Being a special friend to someone is the main purpose of the Senior Companion Program (SCP), a service through which people in the community age 60 and older volunteer assistance and friendship to elderly individuals who are generally living alone. By taking care of simple chores, providing transportation to medical appointments and for shopping, and offering contact to the outside world, Senior Companions often provide the services that frail elderly need to live independently. They also provide respite care to relieve live-in caregivers for short periods of time. Perham Memorial Hospital is this area's volunteer station site for the SCP.

Each Senior Companion spends between 12 and 20 hours a week with their assigned clients, and receives a modest tax-free stipend, reimbursement for transportation and meals during service hours, an annual limited physical examination, and accident and liability insurance while on duty. Depending on the situation and type of service, a Senior Companion may serve one client a day to as many as five or six in a week’s time.

The history of the SCP dates back to 1968 when congressional interest in establishing a program targeted to service by and for older persons began. However, it was in March of 1973 that the President of the United States asked Congress to expand the role of low-income older volunteers to provide person-to-person service "helping more older Americans…work with older persons."

Now, over 12,000 Senior Companions across the country provide 12 million hours of service annually to help more than 32,000 frail elderly individuals live independently. The estimated value in terms of saved nursing home costs and services provided is $150 million.

In Minnesota, over 330 Senior Companions provide 344,000 hours of service annually to help more than 1,700 elderly individuals live independently.

The success of the SCP is that a meaningful one-to-one relationship develops between two older adult peers - one facing difficulties and the other with time and love to share. In some cases, Senior Companions may be the only contact the client has with the outside world.

To learn more about the SCP program, please contact Perham Memorial Hospital at 346-4500 or the toll-free Senior Corps information line at
1-800-424-8867.

Thank you from the PMHH Hospital Board

To the residents of the Perham Hospital District,

In 1957, the people of the Perham area banded together to build a new hospital to replace the old St. James Hospital. On October 8, 1958, the doors of Memorial Hospital opened for the first time to provide health care services to the people of this area.

The past 40 years have treated us well. A new nursing home was built in 1969, a clinic was added in 1973, and the nursing home addition was built in 1976, forming what we know today as Perham Memorial Hospital and Home. This year, we made the last bond payments for the those projects.

Kathy Hemmelgarn, Chairperson, Pine Lake Township Gail Quittschreiber, Corliss Township Bernice Genoch, Dead Lake Township Cal Dockter, Rush Lake Township Rosemary Borgerding, Edna Township Jane Aschenwitz, Dora Township Gilbert Ebner, City of Richville Stephanie Frank, Star Lake Township LuAnn Carow, Gorman Township Betty Cordes, Ottertail Township Bill Cavanagh, Perham Township Perry Coleman, City of Dent Jerry Kunza, City of Perham

Additions for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and surgery, along with remodeling of the emergency rooms and laboratory, were also completed in the past six years. Briarwood, a senior living apartment complex, was opened a year ago. We are now beginning another construction project which will make access to the facility more customer friendly, enlarge the clinic, and enhance the X-ray department.

As we previously stated, the past 40 years have treated us well, and for that, we THANK YOU, the residents and customers of the Perham Hospital District. Without your support, these enhancements in availability of local, quality health care would not be possible.

Thank you,
PMHH Board

Groundbreaking for PMHH’s construction project took place Thursday, Nov. 4. The $1.45 million project will double the size of the hospital’s radiology department - which will include the addition of an in-house CT scan machine and a second x-ray room - and provide additional office space for the hospital. Nine new exam rooms, one treatment room, additional lobby area, and business office space will be added to the clinic area. Construction is expected to be completed in August 2000.