Dec. 1, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera.

You or someone you love might need a little extra help at home. Continuing to live well at home means increasing awareness of what resources are available in your community.

To better serve Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities, Avera@Home partnered with Sioux Falls Fire Rescue to create the ENRICH program, which connects people of all ages and needs with local resources. ENRICH stands for Extending Necessary Resources and Information for Care at Home.

Find the right community and health services

The scope of who and how ENRICH can help is quite broad. When you contact ENRICH, an Avera@Home patient care coordinator identifies the right support resources.

Local services include, but are not limited to:

• Medication management.
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy.
• Home medical equipment, such as grab bars or stair lifts.
• Transportation to appointments or for personal needs.
• Housekeeping.
• Meals on Wheels.
• LifeAlert® setup.

“People get emotional,” said Molly Heeney, a patient care coordinator at Avera@Home. “Many who have used ENRICH have said that they don’t know why they struggled alone for so long,”

Some community resources are entirely free, and often health-related resources are covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. The patient care coordinators can provide this information to you.

How ENRICH started for better home care

The first “on the scene” of ENRICH was Ryan Cox, captain of the Community Risk Reduction program within Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. He has often helped on lift assist calls, and in his new role, he works with the crews on the floor who are attending calls for lift assist support.

When he entered homes, Cox noticed that individuals could use additional help with mobility around the house or taking care of chores. Looking for a solution, he found himself talking to Heeney about his concerns.

Within months, the ENRICH program of delivering the right resources to the right people at the right time came to fruition. For example, individuals who repeatedly fell in their home were equipped with grab bars in high-risk areas from Avera Home Medical Equipment.

“It feels good that experts are looking in on a situation and helping people move in the right direction,” Cox said. “It offers peace of mind.”

Not only do people receive needed care, but the ENRICH program has solved many recurring phone calls to the fire department, which opens communication and frees up response for other emergencies in the region.

Contact ENRICH for help at home

The best way to reach the ENRICH program is to call 605-322-HOME (4663) and ask for Molly Heeney of Avera@Home.

If you are calling in concern for a loved one, friend or neighbor, you must receive their permission for Avera@Home to follow up with a phone call. Individuals receive a free health assessment in their home to identify needs.

“ENRICH is a free, no-obligation educational resource,” Heeney said. “There is no harm in reaching out to learn more about what you have access to in your community. Education is power.”

Avera@Home provides expert care in home health, hospice and home medical equipment. Visit AveraAtHome.org to learn more.