Open House Slated For New Traumatic Brain Injury Unit In Irene
Sunrise Villa, South Dakota’s first long-term care facility specifically designed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients, will host an open house from 1-3 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, July 14. The facility, located adjacent to Sunrise Manor/Avera in Irene, will begin serving patients in the middle of August.
The TBI program is designed to bring South Dakotans who are currently in out-of-state placements back to South Dakota.
The program is a partnership between the South Dakota Department of Social Services, Village Northwest Unlimited, Ability Building Services, Avera Health and Avera Sacred Heart Hospital.
“There has been a need for this in the state for quite some time,” said Deb Bowman, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Social Services. “South Dakotans have had to travel out of state to receive this type of specialized care in the past, and now we are able to bring some of those families closer to home.
The facility will house up to eight TBI patients and could create up to 15 new jobs for the community of Irene.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the community of Irene,” said Becky McManus, CEO of Sunset Manor/Avera. “This will enable patients with traumatic brain injury to live in a community-setting. The units are specifically equipped to meet the needs of these individuals and were designed by a variety of consultants experienced in TBI care.”
TBI patients who may benefit from this program have had acute rehabilitation and now have long-term rehabilitation and therapy needs. Motor vehicle accidents, war injuries, radiation for brain tumors, anoxic brain injury, stroke and many other different scenarios can leave people with brain injuries.
Other information:
- The patients will be individuals whose injury occurred after the age of 21.
- The length of stay for each individual will depend on what his/her goals are for future living
The program is based on eligibility - either private pay or Medicaid.