualified nurses for area health care facilities to a new level of excellence.” Monies from the Serve Link gift will be used to assist in the construction of a proposed Allied Health and Life Sciences building on the campus as well as procure equipment to support new and expanded programs offered by NCMC.

College officials have projected the construction of a 30,000-square foot classroom building on the northwest corner of the campus with construction to hopefully begin in late 2006 or 2007. Maxey says this new classroom complex will be used by both first and second year allied health students and is expected to provide accessibility to state-of-the art laboratories and classroom space. “This very generous gift from Serve Link is a wonderful contribution toward our central initiative of our gift campaign,” Maxey said. “Serve Link currently plays a critical role in improving the overall health of our region and their commitment will allow for growth and expansion of our instructional efforts.”

Serve Link offers a wide array of direct services including home health, in-home care and Lifeline. In addition to their financial 
commitment to the college, many of the Serve Link employees and board members serve in key roles on the NCMC Foundation, College Advisory Committees and in numerous volunteer capacities. Both Nuttall and Maxey complimented Crowley and the Serve Link Board for their total commitment to the future of North Central Missouri College and their dedication to the health care challenges for years to come.

Lifeline Volunteers
December 23, 2005

You may click on the photo to enlarge.

Serve Link Home Care Lifeline volunteers were recognized at their annual Christmas luncheon on December 14, 2005. Volunteers have assisted over 150 persons throughout the Green Hills area in 2005 with Lifeline personal emergency response and support installations. Pictured are: Front row, from left: Martha Marshall, Chillicothe; Betty Chenoweth and Alberta Perry, Trenton; Back row, from left: Howard Marshall, Chillicothe; Bob Chenoweth and Delores Newton, Trenton; Debbie Beverlin, Lifeline Program Manager. Not pictured: Jerry and Nina Griffin, Chillicothe.

Serve Link Employees Attend VNAA/Lifeline Conference
December 2, 2005

Two Serve Link Home Care employees, Tyann Williams, RN, Director of Nursing and Debbie Beverlin, Lifeline Program Coordinator, joined representatives from 20 Visiting Nurse Associations at the first annual Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) and Lifeline Systems conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Lisa Remington, publisher of the national home health magazine, The Remington Report, was the keynote speaker for the three day event.

The training event focused on recent successful clinical studies showing Lifeline’s Medication Reminder Alerts system effects on reducing hospitalization rates for home health care patients. Serve Link has been a member of VNAA since 1996 and offered Lifeline products and services since 2002.

Home Care Options Public Meeting
November 18, 2005

“Long Term Care: Make Your Home the Choice”, a public informational meeting on home and community based care was held on November 17th at the Ketcham Center. Mary Schantz, Executive Director of the Missouri Alliance for Home Care, Rebecca Flaherty, Deputy Director of the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging and Mike Schmidt, Veterans Service Officer for the Missouri Veterans Commission presented information and answered questions from approximately 30 persons in attendance.

The event, sponsored by Serve Link Home Care, was to celebrate National Home Care Month and Home Care Week in Missouri. 23 representatives from various local home care organizations attended a morning training session featuring Ms. Schantz and Lisa Musgrave, RN, BSN, Home Health Program Manager for PRIMARIS on preventing hospital readmissions for home health care patients.

Crowley Named to National Advisory Board
October 12, 2005

Jeff Crowley, Executive Director of Serve Link Home Care, has been named to the Lifeline Advisory Board for a three year term. Crowley joins the board of fifteen program managers from around the nation and recently attended the annual meeting in Rockport, Massachusetts.

The Advisory Board is designed to provide feedback, help the company bring innovative products to market and improve customer service. Program managers are selected for achieving significant Lifeline program growth and demographic characteristics such as regional distribution, facility type and size of program. Serve Link has provided Lifeline services to over 300 persons since its inception in 2002. Lifeline is the leading provider of personal emergency response services in the United States and Canada with approximately 500,000 subscribers.

Debbie Beverlin of Serve Link Home Care Lifeline Receives Lifeline Academy Award
August 15, 2005

Debbie Beverlin and Serve Link Home Care were honored recently by Lifeline at their headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts as a valuable member of the Lifeline Academy. “The Lifeline Academy, established in 2001, represents a membership of our best 150 community partners out of 2500 nationwide who continue to demonstrate an extra-ordinary level of commitment to helping more elders and their families benefit from Lifeline,” explains Ronald Feinstein, President and CEO of Lifeline Systems, Inc. The program received an Exceptional Performance Award for its growth and success in 2004-2005.

Serve Link’s Lifeline program was established in 2002 and since then has helped over 300 elders live more safely in their own homes. Founded in 1974, Lifeline Systems of Framingham, Massachusetts is the largest personal response service in North America.

Celebrating 30 Years in Business in 2003
News Release: August 27, 2003

Serve Link Home Care of Trenton, Missouri is celebrating its 30th year in business in 2003. Serve Link, which began in 1973 as Service For Older Americans has served thousands of people with home health and in-home service programs in the Green Hills region.

Several events have highlighted the year long celebration. In July, Serve Link hosted a family picnic for more than 100 persons at Crowder State Park. Participants enjoyed prize giveaways, live bluegrass music, barbeque and salads, drinks and cake. In August, Serve Link hosted an open house. The open house celebration showed off Serve Link’s newly remodeled offices and featured cake, punch and prizes. Over 60 persons attended and many more listened on KTTN radio for several live interviews with staff and board members. On September 16th, Serve Link’s in-service meeting at North Central Missouri College will highlight Home Care Aide day.

Jeff Crowley, Executive Director stated: “We want to celebrate the commitment of our staff and volunteers to serve the community for 30 years. We have a great story to tell the community. Our mission remains just as important today as in 1973; helping people remain safely at home."

Fastest Growing Lifeline Service in the Nation in First Half of 2003
(8/27/03)

Serve Link Home Care of Trenton, Missouri is the fastest growing Lifeline service in the nation in the first half of 2003. Serve Link Home Care Lifeline grew 182% during this period according to a report released by Lifeline Systems of Framingham, Massachusetts.

Lifeline, the largest provider of personal response and support systems in the United States, has been in business since 1974. Serve Link began service in 2002 and has installed 107 units since their beginning. Lifeline units are available through private pay and also through a grant from the National Family Caregiver’s Grant program through the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging.”

Serve Link Awards Scholarships to NCMC Students
(10/02/02)

Four students in the Allied Health Sciences Division at North Central Missouri College have been awarded scholarships. Lynn Leah Chisom and Brenda Ferguson of Trenton join Lisa Prindle of Chillicothe and Elinor Burnett of Hamilton as the first to receive the newly established scholarships presented by Serve Link Home Care of Trenton. Ms. Chisom is a student in the Medical Assistant Program, while Ms. Prindle and Ms. Burnett are enrolled in the Practical Nursing Program. Each has earned a $1,000 scholarship. Ms. Ferguson is a student in the Associate Degree Nursing Program and has earned a $2,000 scholastic award.

NCMC President Dr. Walter Nolte expressed appreciation to the Serve Link Agency for its commitment to the health care industry and for taking the initiative to establish the financial program for students at North Central. Serve Link Executive Director Jeff Crowley noted the quality of applicants for the awards, with hopes that continued strides will be made in recruiting applicants for both the health care profession and enrollment in NCMC programs.

Serve Link announced plans recently to pledge $20,000 to continued educational programs at NCMC. Dr. Cordelia Esry, Board President, said it is the hope of the health care providing agency to assist students interested in the profession to find quality educational training close to home. She said the Agency is delighted to provide financial support to Green Hills area students in achieving their career goals.

Back To Top