The Benedictine Living Community in Crookston added a new addition to its facility with a new Handicap accessible glider swing that its residents, their family members, and tenants can enjoy in the south end of the Summit Assisted Living building.
The swing is a WhisperGLIDE Wheelchair Accessible swing that allows residents to see some of the scenery between the Community and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and enjoy the weather. The swing has multiple features to it, such as a table between the bench and wheelchair ramp where residents can put drinks or snacks as they converse, a canopy that can protect them from intense sunlight, and most notably, a wheelchair ramp that can allow for residents in wheelchairs or medical power scooters to be on the swing. “I think it’s comfortable and just the fact that it is wheelchair accessible,” Benedictine Foundation Development and Marketing/Sales Director Cassie Rudie explained. “Some of our residents and tenants who are in wheelchairs and are not able to sit on a normal glider swing make it even more special. And our residents, tenants, and family members who aren’t in a wheelchair can join them on the other side, where it’s just a regular seat. It makes it inclusive for everyone.” The glider can also be secured to prevent it from moving while people get on or while they’re on it, or it can be turned into a glider swing to provide the residents and tenants in wheelchairs a chance to enjoy being on a glider swing.
The purchase of the swing was made possible thanks to donations to the Benedictine Auxiliary and the Benedictine Foundation General Fund. They combined their donations to help purchase the Community’s greatest needs. “Half of it came from the Community Auxiliary, they are always so generous in their fundraising efforts, and everything they donate to is really well thought out,” Cassie Rudie explained. “The other half of it came from our Foundation General Fund. When people donate to our foundation, some have specific requests that they donate to, such as our Memory Care unit, Assisted Living, or other projects we’re doing. Then we have our general fund, or we call it our “Greatest Needs” fund, where we have money that we can use towards projects that are our greatest needs here at the Benedictine Living Community.”
The swing has been used by a few residents so far, and Rudie says that the reception of the glider has been well received by the residents and tenants. “People are loving it,” Rudie reported. “We’re lucky because we’re into October now, and we still have some beautiful weather where people can enjoy it, hopefully for a while into the fall.” Rudie noted, however, that the swing will most likely not be used in the winter with the snow and colder temperatures but hopes that people can enjoy it for the remainder of the fall and enjoy it to its full extent when spring and summer return.
Pictures of the new glider can be seen below-
