TOWNSHEND — Grace Cottage Hospital has received a grant from the Dunham-Mason Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation.
The grant has been used to purchase a collection of assistive eating devices. These eating utensils are specially designed for people with little or no muscle strength.
The purpose of these innovative items is two-fold: to allow patients recovering from strokes and other debilitating conditions to feed themselves while they are in the hospital, and in the process, to teach these patients skills they will need to remain independent when they return home.
“We're very appreciative of the Dunham-Mason Fund's support of these important therapy tools,” said Crystal Mansfield, Grace Cottage Director of Rehabilitation Services. “The ability to eat independently is a major source of pride and dignity.”
The grant is the fifth award that Grace Cottage Hospital has received from the Dunham-Mason Fund, whose mission is to “contribute to the betterment and vitality of the Brattleboro area.”
The hospital serves approximately 8,000 patients annually, from towns in Windham County, including Brattleboro. It is a nonprofit Critical Access Hospital with a 19-bed inpatient facility for acute and rehabilitative care. It is equipped with a 24-hour emergency department for critical care treatment; a hospice suite; and rehabilitation, laboratory, and diagnostic imaging departments.