It takes a village. Chances are, if you have a loved one with a disability or work with someone with special needs you understand that saying and how important it is to have a strong “village’’ made up of understanding, caring individuals and available services. For so many individuals in the region, that village just got stronger as the Board, staff and family members of Northern Sky Bank, Crookston, recently made donations that are already impacting community members of all ages.
Thanks to a major donation made through the RiverView Foundation by Northern Sky Bank, as well as donations from Pete Wasberg and Molly Ingeman, RiverView Health is now the very proud owner of a multisensory room (MSR). What is a multisensory room? It is a dedicated space where sensory stimulation can be controlled (intensified or reduced), presented in isolation or combination, packaged for active or passive interaction, and matched to fit the perceived motivation, interests, leisure, relaxation, therapeutic and/or educational needs of the user.
The room is beneficial for children and adults dealing with a wide variety of health challenges. Common conditions include autism spectrum, intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injuries, stroke or dementia.
Benefits Abound
Rehab Services therapists report that they’ve already seen improvements in patients thanks to the new environment, including decreased behaviors, improved attention/arousal levels, and improved interaction. Space includes a ball pit, bubble tubes, projector, rocking chair, visual input, fiberoptics, a weighted blanket, and tactile input equipment.
“The new multisensory room is a dream come true with the financial support from our generous donors,’’ shared Rehab Services Director Crystal Maruska. “We are fortunate to offer this type of therapeutic intervention to our patients. RiverView Rehab Services team members are privileged as there are very few multisensory rooms in the state. Our patients enjoy this room and look forward to their designated time in this space.”
Due to cost and lack of properly trained staff, these special rooms are few and far between. Fortunately, Northern Sky Bank understood the need and happily stepped forward to make the unique environment a reality.
Giving Back to the Community
“We saw the multisensory room as an excellent opportunity for us to give back to the community,’’ stated Northern Sky Bank President Jim Ingeman. “We think the sensory room will give patients an improved quality of life through a variety of therapies available in this state-of-the-art room.’’
After supporting the MSR project as a member of Northern Sky Bank’s Board of Directors, Pete Wasberg also decided to support the project with a personal donation. Wasberg is a former member of RiverView’s Board of Directors. Molly Ingeman is the daughter of Northern Sky Bank President Jim Ingeman. She works for Tradition Capital Bank in the Twin Cities where employees can support their charities of choice, as Molly did, through the “Keystone Giving Program’’.
After an employee open house and “name the space’’ competition, the special space was given the joyful moniker “Dancing in the Sky’’ in honor of Northern Sky Bank’s donation and the happiness it brings to its users.
For more information on services related to the MSR, contact RiverView Rehab Services at 218-281-9463. For information on programs and projects through the RiverView Foundation, contact Foundation Director Kent Bruun at 218-281-9249 or kbruun@riverviewhealth.org.
Pictured Left to right: Jim Ingeman, Northern Sky Bank; Molly Ingeman, Tradition Capital Bank; Tina Safranski, RiverView occupational therapist; and Kent Bruun, RiverView Foundation director.
