Residential services at Faith, Hope and Charity are provided in a home-like atmosphere to promote reaching the highest level of independence possible for each resident. An interdisciplinary team of professionals evaluates each resident’s abilities and disabilities, designs an individual program to teach new skills and monitors progress of established goals. Each of the four homes has a group of staff who directly care for the eight residents living in that home and provide a high quality of personal care, participation in structured activities and plenty of tender loving care.

Faith, Hope and Charity provides a liaison who works with the families by maintaining communication among FHC staff, the consultants, the residents, and their families. The liaison assists the family with issues revolving around placement, discharge, health insurance, support agency requirements, and home visit requests. The liaison helps families with placement concerns, before and throughout the placement. This staff also responds to special parental requests.

We have medical services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The nursing staff administer all medications in house and also provide care for gastrostomy feedings, as well as monitoring specialized health care needs including residents on dialysis, those with shunts and those with seizure disorders. We believe in maintaining as many specialized services as possible after admission including specialists in Sioux City and Omaha. We provide transportation for these appointments including accompanying staff (nursing and direct care) familiar with the specifics of their daily routine. We also work closely with consultants including occupational therapist, physical therapist, orthotists, prosthetists and seating specialists to provide high quality health care for each resident. We also have a local physician who serves as our medical director and is consulted as needed.

Adaptive and Specialized Equipment
Residents at Faith, Hope and Charity are evaluated initially and on an on-going basis for needs which may require adaptive equipment. Examples of adaptive and specialized equipment are wheelchairs, wheelchair seating systems, stand aides, bathing apparatus, feeding devices (gastrostomy tube pumps and equipment), respiratory devices (O², O² concentrators, and suctioning devices), speech/communication devices, etc. The funding for some of this equipment is available for the residents’ Title XIX and/or private insurance. Funding for the rest of this equipment is available through our ICF/MR reimbursement. Every effort is made to secure the best assessments available using the consultants to secure proper fit, comfort, and "user friendliness" by the residents using reliable suppliers. Every effort is made to do on-site evaluations and fittings whenever possible.

Nutrition
Our consultant dietitian advises the staff of Faith, Hope and Charity by making recommendations concerning the nutritional needs of the residents. She reviews menus planned by the dietary staff for nutritional adequacy as well as variety in foods, color and texture. Throughout the year, each resident’s records are reviewed to see that individual nutritional needs are being met. She works directly with the food service supervisor, other consultants, physicians, and staff to find solutions to dietary/nutritional concerns. Several times a year she provides inservice education for the staff on nutrition and related topics.

Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy services are provided on a regular basis to the residents of Faith, Hope and Charity. The occupational therapy consultant performs yearly evaluations for each resident as well as on-going service throughout the year. Areas covered include: neuromuscular status, feeding/eating skills, grooming skills, toileting skills, dressing skills and fine motor skills. Adaptive equipment is also recommended for these areas. There is coordination in services between occupational therapy, physical therapy, dietary and other consultants to provide continuity of care for the residents. Staff inservices are provided as needed.

Physical Therapy
Physical therapy services are provided at FHC on a consultative basis. A physical therapist is on site one morning a week to evaluate the residents and set up and monitor an exercise program developed to meet the needs of each individual resident. The staff are trained to carry out these exercise programs. The physical therapist also works with a team of consultants comprised of the nursing staff, orthotist, prosthetist, wheelchair seating specialist, occupational therapist and school therapist and staff. Together, they develop a team approach to address the residents’ needs. This includes bracing, positioning, wheelchair fittings, standing frames, assistive devices and a motor program designed to increase the functional skills of each resident.

Recreation Department and Volunteer Services
The Recreation and Volunteer Services’ Department’s primary purpose is to create, coordinate and carry out recreation and leisure time activities and events for all residents both in large groups and on an individual basis. Health concerns, fears and residents’ preferences are all taken into consideration when scheduling recreational outings and activities. Volunteers help by lending an extra hand for staff when needed. A weekly recreational schedule includes Sunday movie matinees, park play, swimming, shopping, dining out and using the library. Additional community events and summer time destinations include zoo visits, outdoor swimming, amusement/water parks visits, boat rides, train rides and out-of-town shopping. Each home also participates in day camp in Storm Lake’s beautiful lakeside parks. The family picnic, Challenger Little League games, and Special Olympics are also popular summer events. Programs that are implemented throughout the year are hippotherapy (riding horses), massage/relaxation time, musical activities and Boy/Girl Scout meetings. Each home has its own grassy back yard for leisure play with adaptive swing sets surrounded by a walking path. Adaptive recreational equipment, toys and computers are amply provided for residents’ use.

Speech/Language Therapy
Speech therapy services are provided to Faith, Hope and Charity on a consultative basis. A state licensed and clinically certified speech/language pathologist is available to evaluate and to facilitate communication programming with all FHC residents. The primary function of the speech/ language pathologist is to work towards development of a functional communication system to allow the residents to express their wants and needs, as well as to facilitate social interaction and independence. Individualized communication programs may involve the use of eye gaze boards, microswitches, communication picture systems, and augmentative communication devices. The speech/language pathologist works closely with all members of the interdisciplinary team when establishing programming goals.

Psychological Services
Psychological services are provided for the residents of Faith, Hope and Charity by a licensed psychologist. Services include yearly psychological evaluations for each FHC resident and on-going monitoring of their development and response to individual training programs. More extensive evaluation of individual concerns is provided when needed and direct involvement is available for dealing with specific behavioral programming or skill building program challenges.

Education Services
A full 180-day educational program is provided for all Faith, Hope and Charity residents by the Storm Lake Community School District. Full time certified teachers and teacher associates are employed by the Storm Lake Community school District. The school collaborates with all of the other professional service providers the residents of Faith, Hope and Charity use. The Arrowhead Area Education Agency provides support to each student as needed.

Support Services/Referral Agencies
Faith, Hope and Charity will make use of a suitable agency which can supply a needed service that the facility does not offer. Recommendations will be carefully considered by FHC as well as the parents in light of what will best meet the resident’s needs.

Click the links below to find out more!

Adaptive and Specialized Equipment

Nutrition

Occupational Therapy

Physical Therapy

Recreation Department and Volunteer Services

Speech/Language Therapy

Psychological Services

Education Services

Support Services/Referral Agencies