This grant will be used to acquire two mobile and four portable wheelchair stairlifts, supporting the safe transportation of medically frail seniors with mobility restrictions and allowing participants to age safely in their homes for a longer time.

"We are excited to support Bluegrass PACE Care with this HDR Foundation grant,” said Mark Day, board chair at BCN and Senior Aviation Consultant/Office Principal at HDR, a global firm specializing in architecture, engineering, environmental and construction services. “BCN's unwavering commitment to compassionate and culturally sensitive care is truly inspiring. These funds will allow PACE to greatly reduce transportation challenges for participants."

In our central Kentucky community, there is a shortage of housing that is both affordable and accessible for senior adults with mobility issues. Senior adults that are wheelchair bound or face other mobility limitations often find themselves restricted to their homes without the ability to leave for medical appointments or other healthcare related activities, including socialization for their mental health well-being.

The HDR Foundation grant focuses on promoting healthy living at the community level by funding initiatives that encourage active lifestyles, wellness education, and preventative care. The purchase of mobile wheelchair stair lifts and portable stair lifts will provide PACE drivers and team members with essential tools to safely transport participants from their homes to medical appointments and the PACE Center.

“Bluegrass Care Navigators is incredibly grateful to organizations like the HDR Foundation that award funding to support our services to seriously ill or medically frail individuals,” Liz Fowler, President and CEO of BCN, said. “This grant will greatly improve accessibility and mobility for our PACE participants, enhancing their quality of life and enabling them to receive the care they need.”

Bluegrass PACE Care, or Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, keeps adults aged 55+, who need help with activities of daily living, such as meals, dressing, bathing or toileting, living safely at home. PACE provides a dedicated healthcare team including a primary care provider, an all-inclusive care plan and all services to support that plan, and transportation to and from the Bluegrass PACE Center and all authorized medical appointments. Participants also receive meals and can engage in social activities at the Bluegrass PACE Center.

For more information about Bluegrass Care Navigators and Bluegrass PACE Care, visit bgcarenav.org.

About HDR

HDR is a 100% employee-owned professional services firm. Founded over a century ago to bring electricity to a changing world, we are now a global company specializing in architecture, engineering, environmental and construction services. Our success in built and natural environments continues as we collaborate to solve our clients’ and communities’ most complex challenges. 

About the HDR Foundation
The HDR Foundation provides grants to qualified organizations that align with HDR’s areas of expertise: education, healthy communities and environmental stewardship. As an employee-funded and employee-driven foundation, preference is given to organizations located in communities in which HDR employees live and work, and those with strong employee involvement. Since its inception, the HDR Foundation has provided more than $9 million in grants to over 350 organizations. 

About Bluegrass Care Navigators 
Established in 1978, Bluegrass Care Navigators is a nationally recognized, leading nonprofit provider of expert care for the frail and elderly in 32 counties across northern, central, and eastern Kentucky. Our compassionate team of over 700 employees and 300 volunteers supports more than 16,000 patients annually with transitional care, home health, PACE (the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), palliative care, integrative medicine, hospice care, and grief counseling services. For more information on Bluegrass Care Navigators’ services, visit www.bgcarenav.org or call 855.492.0812.