|
About the Need
meet a home director
Fred Sganga, Executive Director
Long Island Veterans Home At Stony Brook, New York
 There's
a baseball game at Yankee stadium today, and a late-model school bus waits outside the
Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook, ready to transport anyone who wants to
go. Unfortunately, many of the home's residents will decline the opportunity, not because
of severe disabilities or poor health, but because the two-hour-long ride-in a bus designed
for school children, with its uncomfortable bench seats and bumpy suspension-is simply
too painful. "Our bus is modified for accessibility and meets state safety requirements,
but many of our frail residents don't do well traveling on it, even for short rides," says
Fred S. Sganga, Executive Director of the home. "But a new touring-style bus costs about
$180,000, and we just don't have funding to purchase items such as these."
And then there's the handicapped-accessible putting green the residents have been requesting
for some time or the fish tanks Mr. Sganga would like to see installed on every residential
floor for tranquility. "Like other nursing homes, we provide top-quality medical care for
our residents every day," says Mr. Sganga. "But we have an extra job to do. We have a solid
commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our veterans. We're continually asking
ourselves, 'What can we do to enhance our residents' surroundings?'"
Unfortunately, there are many "extras" that the Long Island State Veterans Home can't afford.
Some might consider the home's needs simple-a fold-out awning over the outdoor seating
area for shade; funds for nearby college students to teach residents how to use their two
new computers; Edenization alternatives; even an occasional outing for the many spouses
who spend their days at the home helping to care for their ailing partner. But would all
these amenities really make a difference in the lives of the residents?
"Without a doubt," adds Mr. Sganga. "It can get really boring in a nursing home and we
find ourselves dealing with a lot of anxiety and depression. Whenever possible, our clinicians
would rather treat it with recreational activities-such as entertaining outings, musical
programs, intergenerational events and pet therapy-rather than with medication. We could
be doing so much more to enhance the quality of life for our residents if we had additional
funding. What a tremendous help that would be."
|