Saint Therese

Why Saint Therese on Give to the Max Day?

At Saint Therese, we believe that every senior should have access to quality care and services, in the community where they thrive, regardless of their financial circumstances. Access to affordable care is a growing problem. This is because seniors are an ever-growing part of the population and living longer than ever[1]. Combining with this reality is that many seniors will need assistance to complete the activities of daily living but up to 60% of seniors only have the funds to stay in an assisted living community for 4 years [2].

The anxiety of a resident outliving their funds can cause undue stress on them and their families, not to mention the grief of losing their home, friends they made, and the care they need if they have to move. 

We are committed to providing solutions to access and affordable care for our residents. For that reason, all funds raised this Give to The Max Day will support the Saint Therese Foundation Caring Fund. The Caring Fund was created to support residents in our communities who have outlived their financial resources through no fault of their own. Help us grow this Fund so that residents can stay in their homes, receive the care they need, and continue to participate in community activities with their friends and families.

Regrettably, this past year, we have had to turn down a Caring Fund request due to a lack of funds to support the residents’ long-term financial needs. This was heartbreaking and not what we want for our residents.

We are thankful for donors who have established endowments that support the Caring Fund, which have created a sustaining stream of funding. This gives us a great starting point, but it is the continued support from our community that is crucial. 

Please don’t wait to donate. Your gift will ensure that we reach our goal of raising $15,000, for our Caring Fund.

Because of the Caring Fund: 

• A woman dying of brain cancer was able to move into our palliative care & hospice home, giving her peace and respite to live out her final days free of financial worries.
• An 86-year-old resident was able to move into assisted living. Her husband had passed away, and she had no children of her own or family in the United States.
• A resident was able to move to assisted living after an extended transitional care stay. Her resources couldn’t cover her housing and transitional care costs. She received enough funds to cover her outstanding transitional care costs so she could focus on recovering and settling into her new home. 
• The balance of a care center resident who died after her insurance unknowingly expired was covered, lessening the burden on her grieving family. 

All Funds raised will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000 from Marsh McLennan Agency!

About Saint Therese

Saint Therese is a nonprofit, faith-based, person-centered senior living organization with a simple mission: do ordinary things with extraordinary love. For more than 50 years, we have supported seniors and their families with innovative and compassionate programs and services designed to help our seniors live well. Socialization is vital to seniors’ health [3]. Connecting with others through taking classes, practicing your religion, and talking to neighbors are all ways that Saint Therese helps residents live well. We currently have four communities here in Minnesota and one in Michigan.

Saint Therese at Oxbow Lake

Saint Therese at St. Odilia

Saint Therese of Woodbury

Saint Therese of Corcoran

IHM Senior Living

Footnotes

1 “Get the Facts on Healthy Aging,” National Council on Aging, October 20, 2023. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Health Status—Life Expectancy at 65, https://data.oecd.org/healthstat/life-expectancy-at-65.htm

2 “80% of Older Americans Cannot Pay for Long-Term Care or Withstand a Financial Shock, New Study Shows,” National Council on Aging, April 19, 2023.

3 “A surprising key to healthy aging: Strong social connections” March 15 2024 Mayo Clinic Press A surprising key to healthy aging: Strong social connections - Mayo Clinic Press. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/healthy-aging/a-surprising-key-to-healthy-aging-strong-social-connections/